Top grades rising, but figures show a fall in standard passes

The proportion of GCSE entries awarded top grades has risen from last year but fewer GCSE entries scored a decent pass this year, national figures show.

- by Aimee Seddon

More than a fifth (21.9 per cent) of UK entries were awarded the top grades - at least a 7 or an A grade - this year, up by 0.1 percentage points on last year, when 21.8 per cent achieved the top grades.

This was higher than in 2019, the last year before the pandemic, when 20.8 per cent of entries achieved the top grades.

The figures, published by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ), cover GCSE entries from students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.