Bumper A-level grades for English students but picture more mixed in Wales and Northern Ireland – live updates

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Here are the main figures in this year’s A-level results, as analysed by PA.

The proportion of candidates receiving top grades has risen from last year and remains higher than before the Covid-19 pandemic.

A total of 27.8% of entries were awarded either an A or A*, up from 27.2% in 2023 and above 25.4% in 2019.

Some 9.3% of entries received an A*. This is also up on last year (8.9%) and higher than the figure for 2019 (7.7%).

Discounting the pandemic-affected years of 2020-22 – when the figure peaked at 19.1% in 2021 – 9.3% is the highest proportion since the A* grade was first awarded in 2010.

The overall pass rate (grades A* to E) was 97.2%. This is down from 97.3% in 2023 and also below 2019, which was 97.6%.

It is the lowest figure since 2008, when it also stood at 97.2%.

Some 76.4% of entries received a C or above, up from 76.0% in 2023 and above the pre-pandemic figure of 75.9% in 2019.

The lead enjoyed by girls over boys in the top grades has narrowed.

The proportion of girls’ entries awarded A or higher this year was 28.0%, just 0.4 percentage points higher than the equivalent figure for boys’ entries (27.6%). Last year, girls led boys by 0.6 percentage points (27.5% girls, 26.9% boys).

By contrast, boys have extended their lead over girls in the highest grade, A*.

The proportion of boys’ entries awarded A* this year was 9.5%, 0.4 points higher than girls (9.1%). Girls had moved in front of boys from 2020 to 2022, before boys reclaimed a 0.3-point lead last year. Boys had previously led girls at A* from 2012 through to 2019.

The most popular subject this year was maths, for the 11th year in a row. It had 107,427 entries, up 11% from 96,853 in 2023.

Psychology remains the second most popular subject. It had 78,556 entries, down 2% from 80,493 in 2023.

Biology was once again the third most popular subject, with 74,367 entries, a fall of 0.4% from 74,650.

Further maths saw the largest percentage increase in entries this year, up 20% from 15,080 in 2023 to 18,082 in 2024.

Across the regions of England, London saw the highest proportion of entries awarded grades of A and above (31.3%, up 1.3 percentage points from 30.0% in 2023), while the East Midlands had the lowest (22.5%, up 0.2 points from 22.3% in 2023).

A total of 886,514 A-levels were awarded this year, up 2% on last year’s 867,658.

Here are more pictures of students receiving their A-level results in Solihull in the west Midlands.

Sheffield University has said it has already spoken to 547 applicants since opening its call centre at 8am.

The most popular subjects for which the university is receiving calls are economics and management, although there has been interest across the board, including in the humanities and sciences.

There are over 80 people staffing the phones via a virtual and physical call centre and another 50 members of staff on hand to speak to applicants, the university says.

Dan Barcroft, director of admissions at the University of Sheffield said:

Competition for clearing places remains fierce, especially for popular courses at top universities, with many students reassessing their options post-results and using clearing to ‘shop around’ and find the best university for them.

At Sheffield, we have some places available through clearing for high-achieving students and we guarantee accommodation to everyone who accepts an offer by the end of August, to help ease the stress of results day.

Students are expected to make big decisions over the next few days, so it’s important they think carefully about where they want to study. Universities have a duty to recognise this and ensure they don’t add to the pressure. Applicants should take advantage of clearing open days, campus tours and online taster sessions, where they can speak to current students, to make sure they are making informed choices.

The exam system is too “narrow” and in need of urgent reform, the Education Union is warning.

Niamh Sweeney, Deputy General Secretary of the Education Union, said:

Applied General Qualifications (AGQs) like BTECs and Cambridge Technicals are important qualifications which help students progress to employment and further study. The government should step in to save the future of these tried and tested courses.

We recommend that Bridget Phillipson provides clarity on her statement about AGQs and pauses the defunding for a further two years, to review the qualifications. Schools and colleges otherwise face uncertainty about the courses they can offer. Many thousands of young people – and disproportionately from low-income families – risk being prevented from accessing education.

