A-Level Grades Rise
A-level top grades continue to rise nationwide, revealing widening regional and gender gaps.
Key Points
Top T Level grades rose to 18.1% this year, with 3,565 distinctions or distinction*, as 25,508 learners started a T Level in 2024-25 and the 2025 dropout rate stood at 27%; NCFE’s Phil Le Feuvre called the results positive while warning that year-on-year comparisons can be misleading due to expanding cohorts and subject mixes.
Maths remains the dominant A-level subject and a major driver of overall figures, accounting for 12.7% of all UK entries; there were 72,619 boys (63%) and 42,761 girls (37%) taking maths this year.
Total A-level entries exceeded 900,000 for the first time, with 28.7% of grades at A or above and 9.7% at A*, reflecting continued growth in top grades and overall cohort size.
Regional gaps widened again, with London at 32.7% of grades A or above, while the North East and East Midlands were at 23.1%, producing a 9.6 percentage point gap between top and bottom regions; Yorkshire and the Humber rose to 25.6%.
The overall pass rate remained high at 97.5%, indicating stability in outcomes even as top-grade proportions continued to move year by year.
A-level top grades have risen for the third year in a row, with 28.7% of all entries earning an A or above in 2026, according to Schools Week. The A* rate also climbed to 9.7%. Total entries crossed 900,000 for the first time, making this the largest A-level cohort on record.
The overall pass rate held steady at 97.5%, signalling broad stability. But beneath the headline numbers, sharp regional gaps and a growing gender divide are reshaping the picture, ITV reported.
Maths Boom Pushes Top Grades Higher Nationwide
Maths is the single biggest force behind this year's rise. It now accounts for 12.7% of all UK A-level entries, according to Schools Week. Boys dominate the subject: 72,619 boys sat maths this year compared to 42,761 girls — a 63% to 37% split.
Because maths students tend to score highly, the subject pulls the national average upward. As the cohort grows and more students pick maths, the overall top-grade rate follows, Irvine Times reported. Analysts warn this makes year-on-year comparisons tricky — a bigger, maths-heavy cohort can inflate national figures without meaning every student is doing better.
London Pulls Away as Regional Gap Hits 9.6 Points
London students again led the country, with 32.7% of grades at A or above. The North East and East Midlands sat at the bottom, both at 23.1%. That gap — 9.6 percentage points — has widened compared to previous years, according to Schools Week.
Yorkshire and the Humber showed the strongest regional improvement, rising to 25.6%. Northern Ireland also performed well, with 30.7% of students earning an A or above, ITV reported. Still, the data show a clear and growing divide between high-performing urban centres and lower-attaining regions.
Boys Outperform Girls in Top Grades for Second Year Running
Boys earned a higher share of top grades than girls for the second consecutive year. The gap is partly tied to maths, where boys outnumber girls by a large margin. When a high-scoring subject is dominated by one group, it lifts that group's overall figures, Hello Rayo reported.
Experts say the subject-choice effect is significant. Girls tend to pick a wider spread of subjects, including humanities, which historically produce fewer top grades. The gender gap at A-level is less about raw ability and more about what students choose to study.
T Levels Post Record Distinctions but Dropout Rates Raise Concerns
T Levels — vocational qualifications running alongside A-levels — also improved. Top grades rose to 18.1%, with 3,565 students earning a distinction or distinction*. Some 25,508 learners started a T Level in 2024–25, according to Schools Week.
But the dropout rate stood at 27% in 2025, a figure that tempers the good news. NCFE's Phil Le Feuvre called the results "positive" while warning that expanding cohorts and changing subject mixes make year-on-year comparisons "misleading." The programme is growing fast, but retaining students remains a major challenge.
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