GCSE pass grades fall but stay above pre-Covid levels

The number of students being awarded top grades in their GCSE exams has dropped from last year but remains higher than 2019, as grading returns to near pre-pandemic levels.

- HOLLY EVANS

Figures show that 22 per cent of pupils were awarded the top grades of 7/A or above, down from 26.3 per cent in 2022 but up from 20.8 per cent in 2019. The figures arrive amid growing concerns over a north-south divide, with a breakdown of the results exposing a big regional difference.

This forms part of a plan to bring grades down to pre-pandemic levels in England this year, with the exam regulator previously warning schools and headteachers to expect a drop in top GCSE grades. It comes after Covid-19 led to an increase in grades in 2020 and 2021, with the results based on teacher assessments instead of exams.

The percentage of overall passing grades (4 or above) this year is 68.2 per cent, whereas pupils last year had a pass rate of 73.2 per cent, compared with 67.3 per cent in 2019.

With efforts made to restore grading to similar levels to 2019, the number of pupils in England achieving at least a grade 4 in English and maths GCSE has fallen, which could impact whether they go on to sixth form, college or training.

In England, many pupils who fail English or maths GCSE must resit them until they are able to leave school. Traditional A*-G grades are used in Wales and Northern Ireland while England’s results have been replaced with a 9-1 system, with 9 being the highest. A grade of 4 is considered the equivalent to a C or a standard pass and a 7 is equivalent to an A.