The pressure of exam season is intense and the efforts of every young person should be commended, but the exam system is narrow, overly prescriptive, and in need of urgent reform. The negative effect of legacy policies of the previous government are now inescapable, not least in the reduced take up of humanities subjects.

The NEU welcomes the review of curriculum and assessment commissioned by government. Teachers are ready to contribute their significant expertise to the review in order that assessment methods properly capture all students’ skills, knowledge and abilities.

Pupils in England achieve best A-level results since 2010

Sixth formers in England are enjoying a bumper crop of top A-level results, surpassing previous pre-pandemic highs in the proportion of A* and A grades awarded, thanks in part to strong performances in maths and sciences, writes the Guardian’s education editor Richard Adams.

In maths, which had more than 100,000 A-level candidates nationally for the first time, a record 42% of 18-year-olds in England got A* or As, while a third of entrants got the highest grades in physics and chemistry.

But there was a different picture in Wales and Northern Ireland, where the proportions of top grades awarded fell compared with last year, in a return to pre-pandemic grade boundaries, although results in Northern Ireland remained better than those in England.

Here are the latest images of students receiving their A-level results.

Raising tuition fees is "unpalatable", says education minister

Raising university tuition fees would be “unpalatable”, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has said, but she added that the government intends to reform the overall system.

Asked whether tuition fee caps would be increased in the next five years, she told Sky News:

I do recognise the challenge, and I hear that message from institutions as well, but I think that’s a really unpalatable thing to be considering.

Not least because I know that lots of students across the country are already facing big challenges around the cost of living, housing costs, lots of students I speak to who are already working lots of jobs, extra hours, in order to pay for their studies.

Phillipson also said that the government does not intend to remove visa restrictions placed on international students by the previous Tory government.

In January, restrictions were introduced to prevent most international students bringing dependents with them to the UK.

We don’t intend to change that.

But what I do say is that international students who come to our country and study do make a tremendous contribution.

Private schools which could close as a result of the government’s plans to impose 20% VAT are already facing “big budget shortfalls”, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has said.

She told Sky News:

Private schools are businesses that can make choices about how they manage their budgets, the level of fees that they charge, and ultimately, it’s about how attractive they are to families in terms of the numbers of students that are sent there.

We have seen private schools in recent years whack up their fees year on year, way beyond inflation, and that has priced out lots of people.

And I think what we’ve seen with some of the examples that are being discussed are schools that were already experiencing big budget shortfalls, weren’t attracting the same numbers of students that they might like to attract, and that’s what’s driving what we see here now.

Our plans to impose VAT on private school fees are about driving high standards in our state schools.

Record number of poorer students heading for university

A record number of students from the lowest socio-economic backgrounds have secured a place at university and college this year, according to the University and College Admissions Service.

27,600 of UK 18-year-olds from the most disadvantaged backgrounds (POLAR4 Quintile 1) have accepted a place, up 7% on 25,800 last year and on the previous high record of 26,650 (+4%) in 2021.

In England, 22,640 18-year-old applicants from the most disadvantaged backgrounds (TUNDRA quintile 1) have gained a place – the highest on record.

In Wales 1,200 of those from the most disadvantaged backgrounds (WIMD2019 quintile 1) have been accepted, down from the peak of 1,250 in 2023.

In Northern Ireland 1,000 from the most disadvantaged backgrounds (NIMDM2017 quintile 1) have got a place compared to 1,010 in 2023.

For UK 18-year-olds overall, there are over 10,000 more applicants heading to university or college this September than last year – 243,650 compared to 230,600 (+6%) last year.

This means 31.7% of the 18-year-old population have got a place versus 30.4% in 2023.

Today’s figures also show:

Overall, 425,680 applicants (all ages, all domiciles) have been accepted into university or college – an increase on 414,940 (+3%) in 2023.

