Maths is the most popular subject among those sitting the autumn A-level exams, representing 20 per cent of total entries, new data shows.
Figures released today by Ofqual show that, in total, there have been 20,100 provisional entries to the autumn A-level series, equivalent to 3 per cent of entries in the summer (718,857).
Related: The 7 rules for autumn exam ‘resits’
Coronavirus: Schools in lockdown areas expected to hold exams
A levels 2020: Autumn exam timetable
Of these, one in five entries (4,190) are for the most popular subject, maths, followed by 3,300 for chemistry, 2,995 for biology and 1,505 for physics.
Coronavirus: Autumn A-level exams
All summer GCSE and A-level exams were cancelled this year due to Covid-19, with Ofqual initially using a standardising process to assign grades, based on a combination of schools’ historical performance data, students’ prior attainment and a rank order of pupils by grade and subject.
However, following a dramatic U-turn in the wake of a disastrous A-level results day, GCSE and A-level candidates were instead awarded whichever was highest out of their calculated results or the grades assessed by their teachers.
Students were also given the option to take “the full suite” of exams in the autumn if they sought to improve their grades.