The proportion of GCSE entries scoring a decent pass has fallen again this year, prompting fears about young people in England being forced to resit their English and maths exams.
More than two in three (67.4%) UK entries were awarded at least a 4 or a C grade – which is considered a “standard pass”, down by 0.2 percentage points from 67.6% last year.
In 2019 – before the pandemic – 67.3% of entries were awarded at least a 4 or a C grade, according to the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) figures.
Meanwhile, the proportion of entries across England alone who secured at least a grade 4 in English language and maths has fallen compared to last year.
The figures have sparked concerns that many teenagers in England will be forced to undergo the “demoralising” process of resitting their GCSE exams after failing to achieve a grade 4 or above in English and maths.
In England, many students who do not secure at least a grade 4 in English and/or maths GCSE are required to retake the subjects during post-16 education.
Overall, 58.2% of entries across England for all ages achieved a grade 4 or above in mathematics, down from 59.6% last year.
Meanwhile, 59.7% of entries across England for all ages achieved a grade 4 or above in English, down from 61.6% last year.
The Government has been urged to review the compulsory resits policy.
Fewer than a fifth (17.1%) of entries aged 17 and over in England secured a grade 4 or above in maths this year, compared to 17.4% last year.
Around one in five (20.9%) of entries aged 17 and over in England secured a grade 4 or above in English language this year, unchanged from last year.
Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said: “Once again we see that the majority of students who retake GCSE English and maths in post-16 education under a Government policy of mandatory resits continue to fall short of a grade 4 standard pass.
“It is utterly demoralising for these young people and there has to be a better way of supporting literacy and numeracy.”
Pupils in England, Wales and Northern Ireland received their GCSE exam results on Thursday to help them progress to sixth form, college or training.
Many of the students who received their GCSE grades this summer were in Year 6 when schools closed because of Covid-19 and they then moved into secondary school in the middle of the pandemic.
Education leaders have warned that these pupils have faced a series of challenges – including school attendance issues and cost-of-living pressures.
This year’s results show that wide attainment differences remain across England, with the gap between the highest and lowest performing regions at the top grades at more than 10 percentage points.
The total proportion of GCSE entries awarded top grades has risen this year, the JCQ figures show.
More than a fifth (21.9%) of UK GCSE entries were awarded the top grades – at least a 7 or an A-grade – which is up by 0.1 percentage points on 21.8% on last year.
This was higher than in 2019, before the pandemic, when 20.8% of entries achieved the top grades.
The gap in GCSE results between boys and girls is now at its narrowest point this century.
While girls are still outperforming their male classmates in terms of both top grades and reaching at least a 4/C, their results dropped slightly this year.
Overall, 1,302 16-year-olds in England taking at least seven GCSEs achieved a grade 9 – the highest grade under the numerical grading scale – in all their subjects, up from 1,272 last year, figures show.
In London, 28.4% of entries were awarded a grade 7 or higher this year, while for north-east England the figure was 17.8%.
The overall rate for grades 1/G or above is 97.9%, the same as in 2024 but down on 98.3% in 2019.
In England, Ofqual brought GCSE grading standards back in line with pre-Covid levels in 2023, and exam regulators in Wales and Northern Ireland returned to pre-pandemic grading last year.
The move came after Covid-19 led to an increase in top GCSE grades in 2020 and 2021, with results based on teacher assessments instead of exams.
While traditional A*-G grades are used in Northern Ireland and Wales, in England these have been replaced with a 9-1 system, where 9 is the highest.
A 4 is broadly equivalent to a C grade, and a 7 is broadly equivalent to an A.
Sir Ian Bauckham, chief regulator of Ofqual, said this year’s GCSE results are “stable” in comparison to the past two years – when grading returned to pre-pandemic levels in England.
He said the differences this year are “natural variation” that would be seen between any year.
Sir Ian told the PA news agency: “The standard of work required to achieve a grade seven or a grade four at GCSE is the same this year as it was last year, and what we’re seeing is statistically insignificant changes at those key grades from last year to this year.”
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “Behind every grade lies hours of dedication, resilience and determination and both students and teachers should feel an immense sense of pride in what they’ve achieved today.
“But while results today are stable, once again we are seeing unacceptable gaps for young people in different parts of the country.
“Where a young person grows up should not determine what they go on to achieve.
“Through our Plan for Change – from revitalised family services to higher school standards – I am absolutely determined to make sure every young person, wherever they live, has the opportunities they deserve.”
More than 360,500 vocational and technical qualification (VTQ) results have also been awarded to pupils.
