Record passes and top grades for GCSEs this year

GCSE students have received another set of record grades, in the second year of disruption to exams in England, Wales and Northern Ireland brought about by the coronavirus pandemic.

Teachers submitted grades again this year, using evidence such as mock exams, course work and tests.

Top grades (7/As and above) rose 2.7 percentage points to 28.9 per cent, while grades 4/Cs and above - seen as passes - rose 0.8 percentage points to 76.3 per cent. It represents a smaller rise than last year, the first time exams were cancelled and teacher assessed grades were used.

Last year top grades rose a record 9 percentage points and passes at grade 4/C were up 5.4 percentage points.

State grammar schools in England were by far the most successful with more than 68 per cent of entries awarded grades 7 and above, a rise of nearly three percentage points compared with last year. In contrast, at secondary modern schools 20 per cent received top grades. Meanwhile, independent schools, where 70 per cent of A-level entries gained A or above, gave top marks to 61 per cent of GCSE entries, up four percentage points on 2020 and by 14 points since 2019.