GCSE and Welsh Baccalaureate results

Published 20/08/2015   |   Last Updated 27/05/2021   |   Reading Time minutes

Article by Sian Hughes, National Assembly for Wales Research Service

Today is the day that students in Wales, England and Northern Ireland receive their GCSE results. As with A level results, the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ – a membership organisation comprising the seven providers of qualifications in the UK) publish summaries of the results. The JCQ data shows the collective results of the entries of the member awarding bodies. Results The data in the tables below compare results for 2014 and 2015. This comparison is made based on the data published by JCQ on GCSE results day in 2014. Data is provisional representing the position at the time that results are issued. Data are subject to checking before final data at national (Wales), local authority and school level is published. Comparison between 2014 and 2015

  • In Wales, there have been decreases in the percentage of those achieving grades A*. Females decreased by 0.4 per cent, males by 0.1 per cent and all learners (6.0 per cent) by 0.2 per cent;
  • The percentage of males achieving A*-A remains the same in 2015 as for 2014. The percentage of girls achieving A*-A decreased by 0.5 per cent and the decrease for all learners was 0.2 per cent (19.2 per cent);
  • Male learners achieving grades A*-C has increased by 0.4 per cent while the percentage of females achieving grades A*-C decreased by 0.3 per cent. The percentage of all learners achieving A*-C remained the same (66.6 per cent) as in 2014;
  • The overall pass rate (A*-G) for females has remained the same as 2014. The overall pass rate has increased for males and all learners (98.7 per cent) by 0.2 per cent;
  • In England there have been increases in the percentage of all pupils (68.8 per cent), males and females who have achieved grades A*-C (by 0.2 per cent, 0.4 per cent and 0.1 per cent respectively.
  • At grades A*, results for males remained the same as last year, with decreases of 0.2 per cent for females and 0.1 per cent for all learners (6.6 per cent). There were decreases of 0.1 per cent for all learners (21.0 per cent), males and females at grades A*-A. There were increases of 0.1 per cent for all learners (98.6 per cent), females and males in the overall pass rate.

Males and females

  • Girls continue to achieve better results than boys at all levels in Wales and England;
  • However, in Wales, the gap has decreased at all levels since 2014.

Wales and England

  • At grades A*-G, males and all learners in Wales performed slightly better than those in England (by 0.2 per cent and 0.1 per cent respectively). At all other grades, England achievements were higher than Wales.

Tables 1 and 2 show the percentage of entries in all subjects by grade for Wales and England for 2014 and 2015. Picture2 Welsh Baccalaureate The results of the Intermediate and Foundation Baccalaureate are also published today. At Foundation Level, 86.7 per cent of candidates were awarded the Core Certificate, compared with 86.6 per cent in 2014. 85 per cent of candidates were awarded the Diploma compared with 83.3 per cent last year. At Intermediate Level, 82.2 per cent of candidates were awarded the Core Certificate compared with 85.7 per cent in 2014 and 89.4 per cent of candidates were awarded the Diploma compared with 91.6 per cent in 2014.