Expert Insights

A Level Results 2026 Analysis

Published 13th August 2026 by Ciaran Chillingworth

The official A-Level results day 2026 figures have now been released by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) on Thursday 13 August 2026. This year, 28.5% of A-Level entries achieved grade A or above, up 0.2 percentage points compared with 2025, while the overall A*–E pass rate stayed roughly the same at 97.5%.

For students and parents collecting results today, these national figures provide useful context for understanding how this year's cohort has performed. They also offer an early indication of wider trends across subjects, regions and university admissions.

Since grading returned to pre-pandemic standards in England, interpreting results has become less straightforward for many families. A* is the highest possible A-Level grade, an A or A* is what most selective universities look for when setting offers, and grade E is the minimum pass. Although individual schools celebrate their own achievements, the national picture helps explain whether this year's exams were broadly more or less challenging than previous years.

In this analysis, we'll examine the headline results, explore subject-level trends, explain the regional and gender differences that often make headlines, discuss what today's figures mean for university places and Clearing, and answer some of the most common questions about A-Level results day.

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The Headline Grades

What do the national figures show?

The first A-Level figures published each year usually show the proportion of students achieving the key grade thresholds.

While students naturally focus on their own results, these national figures provide useful context. They help schools, universities and education professionals understand how the cohort has performed overall.

This year, 9.6% of entries were awarded an A*, up from 9.4% in 2025. The proportion achieving *A or A was 28.5%**, compared with 28.3% last year.

This continues a gradual rise in the proportion of top grades. It is now the third consecutive year of increases since A-Level grading returned towards pre-pandemic standards in 2023.

For context:

2019: 25.4% achieved A* or A
2021: 44.8% achieved A* or A under teacher assessment
2026: 28.5% achieved A* or A

The 2026 figures therefore remain slightly higher than before the pandemic, but are a long way below the exceptional levels seen during the pandemic.

Do higher grades mean exams were easier?

Not necessarily. Small changes in the proportion of students achieving top grades are normal from one year to the next. A slight increase does not automatically mean exams were easier, just as a small decrease does not necessarily mean they were harder.

Exam boards work with Ofqual to maintain consistent grading standards over time while allowing for natural differences between cohorts.

The size of this year’s cohort is also worth considering. There were a record 906,425 A-Level entries across the UK, up 2.7% on 2025. Much of this increase was driven by growth in the number of 18-year-olds in the population.

The overall picture is therefore one of gradual change rather than a dramatic shift in grading standards.

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A-Level grade comparison

Grade	2026	2025
A*	9.6%	9.4%
A*–A	28.5%	28.3%
A*–B	55.8%	55.2%
A*–E	97.5%	97.5%

Source: JCQ National Results 2026.

The table above shows how this year's performance compares with 2025 across the most discussed grade boundaries.

For most students, the A*–A and A*–B statistics are particularly significant because these represent the thresholds used by selective universities when setting and confirming offers.

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Subject trends

National results often vary considerably between individual A-Level subjects. The largest entries — Mathematics, Psychology and Biology — tend to attract the greatest attention because between them they account for almost a third of every paper sat each summer.

Mathematics remains comfortably the most popular A-Level, with 115,380 entries this year, up 3.9% on 2025 and now representing roughly one in eight of all entries.

Psychology follows with 79,201 entries (up 4.3%) and Biology with 73,925 (up 3.5%).

Further Mathematics also continued its strong run, growing 8.5% to 21,032 entries — and, at 58.9% achieving A* or A, it remains the subject with the highest proportion of top grades among the large entries, reflecting the self-selecting nature of its cohort.

This year's JCQ subject data reveals some striking movements beneath the headline figures:

The social sciences surged, with Political Studies up 11.9%, Economics up 10.5% and Law up 10.4% year on year;
Top grades in Mathematics edged up to 42.5% at A* or A (from 42.0%), while Psychology rose to 20.1% (from 19.4%);
Biology and Chemistry both saw top grades dip fractionally, by around 0.2 percentage points;
STEM subjects accounted for 39.6% of all entries, continuing their gradual long-term rise;
Creative and humanities subjects had a harder year for entries, with Philosophy down 12.2%, Classical Civilisation down 10.0%, Drama down 8.0%, Music down 5.8% and English Literature down 4.6%.

The continued decline in English Literature entries will attract particular comment, given the subject's traditional standing. Those who did take it were rewarded, with the proportion achieving A* or A rising to 24.9%. Modern foreign languages had a more mixed picture: entries in French, Spanish and German held broadly steady, but top grades slipped in Spanish (down 1.2 percentage points) and German (down 1.9 percentage points).

Although media coverage often focuses on individual subjects moving up or down, small year-to-year changes should always be viewed cautiously. Factors such as cohort size, subject popularity and the mix of students entering a subject can all influence national outcomes. For students, the most important result remains their own performance rather than national averages. Universities and employers will consider the grades achieved by individual applicants, not whether a particular subject's national A*–A rate increased by a percentage point or two.

