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A-level results 2017: Boys beat girls to top grades for first time in 17 years amid tougher exams

Boys celebrate their A-level results at Hampton School - Geoff Pugh for the Telegraph
Boys celebrate their A-level results at Hampton School - Geoff Pugh for the Telegraph

Boys are beating girls to top A-level grades for the first time in 17 years - with 26.6 per cent of boys achieving coveted A* or A grades compared to just 26.1 per cent of girls.

The dramatic reversal of fortunes is thought to be fuelled by the new "tougher" A-levels, which have less coursework and no modules. Girls have outperformed boys every year since 2000.

In the 13 subjects that have a reformed syllabus and course structure - devised by former education secretary Michael Gove in a bid to raise standards - the top grades of girls have drastically declined. 

The gender gap across all subjects, which sees boys 0.5 points ahead of girls for A* or A grades, has reversed on last year - when girls were 0.3 points ahead of boys.

NEW A-Levels 2017: students across the country receive their results
NEW A-Levels 2017: students across the country receive their results

It has been falling over the decade, standing at 1.5 points in 2011, 1.4 points in 2012, 0.8 in 2013, 0.5 in 2014 and 0.4 in 2015. In 2011, 27.7 per cent of girls achieved an A* or A - compared to 26.2 per cent of boys.

A sample of results for 18-year-olds in England, provided by the Joint Council for Qualifications, shows that in the new raft of 13 reformed subjects, the drop in A or A* grades for girls fell 1.1 percentage points compared to just 0.2 points for boys. 

The subjects are art and design,  biology,  business,  chemistry,  computer science,  economics,  English language,  English language and literature,  English literature,  history,  physics,  psychology and  sociology. 

The share of top grades is equal for boys and girls in these subjects at 24.3 per cent.

Top A level grades increase for the first time in years
Top A level grades increase for the first time in years

It comes as the proportion of A-level exams awarded the highest results has risen for the first time in six years, with more than one in four entries scoring at least an A grade this year, despite efforts to make them tougher.

National figures show that 26.3 per cent of A-level entries scored an A* or A this summer, up 0.5 percentage points on 2016. It is the first time the A*-A pass rate has risen since 2011.

The rise comes amid major changes to the qualifications, with the first grades awarded in 13 subjects that have been reformed, with a move away from coursework and modular exams throughout the course, making them more challenging for students.

Students celebrate their A-Level results from the King Edward VI High School for Girls in Edgbaston - Credit: Aaron Chown/PA
Students celebrate their A-Level results from the King Edward VI High School for Girls in Edgbaston Credit: Aaron Chown/PA

The figures, published by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) also show boys have pulled further ahead at the highest grade.

The statistics, for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, also show:

  • The overall A*-E pass-rate has fallen by 0.2 percentage points to 97.9 per cent

  • The proportion of entries awarded the highest result - A* - has risen 0.2 percentage points to 8.3 per cent

  • Among the 13 reformed subjects only, results are down slightly compared to the equivalent subjects in 2016

When comparing 18-year-old results, the proportion of A* grades for these courses is down 0.5 percentage points to 7.2 per cent, A*-A grades have dropped 0.7 percentage points to 24.3 per cent and A*-E results have fallen 0.5 percentage points to 98.1 per cent.

The 13 reformed subjects are: art and design, biology, business, chemistry, computer science, economics, English language, English language and literature, English literature, history, physics, psychology and sociology.

AT MERCHANT TAYLORS CROSBY SCHOOL IN LIVERPOOL - Credit: JAMES SPEAKMAN/Mercury Press
Pupils at Merchant Taylors Crosby School in Liverpool collect their results Credit: JAMES SPEAKMAN/Mercury Press

Figures showed a huge spike in the number of entries for a small range of subjects, including computing, with a 33 per cent rise in the number of A-level students sitting the exam in 2017, compared with last year. This included a 34 per cent increase in female students - 816, up from 609 in 2016.

There was a 12.8 per cent increase in the number taking political studies, and a 1.7% rise in those taking Spanish at A-level.

But there were dips in the take-up of other languages - with a 2.1 per cent drop in those doing French and a 4.7 per cent decrease in students sitting German.

A level results: What were the pass rates in each subject?
A level results: What were the pass rates in each subject?

Elsewhere, entries for history - one of the most popular A-levels by number of students - fell by 8.1 per cent.

Data showed a 3.3 per cent increase in entries for maths, but there was a significant drop in those sitting English.

The largest gender gaps in A level subjects
The largest gender gaps in A level subjects

This included a drop of 10.2 per cent in English language, 4.7 per cent for literature, and 11.1 per cent for the combined English language and literature subject.

Overall, entries for English subjects saw a 7.2 per cent decrease.

Next steps | If your teen is getting their results today
Next steps | If your teen is getting their results today

Meanwhile, writing in The Telegraph, Theresa May's former chief of staff has said the "unsustainable and ultimately pointless Ponzi scheme" that higher education has become is burdening graduates with debts and must be radically reformed.

Nick Timothy said many school leavers receiving their A-level results are being "forced" into expensive degrees that fund a "gravy train" for university bosses.

What next? How to apply for a student loan 

However, Jo Johnson, the universities minister, said university still delivered "extraordinary returns" for students and the system was meeting the Government's core objectives, although it was always kept under review.

He also told BBC Radio 4's Today programme he had called for restraint on vice-chancellor's pay.

"The new regulator, which we've recently created to promote value for money in the system, the Office for Students, I've asked it to ensure that exceptional pay can only be justified by exceptional performance," Mr Johnson said. 

FAQ | How does Clearing work?
FAQ | How does Clearing work?