More than a fifth of students hit top GCSE grades

More than 6.5 million GCSE results have been issued to students in England today, with overall results similar to 2024, as 21.9% of students passed at grade 7 or above. 

This was slightly higher than the 21.8% reported in 2024, though grades at 4 and above fell slightly to 67.4%, compared with 67.6% in 2024.

Overall, entries for GCSE fell slightly by 0.4% to 6,160,034, compared with 6,186,879 in 2024.

The top 10 subjects at GCSE remained unchanged, and subjects with increased entries included Spanish, business studies, geography and physical education.

Fewer students sat GCSE biology, chemistry and physics but there was an increase in entries for combined science. There was also a decline in entries for history compared with 2024.

According to Ofqual, the region with the highest percentage of GCSE grade 7s and above was London, while the north-east had the fewest. 

In addition, the gap between boys’ and girls’ results narrowed, due to a combination of boys performing marginally better and girls performing marginally less well than in 2024. 

Nearly a quarter (24.5%) of girls achieved at least a grade 7 compared with 19.4% of boys. This is the closest that gap has been since 2000, when the earliest archive data is available.

Sir Ian Bauckham, chief regulator at Ofqual, said: “Today’s GCSE and vocational qualification results represent each student’s passport to opportunity.  

“By ensuring that rigorous standards have been maintained year on year, these qualifications retain their value and meaning. Schools, colleges and employers can trust these results when making decisions that will shape these young people’s futures, while students can be confident that their achievements will open doors to educational and career opportunities.”

Jill Duffy, chair of JCQ board of directors and CEO of OCR, added: “Looking at these results, it is hard not to be impressed by students’ breadth of skills and knowledge. What I find most exciting about results day is seeing the diverse range of qualifications achieved, from maths to art to hospitality – and what that means to hundreds of thousands of young people. 

“The subjects may be very different, but every single qualification issued today is a passport to future success and opportunities. These students have shown resilience and determination throughout their school years; they now have the chance to thrive in their next endeavours, whether that is in education, training or apprenticeships. Congratulations to you all on what you have achieved today.”