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Regional & Gender Gaps

Every results day, attention quickly turns to regional performance and the differences between boys’ and girls’ attainment. These comparisons have featured in A-Level reporting for many years. Educational outcomes can be influenced by a wide range of factors, including school demographics, funding, socio-economic circumstances and subject choices.

How did the UK nations perform?

JCQ’s national results do not provide a regional breakdown of England, so the clearest comparison available is between the UK nations.

Northern Ireland once again recorded the highest proportion of top grades, with 30.7% of entries achieving A or A*. This was followed by Wales at 29.6% and England at 28.3%.

Wales recorded the highest proportion of A* grades specifically, at 10.7%, compared with 9.6% in England and 8.8% in Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland also had the highest overall pass rate, at 98.9%.

All three nations saw modest improvements compared with last year, meaning the overall pattern remains similar to recent years.

However, these figures should be treated with some caution. England, Wales and Northern Ireland have different qualifications regulators, education policies and patterns of subject entry. The figures therefore reflect three different education systems, rather than a simple league table.

Boys and girls: what do the results show?

JCQ has also published this year’s figures for boys’ and girls’ attainment, and there is a notable change at the top grades.

28.9% of male entries achieved A or A*, up from 28.4% last year. For female entries, the figure was 28.0%, down slightly from 28.1%.

This means the gap between boys and girls increased from 0.3 percentage points to 0.9 percentage points in one year.

At A* level specifically, 10.2% of male entries achieved an A*, compared with 9.1% of female entries.

Girls continued to have a higher overall pass rate, however, with 97.9% achieving a pass compared with 97.1% of boys. Girls also made up the majority of A-Level entries, accounting for 53.9% of the cohort.

Subject choices also matter

One important factor when looking at these figures is the difference in subjects chosen by boys and girls.

Female students make up the vast majority of entries in subjects such as:

Health & Social Care: 95% female
English Literature: 79% female
Sociology: 77% female
Psychology: 76% female

Male students make up the majority of entries in subjects including:

Electronics: 91% male
Computing: 81% male
Physics: 76% male
Further Mathematics: 74% male
Economics: 70% male

This is important because A* and A grade rates vary considerably between subjects. As a result, national comparisons between boys and girls are influenced partly by the subjects they choose to study.

In other words, the overall figures do not tell us how boys and girls perform when studying the same subject.

What does this mean for students?

These statistics are useful for identifying national trends, but they should not be used to predict an individual student’s results.

Excellent schools and exceptional students can be found in every region of the UK.

Our educational consultants therefore recommend viewing these figures as a way of identifying wider trends and areas where additional support or policy changes may be helpful, rather than as a way of ranking individual schools or predicting a particular student’s performance.

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What it Means for University Places

One of the most significant figures released on A-Level results day concerns the proportion of applicants who met the conditions of their university offer.

University places matter so much on results day because UCAS confirms or releases them at the same time as grades are published. Students who meet the conditions of their firm offer are confirmed automatically; those who miss the firm but meet their insurance are placed there instead; and those who miss both become eligible for Clearing. UCAS Hub shows the decision on your application rather than your grades themselves, which is why the two need to be checked separately.

UCAS figures published this morning show 446,690 applicants of all ages have been accepted onto courses, up from 439,180 at the same point in 2025. Among UK 18-year-olds, a record 262,820 have taken up places, an increase of 3% year on year. The entry rate for that age group nonetheless dipped slightly, from 32% in 2025 to 31.6%, because the growth in applicants is being driven mainly by the larger 18-year-old population rather than by a higher proportion of them choosing university. The more telling detail for this year's cohort is that the proportion of applicants securing their firm choice fell compared with 2025, while the proportion placed at their insurance choice rose. Source: Times Higher Education

With a record number of entries and top grades edging up, more students were competing at the same offer thresholds, and a larger cohort chasing a similar number of places at the most selective universities means more near-misses. If you have landed at your insurance choice this morning, you are in considerably more company than usual, and it is worth remembering that an insurance place is a confirmed place rather than a consolation.

For many students, today's results are the beginning of a decision rather than the end of one. Clearing runs until 19 October 2026 and carries thousands of courses, including at competitive universities. A survey of 131 of the largest providers on results day eve found 22,698 courses with vacancies for students living in England, and 18 of the 24 Russell Group universities were listing vacancies across 3,483 courses between them. The most sought-after of those are often filled within the first 24 to 48 hours. Clearing is also the route used by students who exceeded their offer and want to reconsider: since UCAS withdrew the Adjustment service, trading up means self-releasing a confirmed place through UCAS Hub. Students weighing either decision often benefit from impartial advice about course choice, entry requirements and how a call made this morning fits a longer-term plan. Our UK University Consultancy service is designed to help students assess their options calmly, approach admissions teams effectively and secure a place that genuinely matches their ambitions.

One of the biggest mistakes families make after receiving disappointing results is assuming there are no options available. In reality, universities regularly accept students who narrowly miss their conditions, and admissions teams are contactable throughout results day.

