On Thursday, more than 600,000 students received their GCSE and other Level 2 exam results. The overall pass rate fell slightly – 67.4% of grades in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland were at grade 4/C or above. In England the rate declined, while in Wales and Northern Ireland it rose.
According to BBC, cited by “Tehsil365” the proportion of top grades increased slightly to 21.9%. However, a large number of students over the age of 17 retook exams in English and mathematics, with pass rates significantly lower compared to school pupils.
Education experts have described this as a “resit crisis,” stressing the need for reforms in the teaching of mathematics and English. The ministry has announced that the policy will be reviewed.
Regionally, London recorded the highest results (71.6%), while the West Midlands had the lowest (62.9%). Girls continued to outperform boys, though the gap has narrowed to 6.1% – the lowest in recent years.
One of the most notable aspects of this year’s exams is that, for the first time, Spanish has overtaken French in popularity.