Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

A-level data shows record grades and biggest gender gap in a decade

A-level data shows record grades and biggest gender gap in a decade

Number of students reaching A or A* doubles in 12 subjects since 2019 and girls beat boys in top maths grades

This year is a year unlike any other and the same rings true when it comes to English A-levels.

The results, which were exam-based until 2019, relied on an algorithm last year only for that to be replaced again by teacher-grading in 2021.

Here are the top five data takeaways from this year’s unprecedented result outcomes among students in England.

1 The class of 2021 achieved record-breaking grades


The proportion of top grades achieved by students this year was at its highest ever as teacher assessments replaced usual exam-based grading and the 2020 algorithmic means of assessment was scrapped.

The 2021 results tables show that 44.3% of A-level entries in England were awarded one of the top grades, A* or A.

This marks a 6.2 percentage point rise on last year’s results. However, it is a 19.1 percentage point increase compared with the pre-pandemic exam outcomes of 2019.


2 There has been a doubling of A grades in 12 subjects since 2019


The number of students achieving an A or A* rate has more than doubled in 12 subjects (as well as the “all other subjects” category) since 2019, with the highest increases in physical education, music and drama.

The rate of top grades in physical education went from 14.7% in 2019 to 42.3% in 2021, an 188% increase in two years. For music, the increase was 183%, drama 168% and media, film and TV 165%.

Conversely the smallest increase in top grades since 2019 was in maths (34.4%). This rise took the subject’s A or A* rate to 54.4%.


3 Girls beat boys in top maths grades, contrary to the previous trend


Boys in England typically outperform girls in A* maths grades. But the switch to teacher assessment has boosted female students’ performance.

The highest-ever proportion of female students – 56.8% – achieved an A grade or above in England this year, a reversal of the pre-2020 results where males usually did better at this grade level.

This year was also the first in which more female students got A* grades in maths than their male counterparts, albeit marginally at 28.4% and 28.3% respectively. The change from algorithm to teacher assessment also had an impact on the 2020 results, which have been revised retrospectively.


4 The gender gap is at its highest level in a decade


This year’s course-based grades reflect existing research which suggests that final exams favour male students.

The gender gap reached its highest level in 10 years, with the rate of A* and As standing at 46.4% for girls versus 41.7% for boys – a further reversal of the trend seen in 2017 and 2018 when boys last outperformed girls.

In fact, girls attained higher A*/A grades in every subject bar German, Spanish and performing arts this year. In the lower grade category (C grade and above) female students outperformed males in every subject.


5 Independent schools had the highest rate of top grades


The rate of A and A* grades at independent schools – at 70.1% – was far higher than that recorded at secondary comprehensives, whose A and A* rate rose to 39.3%, and for academies, whose rate rose to 41.9%.

At first glance, the 9.1 percentage point rise in top grades at independent schools suggests the gap between them and others schools has grown.

However, it is the relative change in grades that is important here (as independent schools generally record higher grades). By that measure these schools experienced an increase of 15.3% on last year, in keeping with the increase seen in other types of schools.


AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated that Hungary will not adopt the euro because the European Union is falling apart.
Mayor in western Germany in intensive care after stabbing
Australian government pays Deloitte nearly half a million dollars for a report built on fabricated quotes, fake citations, and AI-generated nonsense.
BYD’s UK Sales Soar Nearly Nine-Fold, Making Britain Its Biggest Market Outside China
Latvia to Bar Tourist and Occasional Buses to Russia and Belarus Until 2026
Wave of Complaints Against Apple Over iPhone 17 Pro’s Scratch Sensitivity
Munich Airport Reopens After Second Drone Shutdown
Pro Europe and Anti-War Babiš Poised to Return to Power After Czech Parliamentary Vote
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sentenced to Fifty Months in Prison Following Prostitution Conviction
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Trump Says Ukraine Can Fully Restore Borders with NATO Backing
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Germany Weighs Excluding France from Key European Fighter Jet Programme
Cyberattack Disrupts Check-in and Boarding Systems at Major European Airports
Björn Borg Breaks Silence: Memoir Reveals Addiction, Shame and Cancer Battle
When Extremism Hijacks Idealism: How the Baader-Meinhof Gang Emerged and Fell
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
Trump Orders $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas and Launches ‘Gold Card’ Immigration Pathway
France’s Looming Budget Crisis and Political Fracture Raise Fears of Becoming Europe’s “Sick Man”
Three Russian MiG-31 Jets Breach Estonian Airspace in ‘Unprecedentedly Brazen’ NATO Incident
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
×