News Desk

A’ level pass rates have gone up again signalling the 27th year of rising pass rates with more than half of all grades either As or Bs.

The Times is reporting that more than one in four exams was graded an A — up from 25.9 per cent last year to 26.7 per cent — a bigger rise than the previous year. Three-quarters got at least a grade C.

"But the university admissions service also said that 135,114 students were eligible for clearing this year — for just 22,000 places. The same figures last year were 112,000 for 43,000 places."

The debate amongst academics and politicians will continue if A’ levels have become too easy with improvements recorded in maths and science and an increase in the number of candidates taking economics, showing that candidates are taking traditionally more "tougher" subjects.

The actual pass rate of 97.5 per cent is 0.3 per cent higher than last year's levels. Traditional subjects remained the most popular with the largest proportion of candidates taking English, maths and biology. There was a decline in entry in General Studies, computing and IT.

French and German continued a slow long-term drop in numbers but Spanish and less mainstream languages such as Chinese and Urdu grew in popularity.  

London schools that have done well in previous years like Queen Elizabeth Girls School, City of London, and other traditional centres of excellence are expected to return excellent results.

photo credit(for illustration only): GCSE results Burlington Danes Academy. Sabrina Knight, Habiba Ali, Luwam Emereb, Kerrymore Aldridge and Emiliya Zasheva.

Photography by Leigh Quinnell, David Tett and Fiona Saunders via flckr.com