Summary
That’s it for our live coverage on A-Level results. Here’s a summary of what’s happened today.
The proportion of candidates in England, Wales and Northern Ireland receiving top grades went down from last year, with 36.4% of entries awarded an A or A*, down from 44.8% in 2021, but higher than in 2019 when it was 25.4%, the last time exams were sat.
Northern Irish A-level students outperformed their counterparts in England and Wales again this year, with 44% achieving A* and A grades compared with 35.9% and 40.9% respectively. However, the proportion of students achieving those top grades in Northern Ireland fell less steeply than in England and Wales.
Maths remains the most popular A-level while the number of students taking psychology and business studies jumped by more than 10% this year.
Just 53,323 students took one of the three English subjects available to them (English Language, English Literature or the combined English Language and Literature A-levels), down from 73,000 in 2017.
19% more 18-year-olds in the UK have gained a place at their firm or insurance choice compared with 2019 (the last year examinations were held).
46,850 students from the most disadvantaged backgrounds have been accepted- an increase of 3,770 on 2019.
More than 20,300 students who applied to university are without a place this morning, after the number accepted on to UK degree courses fell by 2%, according to figures published by the universities admissions service Ucas.
The proportion of As and A*s awarded at A-level has tumbled this year after a return to examinations, bringing students down to earth with a bump following record grades for two years running.
There is huge regional variation in results. London and the south-east of England have the highest proportion of students with top grades, with almost two in five students getting an A* or A. The north-east of England has recorded the lowest proportion of students getting a top rate grade (30.8%) and the lowest increase when compared with 2019.
The drop in grades was expected after the exams regulator laid out plans to gradually rein in grade inflation, taking results back to a middle point between 2021 and pre-pandemic results in 2019 when results were last taken.
The National Deaf Children’s Society has reacted to results day and called for more support for deaf students to address the attainment gap.
Independent schools have the highest proportion of top grades with 58% achieving an A* or A. That is 12.4 percentage points lower than in 2021 but it is still well above pre-pandemic levels, according to some analysis produced by Ofqual, also released this morning.
While grades for boys and girls dropped significantly, female students fared worse in terms of grade deflation. Across all subjects in England 44.3% of students achieved an A grade or above last year; that fell back to 35.9% this year, an 8.4 percentage point drop.
Education secretary says ‘majority’ of students will get first choice university places. Speaking on BBC Breakfast, the education secretary has said the “majority” of students will get their first choice university place, and are not being crowded out by a deferred cohort.
Updated
Students in Northern Ireland retain their lead as the highest achieving A-Level students across the UK, outperforming peers in England and Wales.
While students sit A-Levels in most of the UK (Scotland has its own system) there is always a variation between the constituent countries and this year was no exception.
Northern Irish A-level students outperformed their counterparts in England and Wales again this year, with 44% achieving A* and A grades compared with 35.9% and 40.9% respectively. However, the proportion of students achieving those top grades in Northern Ireland fell less steeply in Northern Ireland than in England and Wales.
The overall proportion of students achieving A* or A grades in all three countries remains above 2019 levels in keeping with the overall headline trend this year – and in keeping with the government plan to gradually bring grade inflation back down to those in pre-pandemic times.
Updated
As we pointed out in an earlier blog, English is far less popular than it once was in England. Here news graphics editor Lucy Swan shows how English literature, the most popular of the three English subjects, has fallen outside the top-10 most popular subjects since its introduction in 2017 (geography also fell outside the top-10 in England this year although, across the UK it is the tenth most-popular subject).
While the number of students taking English (19,814 fewer this year than in 2017) the number taking psychology has grown sharply (an increase of 18,858 increase between 2017 and present). Sociology has also grown in popularity; in 2017 it just made the top 10, it rocketed up the charts to become the fifth most popular subject among A-level students in England this year.
Economics attracted more than 35,000 students in England in 2022, bringing it into the top-10 for the first time.
Updated
London and the south-east have the highest proportion of students with top grades, with almost two out of five students getting an A* or A in 2022.
