GCSE results released today show that overall grades were broadly similar to 2023, including when broken down by subject.

This year’s exams maintained standards from last year, which was the final step in Ofqual’s return to normal exams and grading after the Covid-19 pandemic.

Examiners were asked to ensure the standard of work this year was “broadly similar” to 2023, though to “bear in mind any residual impact of disruption on performance”.

While almost all mitigations have been removed, GCSE students in some subjects were still provided with formulae sheets this year.

Top grades fell between 2022 and 2023 as grading was brought in line with pre-pandemic standards. Some variation in results in subjects between years is always expected.

Here are the headline takeaways from today’s GCSE results, broken down by subject (scroll down or click the links below to go straight to each subject):

• Maths
• English
• Science
• Languages
• Humanities
• Computing
• Arts and D&T
• PE

GCSE maths

The proportion of overall entries receiving a pass or higher (grade 4/C) in maths this year was down slightly from 61 per cent last year to 59.6 per cent in 2024.

This year was the same as the 59.6 per cent who got a grade 4/C or above in 2019.

Meanwhile, 16.7 per cent received a grade 7/A or higher in maths GCSE this year - a decrease from 17.2 per cent who got the top grades in 2023 but above 15.9 per cent in 2019.

The 2023 GCSE results saw an uptick in the number of students failing to achieve grade 4 for English and maths and therefore an increase in those having to resit in November.

However, less than a quarter of the students who took GCSE maths in November 2023 passed - meaning the majority failed their resits.

Only 17.4 per cent of entries from students aged 17 or over achieved a grade 4/C in maths in England this year - slightly up from 16.4 per cent in 2023.
 

• GCSE results: English and maths pass rate down
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• How much does attendance affect exam results?
• GCSE resits: everything you need to know
   

GCSE English language and literature

Like in maths, achieving that grade 4/C needed to pass English language is key for GCSE students.

This year, 61.6 per cent of entries managed to achieve a passing grade or higher in English language, a fall from last year when 64.2 per cent were awarded grade 4/C or above.

The English language overall pass rate was also slightly below 2019, when 61.8 per cent of entries passed English language.

However, much of this is driven by entries from students aged 17 or over who are likely resitting. In England, 20.9 per cent of entries from these students were awarded a grade 4/C - a drop from 25.9 per cent last year.

Speaking in a Joint Council for Qualifications briefing this morning, Claire Thomson, AQA’s director of regulation and compliance, said the drop in pass rates was “largely around the 17-year-olds and over who are skewing the distributions. If you look at just the 16-year-olds, they are very stable with minimal movement over the years”.

“The 17 and over cohort has grown and come back over pre-pandemic levels, which is altering the results,” she added.

For English literature, 73.7 per cent of overall entries achieved a grade 4/C or higher - down slightly from 73.9 per cent in 2023 but up slightly from 73.4 per cent in 2019.

In literature, 20.1 per cent achieved a grade 7/A or above, and 15.6 per cent in language. This compares with the 20.6 per cent who achieved grade 7/A in literature in 2023 and 16 per cent in language.

This year, teachers with students doing the Romeo and Juliet option in AQA’s English literature paper warned the extract students received was “difficult” and could leave some young people disadvantaged.

GCSE double science, biology, chemistry and physics

In the double science GCSE, the proportion of entries getting top grades (7/A and above) rose to 8.8 per cent from 8.5 per cent in 2023.

Meanwhile, 57.1 per cent of entries received a pass or higher in double science, compared with 56.6 per cent last year.

In the three sciences, the proportion getting the top grades increased slightly for physics and chemistry and remained the same for biology.

Along with GCSE maths, physics and combined science students were allowed to have formulae and equation sheets for another year.

This was to recognise the cohort had “experienced two years of national closures during secondary school”.

In biology, 42 per cent achieved the top grades - compared with 42 per cent in 2023 and 42.3 per cent in 2019.