In total, 376,470 students (all ages, all domiciles) have been accepted at their first (UCAS ‘firm’) choice, a 4% increase on last year. This represents 82% of those holding an offer who received their decision this morning up from 79% in 2023.

The overall number of accepted international students stands at 51,170, in line with 51,210 in 2023. However, accepted applicants from China are slightly down compared to last year – 10,950 (-6%).

The top three subjects with the largest increase in total placed applicants are engineering and technology (+11% on last year), architecture, building and planning (+9%) and law (+9%).

Acceptances for UK students (all ages) to nursing have risen slightly compared to 2023, with 18,450 applicants securing a place (up 1%). This still represents a decline from the peak seen during the pandemic.

Dr Jo Saxton, chief executive of Ucas, said:

I’m particularly thrilled to see free school meals students securing a place at university or college in record numbers. I know how important it is to everyone working in education that every student, no matter their background, has the opportunity to reach their full potential. Widening access and participation is not just about numbers; it’s about opening up doors and transforming the lives of students through higher education so they can pursue their passions and career aspirations.

Ucas is here to help all applicants take their next step, including students who received different results than expected, or those who are looking to change their mind.

There are just under 30,000 courses available in Ucas Clearing across a broad range of subjects and universities so there really is something for everyone.

Russell Hobby, the CEO of Teach First, a social enterprise which aims to address educational disadvantage in England and Wales, has appeared on LBC News this morning, saying that inequality in education leads to “a huge waste of talent and opportunity”.

He said:

We just cannot build the sort of country we want if a third of young people who come from low income backgrounds are just disappearing from the system in terms of employment or training.

The biggest thing for us in terms of the results that we see are the big gaps between young people based on their family wealth and background, and also the part of the country that they come from,” he said, adding “in some parts of the country, large percentages will go on to good employment, university places, apprenticeships. And in others, there’s a lot fewer.

Part of the solution, he said, was “to go right back to the start and look at funding for schools.”

He told listeners:

We’ve got to make sure that those schools who do serve disadvantaged communities get the most money. I think most importantly, we’ve got to make sure they get the best teachers as well, because it’s the quality of teaching that drives almost everything that goes on in education.

I don’t think there’s many young people who sit there thinking, you know, I just want to mess around and not do very much. People want to get ahead. We find that ambitions and aspirations are the same, whatever the wealth of the family and background that people come from.

But we also know that if you come from a more privileged background, you have better connections. You may know more people who are in different jobs. Your parents may be able to get you an internship or work experience or just the connections that you need. So I think a lot of young people, they don’t have lower ambitions, but they lose sight of the path to go from where they are today to where they want to be.

He said it was important still to remember that those sitting their exams today would have had their education disrupted by the pandemic, “and their education suffered as a result of that”.

I want all young people to be able to choose the path that’s right for them. For many young people that will be university, for many young people that will be an apprenticeship, or going into the world of work.

It’s about having those range of options that are available. And I think, sadly, whatever the headline figure in terms of university applications, we do still see, sadly, very big differences between different parts of the country.

So for example, you’re far more likely to apply to university from London and the south east than you are from the north east, where I’m from. So it’s not kind of a flat figure across the country. There are big gaps, big differences, and actually that they’ve been growing in recent years.

And the same is sadly true when it comes to some of our outcomes. And I’m absolutely determined to turn that around, because I don’t believe where you’re from should determine what you can go on to achieve, and it certainly shouldn’t limit your choices and options.”

Phillipson added that there are “plenty of opportunities” for A-level students who fall short on results day.

She told Sky News:

To our young people receiving their results, there are lots of great options out there in terms of what you can go on to do next.

For those young people who get what they need and move on to their destination of choice, that’s brilliant.

For those who perhaps fall slightly short, there are lots of options out there. There are lots of people that can be there to provide advice and support, whether that’s the school or college, Ucas through clearing, or the Career Service.

Here’s an important reminder from the Union of Students – that “your grades do not define you”.

