A-level results released today show increases in the top grades awarded for most of the main subjects - but not in English.

Overall, the proportion of top A* and A grades at A level awarded in England this year was higher than last year and higher than before the Covid-19 pandemic.

Last year, the exams regulator Ofqual completed a two-step process to return to normal grading after the pandemic and, this year, the plan was for standards to be maintained from 2023.

In 2024, examiners were asked to ensure the standard of work was “broadly comparable” to last year. 2023 saw a drop in the proportion of top grades awarded compared with 2022.

Here are today’s A-level results from 2024, broken down by subject:

Maths and English

The proportion of top grades in maths rose very slightly compared with last year to see 41.5 per cent of students achieve an A or A*.

Last year, 41 per cent of entries received the top grades in maths (A*/A), and 40.5 per cent in 2019.

However, in English literature, the proportion of entries getting top grades was down slightly - at 25.2 per cent compared with 25.4 per cent last year. It was still above the 24.1 per cent of entries awarded top grades in 2019.

Proportions receiving A*-C in English literature remained the same as last year, when 82.9 per cent received a C or above.

In 2023 for maths, 76 per cent received a C or above - similar to this year at 76.1 per cent.

Maths remains the most popular subject for A-level students, and finalised entries increased by 11.3 per cent on 2023 data to 100,052 entries in England.

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In English Language, there was also a small decrease in the proportion of top grades awarded - from 12.2 per cent last year to 11.5 per cent this year. This, however, is still above the 11.3 per cent achieving an A or A* in 2019.

Sciences

All science A levels saw a rise in the proportion of top grades awarded compared with both last year and 2019.

The proportion achieving top grades in biology was 27.1 per cent, compared with 25.9 per cent in 2023 and 23.5 per cent in 2019.

In chemistry this year, 32.2 per cent of students received an A* or A. This was higher than in 2023 when 31.1 per cent achieved the top grades, and higher than in 2019, when it was 28.4 per cent.

In physics, 31.5 per cent of students achieved the top grades. This was an increase from last year when 30.8 per cent were awarded an A or A*, and also from 2019, when top grades were given to 27.5 per cent of entries.

Tes reported in June that the Institute of Physics had called on exam board AQA to take action after teachers reported this year’s A-level paper 2 was “unreasonably difficult”.

In 2023, students only had to achieve between 51 and 54 per cent in physics A level to get an A because of where the grade boundaries were set.

Finalised entry numbers saw A-level physics entries increase by 12.8 per cent on last year in England, while chemistry increased by 2.4 per cent.

Analysis by the Education Policy Institute found there has been a bigger increase in the proportion of girls achieving top grades in some science, technology, engineering and maths subjects since 2023, particularly in maths, further maths and the sciences.

However, boys still received more A* and A grades in maths and physics. Girls achieved more top grades in biology and chemistry.

Languages

Modern foreign languages also saw more top grades awarded compared with 2023 in Spanish, French and German.

But, like most subjects, modern foreign languages saw a big drop from the proportion of top grades awarded in 2022.

This year, 36.6 per cent achieved an A or an A* in Spanish, 39.1 per cent in French and 47.1 per cent in German.

This compares with 35 per cent getting those top grades in Spanish in 2023, 37.6 per cent in French and 44.4 per cent in German.

Those receiving A*-C grades were also up in all three languages compared with last year.

Both French and Spanish were among the 10 subjects with the biggest growth in subject entries - 8.2 per cent in French and 2.6 per cent in Spanish.

Arts

Following the trend, top grades awarded also increased in music, drama, and art and design.

In drama, 21.8 per cent received the top grades in 2024 compared with 20.8 per cent last year and 18 per cent in 2019.

Meanwhile, in art and design, 32 per cent received the top grades in 2024 compared with 30.8 per cent last year. This was well above 2019 levels, when 27.7 per cent got an A or A*.

Finally, in music, the proportion receiving top grades this year was 24.2 per cent, up from 23.2 per cent last year, and above 19.3 per cent in 2019.

Drama saw a 6.2 per cent drop in entries this year compared with 2023. Music and art and design saw very small increases in entries for England compared with last year.

Analysis from the Association of School and College Leaders earlier this week found that A-level entries to creative subjects have “collapsed” since the English Baccalaureate was introduced in 2011.

A-level drama entries dropped off by 43 per cent from 2011 to 2023, ASCL found, while music and design and technology entries fell by 45 per cent.

At the same time, maths, further maths and science entries soared.

The union’s general secretary Pepe Di’Iasio said it was clear that the “English Baccalaureate has had a devastating effect on creative arts and technology subjects”.

He added: “It has led to schools having to prioritise their highly constrained resources on EBacc subjects, and other subjects have dwindled as a result.”

Humanities

Top grades were broadly the same for history A level this year, with a very small increase to 24.3 per cent of entries achieving an A or A*.

This is compared with 2023 when 24.1 per cent gained the top grades in history. It was still slightly above 2019, when 22.5 per cent got an A or A*.

This year, 81.2 per cent of entries in history achieved a C or above, up from 80.3 per cent last year.

In geography, there was a slightly larger rise in the proportion of top grades awarded to 24.2 per cent.

Last year in geography, 23.7 per cent were awarded an A or A*. This was very similar to 23.3 per cent in 2019.

Geography, however, saw a very slight fall in the awarding of a C or above, 78.7 per cent this year and 79 per cent last year.

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