Although the proportion of students getting an A or above increased in all English regions, these two regions also recorded the highest increase in top grades compared with pre-pandemic 2019.
The proportion of students getting an A or A* was 12.1 percentage points higher in London and 11.2 percentage points higher in the south-east when compared to the last exam–based results year (2019).
Conversely, the north-east has recorded the lowest proportion of students getting a top rate grade (30.8%) and the lowest increase when compared with 2019.
Updated
Ucas figures show a fall in acceptances onto nursing courses as the RCN general secretary and chief executive, Pat Cullen, comments on the impact this drop will have across the country:
“Every one of those accepted onto courses has made a fantastic decision and a rewarding nursing career awaits them. Seeing thousands of young people decide their future is in nursing spurs us on to keep fighting for the profession they will join.
“To address the staffing crisis and give the kind of care patients deserve, we need these figures to look even stronger. Sadly, they have headed in the wrong direction this year.
“The impact of this drop in acceptances to nursing courses, along with the drop in applications this year, must not be underestimated. It will only add to the growing nursing workforce crisis.
Calling for better financial support for nursing students, Culled added: “Ministers across the UK have to urgently reward today’s experienced staff with a fair pay rise and show tomorrow’s that a career in nursing shouldn’t come with a personal financial sacrifice.
“Nursing students in higher education should have access to adequate financial support for tuition and the cost of living. This would encourage more to join nurse education. Our nursing students must be able to prioritise their education without heavy debts and worries.”
Updated
A Level results published this morning by the Joint Council for Qualifications show a 6.2% increase in the number of students sitting the examinations in geography.
37,443 students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland sat A-Level geography this year (35,268 in 2021), an increase of 6.2%, meaning geography is again one of the 10 most popular A-Level subjects.
The Royal Geographical Society director, Prof Joe Smith, said: “The Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) congratulates all the students receiving their A-Level geography results today, especially as this year’s cohort are the first since 2019 to sit exams, and submit a non-exam assessment (NEA) as part of their course, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Any students considering their next steps today should remember that undergraduate geography courses have some of the best student feedback in the National Student Satisfaction surveys. And geographers are sought-after employees with above average graduate employment and salary prospects. In short, it is a subject that is not only relevant to the real world, but also one you are more likely to enjoy studying before securing a well-paid job.”
Updated
Here is a selection of photographs from schools around the UK, as young people open their A-level results.
Updated
The National Deaf Children’s Society has reacted to results day and called for more support for deaf students to address the attainment gap.
Martin McLean, senior policy adviser at the National Deaf Children’s Society, said: “Deaf students across the country will be picking up their results today and some will have achieved less than they could have because they didn’t get the right support. Last year alone, less than half of deaf students achieved at least two A-levels or equivalent, compared to two thirds of hearing students.
“It’s crucial that they get the support they need and the government must address this shocking shortfall as part of its ongoing SEND review. Education is a right, not a privilege, and deaf students deserve the same opportunities as everyone else.”
Updated
Commenting on A-Level results day, Anna Brailsford, the CEO of Code First Girls, said: “This summer, boys made up more than eight in 10 computing A-Level entrants. Computing had the single biggest gender gap at A-Level, closely followed by physics, maths and ICT. This serious underrepresentation of women is a huge problem, and we must recognise and dismantle the barriers that are standing in the way of women pursuing these subjects.
“The UK’s tech job market is projected to be worth £30bn by 2025 - six times larger than it is now. But as things stand, there will only be one qualified woman for every 115 roles by 2025. That means women are not benefiting from the salary and career opportunities afforded by the tech industry, and the tech industry does not have the access to candidates it needs to fill its growing skills gap.
“It is clear schools, universities and businesses need to do much more to support women into tech, at every stage of the pipeline. We need to recognise that the current system is still not building the diverse tech talent pipelines needed, and companies, universities and the wider tech industry need to support candidates with a range of education pathways into tech and make all students aware of the options available to them.”