Qasim Hussain, Vice President Further Education, said:

Congratulations on making it to results day! I know you have worked extremely hard to be here, and I am proud of you no matter what happens next.

Whether you choose to go straight into work, start an apprenticeship, or go to university, there is no one path to success. Any decision is a good decision as long as it is right for you. If you don’t know what you want to do, make sure to talk to your teachers, or guidance or careers counsellors to help identify what is the right path for you.

If you haven’t got the grades you expected, don’t panic. It may feel like the end of the world, but there are lots of ways to achieve your goals. If you didn’t get into the university you wanted, ask your teachers or guidance counsellors about clearing. If you are not interested in clearing, there is no shame in retaking an exam or taking a year out to rethink your goals.

Your grades do not define you. Whether you did better or worse than expected, you should be proud of all the hard work you put into getting yourself through such a stressful time. If you’re planning to stay in education, I hope to see you as part of the student movement in the future!

For anyone receiving their results and applying to further or higher education today, or supporting someone who is, here’s some advice from the Department for Education:

Students’ school or college – or the admissions team at the university to which they are applying - should be their first port of call.

Students can also get advice by visiting the Get Help with Exam Results hub on the Careers Service website. Students can also contact an expert careers adviser by webchat through the Careers Service website or by calling 0800 100 900.

UCAS’s Clearing hotline on 0371 468 0 468 is open to help students understand their options.

The online Clearing Plus service will help match students to courses with entry requirements that align with the grades they achieved.

For young people who have not yet decided on their next steps, there are a variety of high-quality options available, including apprenticeships and higher technical qualifications, that will enable them to gain the skills they need to kickstart great careers. Students can explore their options through the Skills for Careers (education.gov.uk) website.

Grades 'broadly similar to last year,' says education secretary

Grades are expected to be “broadly similar to last year”, according to Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson.

She is congratulating pupils and teachers for their hard work and dedication as students prepare to receive their A level, T Level and other vocational and technical qualifications today.

Students receiving their A level results are expected to receive broadly similar grades to last year, where 75.4% of students received a C or above and 26.5% received an A or above, with grading in England back to pre-pandemic levels for the second year in a row.

Over 320,000 UK 18-year-olds applied to university this year - the second highest on record. The majority of those will receive a place at their first-choice university today, while Ucas will also support thousands of students to access places using Clearing.

Alongside the celebration of students’ hard work, Phillipson is expecting results day to expose some of the inequalities across the education system, including regional disparities in attainment and access to higher education.

Labour wants to “put education back at the forefront of national life and break down those barriers to opportunity, helping improve children’s life chances regardless of their background”.

Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson said:

Students up and down the country should be incredibly proud of what they have achieved. I want congratulate them all and to send my thanks to all the fantastic teachers and staff who have shown such dedication in supporting young people to reach this stage.

Young people deserve enormous credit for what they have achieved, in the face of both the huge disruption of recent years, and in too many cases the inequality that goes hand in hand with young people’s backgrounds. I am determined to break down these barriers to opportunity so every young person can pursue their dreams and thrive.

I hope young people everywhere can celebrate their results and look forward to their next step - be that university, an apprenticeship or beginning their careers.

The University and College Union has criticised the “chaotic scramble” of clearing, which takes place today and gives students an opportunity to get a fresh place at university.

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said:

The chaotic scramble to hoover up students through clearing shows why universities need a new funding model. The overreliance on tuition fee income is causing huge financial instability across the sector. In response, universities have resorted to offering cash prizes or the chance to win free accommodation to students who sign up through clearing. To stop institutions from making these inappropriate inducements, the government must step in and protect the sector. It needs to agree to provide emergency funding to protect all jobs, courses and institutions at risk, and end the failed marketised higher education experiment.

This results day, the union is urging the government to close the pay gap between school and college teachers, and calling for BTECs to be protected.

Polling of 17-21 year olds, conducted by Savanta on behalf of UCU, has found the overwhelming majority of young people:

Want to see college staff paid fairly, through the closing of the college schoolteacher pay gap (81%).

