Here is a quick A-level and GCSE results summary 2023, as well as how they compare to previous years.
10 need to know facts about A-level and GCSE results 2023.
- Numbers of A or A* grades awarded at A-level, have decreased by 27.2%.
- The number of top A-level grades achieved by state and private schools, continues to widen and has been the case since 2019.
- The number of people from under-represented areas who are not going to university continues to increase. The gap in top GCSE grades between the north east and London also widened. Specifically this increased from 9.3 percentage points in 2019 to 10.8 percentage in 2023.
- 79% of pupils who received their A-level results last week have gained a place at their first-choice university.
- GCSE pass rates have continued to fall since 2019. 2023 GCSE result rates are near to what they were in 2019, when exams were sat before the pandemic. The government want to return to ‘normal’ grades that were said to be inflated when based on teachers’ assessments.
- Double science saw the biggest drop on top grades awarded, with only 8.5% achieving a top grade.
- English language came second in experiencing the fewest top grades being awarded with 18.8. Closely behind was English Literature with 20.8% awarded top grades.
- Business studies saw the highest percentage growth in entries this year, up 14.8 per cent from 107,283 last year to 123,166. Numbers have been growing since 2018.
- Girls reached more top GCSE grades than boys which has been an ongoing trend, but the gap was smaller than in 2022.
- The subject to see the biggest decline in entries was Art and design related subjects with a fall of 3.6 per cent; this has been a continued trend of decline.
More information
For more in depth information about our results summary 2023, please visit the government website by clicking here.