Updated
Independent schools have the highest proportion of top grades with 58% achieving an A* or A. That is 12.4 percentage points lower than in 2021 but it is still well above pre-pandemic levels, according to some analysis produced by Ofqual, also released this morning.
In all types of schools, the proportion of students getting a grade A or above has decreased compared with 2021 results but, again remains above the level achieved in the exam-assessed 2019 results.
However, the gap between secondary comprehensives and private, fee-paying schools, remains large.
There was a 27.3 percentage point difference in students achieving an A grade or above in independent schools compared with secondary comprehensives this year. That gap has shrunk slightly compared with 2021 when the difference between the school types stood at 31 points.
Updated
The National Union of Students congratulated students on their results success, but also took the opportunity to warn about the cost of living crisis which threatens ahead of the new academic year.
The NUS vice president (further education), Bernie Savage, said: “Students worked for these results under the toughest studying conditions we’ve ever seen, and now their future is threatened by the cost-of-living crisis. Students are a cross-section of society – they’re of all ages; they’re workers, parents, carers, migrants, refugees – and they deserve a leg up right now.
“That’s why we’re calling on the government to ensure all students can access cost of living support, so that they can focus on what’s important: achieving their goals and gaining an education that will help them make the world a little better for us all
Updated
Statistics from Department for Education show nearly 180,000 18-year-old students in England have had their place at their first choice of university confirmed. This is the largest number ever on record for an examination year, a 20% increase on 2019, when exams were last sat.
Overall, 425,830 students of all ages and domiciles will be going onto university, including a record number of 18-year-olds from a disadvantaged background for an examination year. The gap between the most and least advantaged progressing to university has narrowed to a record low (from 2.29 in 2019 to 2.26 in 2022, and from 2.32 in 2021.)
The first cohort of T level students received their results today, with over 92% achieving a pass or above. Many have already secured their first job or an apprenticeship in areas like mechanics and digital product design, and 370 students, 71% of those who applied, have so far been placed onto a university course, demonstrating the flexibility and appeal of these courses.
This is the first year that students have taken summer exams since 2019. As part of the Ofqual transition period back to pre-pandemic grades, AS, A-level and vocational and technical qualification results received today will be higher than in 2019 in recognition of the disruption students experienced during their exam years.
Exams were taken with support and adaptions in place, including advance information of topics for A levels, and longer assessment windows for vocational and technical qualifications.
Grades will be lower than 2021, when exams did not go ahead and grades were determined by teachers, as schools and colleges remained closed to most pupils until March. 36% of entries for A-levels are at grade A or above in the UK – up from 25% in 2019, and down from 45% in 2021, reflecting the target set out last autumn.
The education secretary, James Cleverly, said: “I want to congratulate students getting their results today and say a big thank you to the teachers who helped them get to this point. These students have experienced unprecedented disruption over the last couple of years, and such excellent results are a testament to their resilience and hard work.
Updated
As students across England, Wales and Northern Ireland receive their results today, Dr Tim Bradshaw, the chief executive of the Russell Group, said:
“Congratulations to all students receiving their results today – the last two years have been particularly challenging and everyone should be proud of their achievements. It is fantastic to see the number of young people securing university places up on 2019, the last year exams were held, including from the most disadvantaged backgrounds.
“This is a competitive year for admissions as things begin to return to normal after disruptions to exams during the pandemic. Over the next few weeks our admissions teams will be working hard to place as many young people at our universities as possible, while making sure every student can receive the world class teaching and learning experience they rightly expect. As is the case every year, some courses will be more competitive than others, particularly those where numbers are capped by government like medicine and dentistry.
“We would encourage students who miss out on their grades not to panic. In the first instance they should contact the universities where they had offers as there may be some flexibility or other options – such as similar courses – they might want to consider. There are also lots of options available to those who decide to go through clearing, including at a number of Russell Group universities.”
Updated
Maths remains most popular A-level
Maths remains the most popular A-level while the number of students taking psychology and business studies jumped by more than 10% this year.