Meanwhile in physics, 44 per cent achieved the top grades - higher than the 43 per cent in 2023 and 43.8 per cent in 2019.

In chemistry, 44.7 per cent achieved the top grades - higher than the 43.6 per cent in 2023 and 43.9 per cent in 2019.

GCSE Spanish, French and German

The proportion of entries receiving top grades in modern foreign languages rose this year.

In Spanish, 26.7 per cent received a grade 7/A or higher and 69.8 per cent passed with a grade 4/C or higher. These are compared with 26.1 per cent that got the top grades in 2023 and 69.2 per cent that passed.

Adjustments were made to grading standards for French and German GCSEs again this year to better align results with Spanish.

Last year, exam boards were required by Ofqual to award more generously at grades 9, 7 and 4. This year, exam boards were asked to make further positive adjustments at the same grades for GCSE German, and grades 7 and 4 for French.

Considering this, 32.1 per cent achieved a grade 7/A above in German, compared with 27.6 per cent last year, and 28 per cent in French, up from 26 per cent in 2023.

The pass rate also increased. In French, 71.2 per cent were awarded a grade 4/C or higher - up from 70.5 per cent last year and 69.7 in 2019.

In German, 77.5 per cent passed - up from 76.9 per cent in 2023 and 75.8 per cent in 2019.

Just 9.3 per cent achieved a grade 9 in German GCSE last year, though this was up from 5.8 per cent in 2019. This has continued to rise to 10.4 per cent in 2024.

GCSE history and geography

This year, 25.8 per cent of entries scored the top grades (grade 7/A or above) in GCSE history.

This is an increase of 0.5 percentage points from 25.3 per cent in 2023.

In geography, a similar proportion of entries achieved a grade 7/A or above at 24.5 per cent, the same as 24.5 per cent in both 2023 and 2019.

The pass rate in both GCSEs increased very slightly to 63.9 per cent in history and 65 per cent in geography.

GCSE computing

Computing GCSE saw an increase in both the proportion of top grades and the pass rate for 2024.

This year, 28.3 per cent of entries were awarded a grade 7/A or above, and 68.3 per cent a grade 4/C or above.

This is compared with last year when 24.4 per cent of entries received a grade 7/A or higher in computing, and 64.6 per cent made grade 4/C or higher.

These were still slightly above 2019 levels when 21.6 per cent got at least a grade 7/A and 62.6 per cent achieved a grade 4/C or above.

After research into grading standards, Ofqual asked exam boards to award more generously at grades 9, 7 and 4 for computer science this year.

GCSE art and design, drama, music and design and technology

There was a mixed picture for the arts in terms of increases and decreases for 2024 compared with last year.

For art and design, 23.6 per cent got a grade 7/A or above and 76.3 per cent a grade 4/C or above. In 2023, 23.9 per cent of entries achieved a grade 7/A or above and 76.1 per cent got at least a grade 4/C.

Last year in design and technology, 64.8 per cent achieved a grade 4/C or higher, and 21 per cent got the top grades. This year saw some increases, with 22.4 per cent getting the top grades and 65.6 per cent achieving a pass of grade 4/C or better.

Meanwhile, music top grades decreased slightly from 33.3 per cent in 2023 to 32.9 per cent this year. Last year, 76.4 per cent of students received a grade 4/C or higher, and this only decreased slightly to 75.9 per cent this year.

Similarly, in drama for 2024, 76.7 per cent achieved a passing grade. In 2023, 75.9 per cent achieved a grade 4/C and up.

In the top grades, 26.9 per cent of students got at least a grade 7/A this year, a small increase on 2023 when the figure was 25.8 per cent.

GCSE PE

GCSE PE saw 23 per cent of entries awarded a grade 7/A or above and 72.1 per cent getting a grade 4/C or above.

This is relatively similar compared to 2023, when 22.7 per cent of entries received the top grades and 72.4 per cent achieved a grade 4/C or higher.

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