Top A level trend observed

Boys edge ahead of girls in top A level grades as maths drives high performance and STEM subjects gain ground.

Boys take top A level grades as STEM rises

New data from JCQ shows 28.4 percent of boys entries earned an A* or A, just ahead of 28.2 percent for girls. The margin is slim and mirrors annual fluctuations, but it marks a reversal from last year when girls led in top grades. At the very top, 9.9 percent of boys entries earned an A*, compared with 9.1 percent for girls. Maths remains the largest single A level by entry and a major driver of high grades, with 16.7 percent of maths entries scoring A* today versus 9.4 percent across all subjects. Boys account for about 63 percent of maths entries and the gender gap in maths choices continues to widen while overall entries in maths rise.

The headline figures should be read with care. Small shifts in top grades can reflect a mix of choices, access, and year to year variation rather than a sudden breakthrough. The data highlight a clear link between maths and high performance, a trend that benefits those who study STEM but also raises questions about equality of opportunity across subjects. Beyond numbers, the story points to how subject choices shape future pathways and how schools handle guidance, funding, and encouragement for both STEM and the arts.

Highlights

What schools do next will shape whether these shifts widen or narrow gaps in opportunity.