But a casualty of this success appears to be English: just 53,323 students took one of the three English subjects available to them ( English Language, English Literature or the combined English Language and Literature A-levels), down from 73,000 in 2017.
English literature has now fallen out of the top-10 most popular subjects for the first time since English as a broader topic was split into three A-levels back in 2017.
Updated
Hundreds of thousands of students have been accepted to their first-choice university with many more expected to find places through clearing, following record numbers of applications to UK universities, according to Universities UK, an advocacy organisation for universities in the UK.
Stats from Universities UK research shows:
19% more 18-year-olds in the UK have gained a place at their firm or insurance choice compared with 2019 (the last year examinations were held).
425,830 students have been accepted into university or college – an increase of 16,870 compared with 2019.
46,850 students from the most disadvantaged backgrounds have been accepted- an increase of 3,770 on 2019
Over 27,000 places have been made available through clearing and those students who have missed out on securing their offers are advised to contact their first-choice university as soon as possible. As the pandemic entered it’s third year, many students have faced additional pressures in their journey to university and Universities UK assures students that admissions teams are “on hand to support those who are having to consider alternative plans and are well practised at considering the challenging circumstances that have may have impacted students”.
Chris Hale, the chief executive of Universities UK, said: “Congratulations to all those who received their results today. It is exciting to once again see such high numbers of applicants continue their journey into higher education, confirming the strong appeal of our universities.
“Students applying this year have faced multiple years of disrupted education, and they and their families should be exceptionally proud of their achievements.
“University is a life changing experience for many, and universities will continue to provide students with the support for success in their studies and the future.”
Updated
Geoff Barton, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, congratulated the hundreds of thousands of young people who have received results in A-levels, as well as vocational and technical qualifications.
“To say they deserve great credit is an understatement given the context of a global pandemic which has caused huge disruption to their studies over the past two-and-a-half years. They have shown enormous resilience and fortitude to reach this point and we wish them every success in their future studies, training and career choices.
“As expected, grades are lower than in 2021 but higher than in 2019, when exams last took place as a result of the decision to return grading to pre-pandemic standards in two stages – which will mean they will again be generally lower next year. This has no bearing on competition for university places as universities have long known of this adjustment and will have taken it into account in the offers they made to students.
“But there may well have been more competition for the most selective universities and courses because of a rise in the number of 18-year-olds. We would urge students who have missed out on places not to panic as there will be a range of options available to them, and to talk to their school or college about next steps.”
Updated
More than 20,300 students who applied to university are without a place this morning, after the number accepted on to UK degree courses fell by 2%, according to figures published by the universities admissions service Ucas.
A total of 425,830 people have had places confirmed so far, the second highest on record, up 16,870 compared with 2019 when exams were last held, but many students will be disappointed this morning, having been caught out in what has been a much more competitive admissions cycle, amid uncertainty about grades with the reintroduction of exams.
The Ucas chief executive, Clare Marchant, said: “Today we have seen more students progress compared to the last time students sat exams. This year has seen a growth in the number of 18-year-olds in the population, which will continue for the remainder of the decade, and creates a more competitive environment for students in the years to come.
“While many will be celebrating today, there will be some who are disappointed. My advice is to take advantage of the wide range of choices on offer, which includes over 27,000 courses in clearing, along with a range of apprenticeship opportunities.”
University admissions teams have reported high levels of interest in clearing, a process which matches unplaced students with unfilled courses, as disappointed students try to find a place. Not only are there more 18-year-olds applying to university this year, many of the most selective institutions are trying to keep numbers down following over-recruitment over the last two years.
Updated
While grades for boys and girls dropped significantly, female students fared worse in terms of grade deflation. Across all subjects in England 44.3% of students achieved an A grade or above last year; that fell back to 35.9% this year, an 8.4 percentage point drop.
But girls’ grades fell more, down by 9.5 percentage points compared to 7 among their male counterparts.
However, compared with 2019, the top grades have increased for both boys and girls. The proportion of girls getting an A or above was 11.8 percentage points higher in 2022 compared with 2019 versus the 9.5 percentage points increase in boys.
