- A-level results have reached a new high outside the pandemic years, with 9.7% of entries in England awarded an A*, up from 9.4% last year. Northern Ireland recorded the highest proportion of A/A* grades at 30.7%, followed by Wales (29.6%) and England (28.7%).
- Nearly 263,000 UK 18-year-olds have already secured university places for this autumn, including an increase in students from the most disadvantaged backgrounds. Around 26,000 courses remain available through Clearing.
- Maths results improved despite an increase in entries, while economics saw a significant rise in popularity, moving from the 10th to the fifth most popular A-level subject, with more than 47,000 entries.
- Significant regional inequalities remain in England: nearly a third of A-level grades in London were A/A*, compared with 23.1% in the East Midlands, which recorded the lowest proportion alongside the North East.
- Exam boards rejected suggestions that the improved results reflected grade inflation, saying national standards remain consistent and that this year’s grades represent comparable levels of knowledge and attainment to previous years.