Are concerned about the cost of higher education (81%), believe students should pay less (84%), and want employers to pay more (70%).

Want the government to provide emergency funding to universities at financial risk (87%).

Grady said:

Today is the culmination of years of hard work by students and staff, who should be commended for their dedication. Unfortunately, those receiving their results from further education colleges have been taught by staff who earn much less than their counterparts in schools. Schoolteachers will receive a fully funded 5.5% pay award while college teachers have again been left wanting. This is in addition to a pay gap of £9k that already exists.

A two-tier pay model, where college staff earn less, overwhelmingly disadvantages the working-class students who are more likely to attend further education colleges than their middle-class peers. If the government is serious about addressing the inequalities hardwired into England’s education system, it needs to urgently listen to young people and close the college schoolteacher pay gap.

On the government’s plan to scrap BTECs next year, Grady added:

Many students will be gaining their level 3 BTEC results today. This tried and tested entry route into university or onto skilled employment is now at risk of losing its funding. At the very least, the government needs to extend its review period so BTECs aren’t scrapped next year. Anything less will be a betrayal of the hundreds of thousands of students who rely on these crucial qualifications.

Pupils from poorer backgrounds aren’t getting enough advice on next steps after school, a Social Mobility Foundation poll has found.

The think tank found that less than half of young people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds feel they have the resources and support at school to do their best (48% compared with 56% from higher socioeconomic backgrounds).

Just one in eight school and college pupils aged over 16 received advice about going straight into work, while only one in three were given advice on apprenticeships and just one in four had done in-person work experience.

The charity is calling on the government to ensure that all young people are able to make informed choices about their futures.

When asked about the barriers they experienced during secondary school and sixth form, over 1 in 5 (22%) from lower socioeconomic backgrounds said they had inadequate access to a quiet study space at home or at school. Around 1 in 10 (9%) from lower socioeconomic backgrounds said that inadequate access to the internet at home was a barrier. This was almost double the figure for those from higher socioeconomic backgrounds (5%).

The vast majority of university students of all backgrounds say they are worried about money (71%) and the cost of living (73%) – a higher proportion than say they are worried about keeping up with their studies (67%).

Over half (52%) of prospective students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds said they were more likely to apply to a university closer to home, significantly more than from the higher socioeconomic group (43%). Less well-off students were also more likely to worry about student debt and keeping up with their studies.

Sarah Atkinson, Chief Executive, Social Mobility Foundation, said:

Clearly, the government must prioritise closing the widening attainment gap between pupils from lower-income backgrounds and their peers. But not only are poorer students being held back in education, they’re not getting the guidance they need on their next steps. Whether it’s doing an apprenticeship, going straight into work or studying for a degree, young people must be given clear information on the options available to them in every school, right across the UK.

For those who do go on to higher education, we know that students are struggling to afford the essentials, with many having to live at home or earn while they learn. Universities need to ensure that their courses are flexible so that students can study in a way that suits their needs and flourish regardless of their background.

Good morning, and welcome to our blog covering A-level release day as hundreds of thousands of students across England, Wales and Northern Ireland nervously await the grades that could secure university places.

Schools received the results yesterday so will be braced to support those who may need to go through clearing if they have missed their grades.

Last year, the proportion of top A*-A grades in England shrank from 35.9% in 2022 to 26.5% in a reversal of pandemic-era grade inflation and some experts are predicting there could be a further fall this year.

Scottish students received the results of their Higher exams last week and the A-C pass rate showed a fall on last year, at 74.9% against 77.1% (it was 74.8% in 2019, before the pandemic hit).

This year, we’ll be looking to find out whether there has been a return to pre-pandemic marking after four years of instability; whether the north-south divide is growing, as well as the gap between boys and girls; and what the impact is on university admissions, with “every course under the sun” said to be available in clearing and institutions expected to accept lots of students who have missed their grades.

We’ll find out the answers at 9.30am this morning, so make sure you follow along with us today for all the developments.

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