UK GCSE & A-Level Results 2026 — 67.0% at Grade 4 or Above
In summer 2026, 1,047,750 students in England received GCSE results and 320,505 received A-Level results. Official pass rates, grade distributions and trends.
GCSE results issued
Students receiving GCSE results
GCSE results at grade 4 or above
GCSE results at grade 7 or above
A-Level entries
Students receiving A-Level results
A-Level results at grade A or above
Sources: DfE, Qualification results in England: summer 2026 · JCQ summer 2026 provisional results (UK). Each figure is labelled with the nation it covers — DfE figures are England only, JCQ entry totals are UK-wide.
About These Statistics
In summer 2026, 1,047,750 students in England received GCSE results and 5,720,045 individual results were issued. GCSEs are graded 9-1, with grade 4 a standard pass and grade 5 a strong pass. 67.0% of all results were graded 4 or above and 21.8% were graded 7 or above. These percentages cover every GCSE result across all subjects — the DfE also publishes a separate, narrower benchmark for pupils achieving grade 4 or above in English and Maths combined, which is a different measure.
At A-Level, 28.3% of results in England were graded A or A* in 2026. There were 906,425 A-Level entries across the UK, up 2.7% on 2025. Top grades remain well below the 2021 peak, when exams were replaced by teacher-assessed grades.
There are persistent attainment gaps between different groups of pupils. Students eligible for free school meals consistently underperform their peers. Students in London perform significantly above the national average.
Frequently Asked Questions
Based on official UK government data
What percentage of GCSE results are grade 4 or above?
67.0% of all GCSE results issued in England in summer 2026 were graded 4 or above, and 21.8% were graded 7 or above. Grade 4 is the benchmark for a standard pass. This figure counts every GCSE result across all subjects; the DfE publishes a separate benchmark for pupils achieving grade 4 or above in English and Maths combined, which is a narrower measure. Pupils who do not achieve grade 4 in English and Maths must continue studying them until age 18.
Have GCSE grades been inflated?
Yes — GCSE and A-Level grades rose significantly during 2020 and 2021 when exams were cancelled and replaced by teacher-assessed grades. Ofqual has been returning grades towards pre-pandemic levels since 2022.
What are the most popular A-Level subjects?
Mathematics remains the most-entered A-Level subject, followed by Psychology, Biology, History and Chemistry. STEM subjects have grown their share of entries over the past decade while arts subjects have declined.
Is the UK education system performing well internationally?
The UK performs around the OECD average in PISA rankings. England typically ranks around 10th-15th globally. UK universities dominate global top 100 rankings relative to population size.
What is the attainment gap?
The attainment gap refers to the difference in outcomes between disadvantaged pupils (eligible for free school meals) and their peers. Disadvantaged pupils are around 18 months behind their peers by the end of GCSE study, a gap that has been broadly static since 2019.
GCSE Results in Numbers — Summer 2026 (England)
Headline GCSE figures for England, as published by the Department for Education on results day, 20 August 2026.
| Measure | Summer 2026 |
|---|---|
| GCSE results issued | 5,720,045 |
| Students receiving results | 1,047,750 |
| Schools and colleges | 6,040 |
| Results at grade 4 or above | 67.0% |
| Results at grade 7 or above | 21.8% |
Source: Department for Education, Qualification results in England: summer 2026. Percentages cover all GCSE results across all subjects in England.
For the full A-Level grade distribution, entry totals and regional breakdown for 2026, see UK A-Level results 2026.
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