The proportion of entries gaining A*-C grades at A level has fallen in Wales this year. However, the results remain higher than before the pandemic.

The results, published this morning, show that the overall proportion of A*-C grades is 78.9 per cent this year, compared with 85.3 per cent last year and 76.3 per cent in 2019.

Roughly a third of entries (34 per cent) were graded A or A*, down from 40.9 per cent last year but still higher than the 26.5 per cent of entries attaining these grades in 2019.

The total number of A-level exam entries in Wales this year was 32,960, a decrease of 7.2 per cent from 2022 - however, entries are consistent with 2019 (32,320).

At A level, maths remains the most popular subject. There has been an overall downward entry pattern in most subjects, though, with the largest reduction in entries seen in biology (-325), chemistry (-336), history (-390), physics (-393) and religious studies (-234).

However, computing (+153) and physical education (+81) have seen an increase in entries.

Essentially, national results are in line with expectations. Exams watchdog Qualifications Wales set out its approach to grading in Wales at the start of the 2022-23 school year in September.

• Background: More generous exam grading ‘right thing to do’, says Welsh watchdog
• England: A-level results: Top grades up in private schools but drop in North East
• Scotland: What happened on exam results day 2023 in Scotland?

Some advance information of exam content was provided in a bid to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on students, and Qualifications Wales said grades this year would be awarded broadly mid-way between the 2019 and 2022 results.

Returning to pre-Covid norms

Today, the watchdog said this had been achieved and marked ”the next step on our journey back to pre-pandemic assessment arrangements”.

Qualification Wales expects to return to pre-pandemic arrangements in 2024.

This means, however, that the approach taken in Wales has differed from that taken in England - although it is line with approaches taken in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Nevertheless, when the more generous approach to grading was announced, there were calls for it to be factored into university offers.

‘No evidence’ of Welsh students being treated differently

However, Qualification Wales says there is no evidence learners in Wales have been treated differently when it comes to university offers.

The more generous approach to grading in Wales was influenced by the pandemic and also by the teacher strikes over pay that were looming in September 2022. But the main reason for the approach was the “structural difference” in qualifications between England and Wales.

A-level qualifications are modular in Northern Ireland and Wales, with AS results contributing to the full A-level award - in Wales AS levels awarded in summer 2022 contributed 40 per cent towards the A levels awarded this year. In England, the AS and A levels are standalone qualifications, and all exams are taken at the end of the course.

Therefore, if Qualifications Wales had taken a similar approach to England - which was aiming for outcomes similar to 2019 this year - grading in 2023 would have had to have been harsher than last year. The body concluded that would have been unfair on learners and would actually have unpicked last year’s policy of having a supportive grading position.

Making exams fair

Jeremy Miles, minister for education and Welsh language, congratulated learners across Wales who were also receiving AS, Welsh Baccalaureate and vocational results this morning.

He said it had been “a challenging time” for students and that the aim of providing extra support this year “was to make sure the exams were fair, despite the difficulties”.

Mr Miles added that anyone who did not quite get the results they wanted should not be too disappointed or too hard on themselves.

He said: “There are lots of options open to you, including university clearing, apprenticeships, maybe starting your own business. Careers Wales is a great place to start for advice and your school or college will be there to support you, too.

“Our Young Person’s Guarantee provides everyone under the age of 25 with the opportunity to enrol in education or training, find work or become self-employed, so you have lots of choices to pursue the career you want.”

Laura Doel, national secretary of the NAHT Cymru school leaders’ union, said students receiving their results today had experienced “one of most challenging periods in education” and highlighted that, for the vast majority of A-level students, these would be their first set of results from formal exams.

She cautioned against “comparing year-on-year data” - warning it could be “demoralising” for students, teachers and families.

She added: “The school experience of these young people has been disrupted, yet they have excelled. Today is a day to celebrate success and looking forward to starting a new adventure into further education, training or employment.”

Wales’ GCSE results will be published a week today, on Thursday 24 August.