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Expert advice for students on the day

Regardless of today's national statistics, every student's situation is unique. The conversations you have over the next few days are likely to be far more important than any headline percentage.

If you've met your offer

Congratulations! Before celebrating, check UCAS Hub to confirm your place has been formally accepted and complete any steps your university asks for, such as registering online, confirming accommodation or submitting identification. Be sure to keep copies of your results statement and check that every grade is recorded correctly.

If your grades are better than expected

Many students receive better results than expected and suddenly have more choices available.

Rather than making a rushed decision on results day, consider:

whether the course itself is a genuinely better fit;
your long-term university or career ambitions;
teaching style and contact hours;
accommodation, location and living costs;
whether a change would affect a placement year or year abroad.

Since UCAS withdrew Adjustment, students who want to move to a different university self-release into Clearing through UCAS Hub. That step cannot be reversed, so it should only ever be taken after speaking to the new university and to your school. The strongest option is not necessarily the most academically selective but is rather the one where you'll thrive for the next three years.

If your results weren't what you expected

Disappointment on results day is completely understandable, but avoid making immediate decisions while emotions are running high.

Instead:

Speak to your school or college first;
Check UCAS Hub before assuming your place has gone;
Contact your firm choice directly if you narrowly missed the conditions;
Ask whether a review of marking is appropriate;
Consider whether Clearing, a resit or a reapplication next year could achieve the same long-term goal.

At Ivy Education, our consultants encourage families to spend the first few hours gathering information rather than assuming every door has closed.

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What Do These Results Mean?

The national A-Level figures provide an important snapshot of education across England, but they should never define an individual student's future.

Every year, students who exceed expectations, students who narrowly miss their offers and students who find their place through Clearing all go on to achieve excellent outcomes at university and beyond. The real value of today's results lies in using them to make informed decisions about the next stage of education rather than dwelling on comparisons with national averages.

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Conclusion

Today's A-Level results provide the first official picture of how the 2026 cohort has performed across the UK.

This year's figures show top grades edging up for a third consecutive year, with 28.5% of entries awarded A* or A across a record 906,425 entries.

Whether you're celebrating excellent grades, reconsidering your university options or preparing to go through Clearing, A-Level results are only one stage in your educational journey. Whatever your results, Ivy Education can provide expert guidance and tailored support to help you make informed decisions and achieve your long-term academic goals.

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A Level Results Day FAQs

A-Level results day took place on Thursday 13 August 2026. Most schools and colleges begin distributing results from 8am, although collection times vary. UCAS Hub updates separately from around the same time and shows the decision on your application rather than your grades.

The overall A*–E pass rate in 2026 was 97.5%, broadly unchanged from 2025. Within that, 28.5% of entries achieved A* or A and 55.8% achieved A*–B, across a record 906,425 entries UK-wide.

Top grades rose slightly. The proportion of entries awarded A* increased from 9.4% to 9.6%, and the proportion achieving A* or A rose from 28.3% to 28.5% — the third consecutive year of modest increases since grading returned to pre-pandemic standards in 2023. The overall pass rate held steady, so the changes at the top of the grade scale are best read as small movements within a stable system rather than a significant shift.

Check UCAS Hub before assuming the place has gone. Universities sometimes accept students who narrowly miss their conditions, and your status may still show as pending while admissions teams make decisions. If your firm choice has not accepted you, you may have been placed at your insurance choice instead. If neither has accepted you, you become eligible for Clearing and can start contacting universities with vacancies. It is also worth asking your school whether a review of marking is appropriate.

Clearing is the UCAS service that matches students without a confirmed place to courses that still have vacancies. It runs from 2 July until 19 October 2026, but the busiest period by far is the 24 to 48 hours after results day.

If you are eligible, a Clearing number appears in your UCAS Hub. You then search the vacancy list, contact universities directly to discuss your grades, and wait for an informal offer. Only once you have that offer should you add the course as your Clearing choice in UCAS Hub, at which point the university confirms the place formally. You can hold only one Clearing choice at a time, so make the call before you commit.

Yes. If you believe your mark may not accurately reflect your performance, your school can request a Review of Marking through the relevant exam board. A priority service is available for students whose university place depends on the outcome, and the deadlines fall shortly after results day, so speak to your exams officer quickly. Schools will usually advise whether this is appropriate after checking how close you were to the next grade boundary. It is important to know that marks can go down as well as up.

Better-than-expected results open up more choices, but they do not have to be acted on immediately.

Possible options include:

staying with your firm choice, which remains the right decision for most students;
asking your firm university about switching to a different course there;
exploring Clearing vacancies at universities with higher entry requirements;
deferring and reapplying next year with your grades already achieved;
speaking to a consultant about whether a change genuinely improves your long-term prospects.

Because Adjustment no longer exists, moving to a different university means self-releasing your confirmed place into Clearing through UCAS Hub. This cannot be undone, so never release a place until you have a firm alternative in hand. Many students ultimately reach their preferred university or career through a slightly different route than originally planned, so today's results should be viewed as the beginning of the next decision rather than the final destination.