A-level results show STEM subjects on the rise
As exam season continues, today’s results see pupils in England, Wales and Northern Ireland finding out how they performed in their A-level exams. We take a look at the figures and trends in this year’s results.
An encouraging headline is that the overall number of students taking A-level chemistry has increased by 3% this year, in line with a national trend of STEM subjects becoming more popular, particularly among female students.
STEM subjects (Science Technology Engineering and Maths) continued to rise in popularity. In 2018, 36.2% of all entries were in one of these subjects, an increase from 28.0% in 2009, 33.4% in 2014, and 34.5% in 2017.
More female than male students took chemistry A Level this year, after being close to 50/50 in 2017. The number of female students taking chemistry have increased by 7% this year – the shift in female/male ratio for chemistry is due to an increase in popularity of the subject among girls, while the popularity of the subject among boys is remaining steady.
|
A level |
2018 |
2017 |
% change |
|
Total |
54134 |
52331 |
3% |
|
Male |
25574 |
25716 |
-1% |
|
Female |
28560 |
26615 |
7% |
|
Female/Male Ratio |
52.8/47.2 |
50.9/49.1 |
Grades remain steady
Looking at grades at A-Level, there’s been little change from last year. A* to C have seen a slight decrease in proportion awarded, D–U have seen slight increases – but it is normal to see small fluctuations year-on-year.
Grade boundaries are set using the process called ‘comparable outcomes’, which is designed so that cohorts with identical prior attainment (in terms of GCSE results) should emerge with an identical distribution of A level results. It follows from that that any shift in A level grades reflects a difference in prior attainment of the cohort. Find out more on the Ofqual blog on comparable outcomes.
What happens next?
If you need support and ideas on what to do next to get into chemistry, you can head to our helpful careers pages: “A future in chemistry”.
If things haven't gone to plan and you're not sure what to do, students in England and Northern Ireland can have a look at the UCAS 'who to contact' page for support with your next steps.
For students in Wales, Careers Wales also have this page offering guidance and advice.
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