Updated
A-levels results plummet as grade inflation addressed
A-levels results plummeted today as a result of the government’s policy of reining in grade inflation to bring results gradually back to pre-pandemic levels.
The results, which were exam-based until 2019, relied on an algorithm in 2020, resulting in major controversy and a U-turn to using teacher-grading in 2021.
The result? Today’s overall A-level grades in England show an 8.4 percentage point drop on last year’s teacher-assessed results, but remain 10.7 points higher than in 2019, the last time the exams were exam based.
The subjects with the biggest drop in points between 2021 and 2022 were music, design and technology, PE, biology and drama, which all fell by 10 percentage points or more while German, French and chemistry dropped by 9.6 points.
That said, all nine subjects were above the grades achieved in 2019, the last pre-pandemic, exam-based results.
Updated
Jo Saxton, chief regulator of Ofqual, said this year’s assessment process was the result of widespread visits and consultations with schools, colleges, students, teachers and parents around the country.
“What students told me is this: they told me clearly they wanted exams and assessments to take place. They wanted a chance to prove themselves. Students were full of praise for teachers and staff in their schools and colleges who had helped them prepare but they spoke of wanting that rite of passage to earn their results in their own right. It was therefore really gratifying to see that exams and assessments took place.”
Noting that the exams “went smoothly” this year, she said that “because the same rules apply to everyone, exams and formal assessments are the best way to measure what students know, understand and can do”, enabling consistency across schools and assessments.
An “unprecedented package of support” had been put in place to help students who hadn’t had the chance to take public exams before and who have experienced disruption to their learning, she said.
This included changes to course work, advanced information in February about topics that would appear in exams to make them “less daunting” and help focus revision, and changed timetables to enable at least a 10-day gap between the first and last exams in a subject to reduce the risk of illness impacting results. “Students told me they preferred the timetable like this,” she noted.
“We want to get back to pre-pandemic standards as we all take steps to get back to normality but it was important to me as chief regulator to balance our objectives of maintaining standards with promoting public confidence in exams and qualifications. In the interests’ of this year’s students we didn’t want to do it in one go. Instead the approach taken to grading reflects a midpoint between summer 2019 and summer 2021 to recognise the disruption students have faced,” she said.
Updated
We want to hear from school leavers, teachers and parents about their experience of this cohort’s results .
Whatever your story, and wherever you’re headed next, please get in touch here.
Education secretary says 'majority' of students will get first choice university places
Speaking on BBC Breakfast, the education secretary has said the “majority” of students will get their first choice university place, and are not being crowded out by a deferred cohort.
When asked if deferred applications would lead to more competition for university places, James Cleverly said: “We should remember that there has been an increase in the number of courses, and as you say the number of 18-year-olds has been increasing, but so has the number of university courses.”
Cleverly said that the number of deferments as a percentage of the overall applications is “very low, something around 6.5% from memory” and said students are “predominantly” competing with “other people that took exams this year” meaning the vast majority of university places will be for students who have sat exams this year.
Cleverly added that there had been a “tighter set of results than last year” with the return of exams, but said: “We have got to remember that the majority of students will probably be getting into their first choice institution, that is incredibly good news.”
Updated
According to PA News, the total number of students accepted on to UK degree courses has decreased 2% on the same point last year, with 425,830 taking up places so far, initial Ucas figures show.
Updated
Good morning. Today, students from England, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man will receive their A-level grades.
This year’s school-leavers are the first to sit the actual exams since 2019, with Covid disruption leading previous years to be given teacher-assessed grades.
Earlier this week, the head of the universities admissions service said this year’s results were “never going to be pain-free”, as students were told to prepare themselves for lower grades and increased competition for university places.
The Ucas chief executive, Clare Marchant, said the government’s policy of reining in grade inflation in order to bring results gradually back to a pre-pandemic level, had been necessary but it was “not easy”.
You can read about how some students have struggled in the run-up to results day here.
We’ll bring you the latest updates and reaction on this story throughout the day.
Updated
