GCSE and A-level distinction rates in the last five years

The request was partially successful.

Dear Department for Education,

By the Freedom of Information Act, I would like to request the following information in the exams from the last five years.

(I)GCSE
How many students took the GCSE and IGCSE exams combined in the last five years?
How many students achieve 1A*-15A* in these exams combined the last five years?
What is the percentage of A* awarded across all subjects in these two exams combined?

A-level
How many students took the GCE A-level and International A-level exams combined in the last five years?
How many students achieve 1A*-7A* in these exams combined in the last five years?
What is the percentage of A* awarded across all subjects in these two exams combined?

Thank you for your kind assistance.

Yours faithfully,
Anthony Mok

ACCOUNT, Unmonitored, Department for Education

Thank you for contacting the Department for Education. We can confirm that
we have received the Freedom of Information request you submitted.

We will respond to you within 20 working days.

 

ACCOUNT, Unmonitored, Department for Education

1 Attachment

Dear Anthony,

 

Thank you very much for your email received on 21^st August 2017,
reference number: 2017-0042131, your request was as follows:

 

 

By the Freedom of Information Act, I would like to request the following
information in the exams from the last five years.

 

GCSE

How many students took the GCSE and IGCSE exams combined in the last five
years?

How many students achieve 1A*-15A* in these exams combined the last five
years?

What is the percentage of A* awarded across all subjects in these two
exams combined?

 

A-level

How many students took the GCE A-level and International A-level exams
combined in the last five years?

How many students achieve 1A*-7A* in these exams combined in the last five
years?

What is the percentage of A* awarded across all subjects in these two
exams combined?

 

Thank you for your kind assistance.

I have dealt with your request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

 

Regarding A-level and international A-level data, the department does not
hold information on international A-levels and is therefore unable to
provide the information you have requested. We can produce the data
requested for just GCE A-levels (excluding international A-levels) if you
wish.

 

You can find the number of pupils entering GCSE and level 1/2 certificate
exams included in secondary school performance tables combined at this
link:
[1]https://www.gov.uk/government/collection...
(Select the ‘revised’ version for the year that you require):

-       For 2016, please select the subject tables: table S1. Use the drop
down column to select ‘GCSE and equivalents’. You will then have the total
pupil entries for both.

-       For 2015, please select the subject tables, you will then need to
add the total pupil entries from table S1 to the total entries from table
S6 to give you the combined total.

-       For 2013-2014, please select the subject and LA tables, you will
then need to add the total entries (in the same way as for 2015), but from
tables 7 and 12.

-       For 2012, please select additional tables 1 and then sum the
entries from tables 7 and 12 as before

 

The remaining GCSE and level 1/2 certificate attainment information you
requested (number of pupils achieving 1 – 15 A*s) can be found in the
attached Excel file.

 

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You are free to use it for your own purposes, including for private study
and non-commercial research, and for any other purpose authorised by an
exception in current copyright law. Documents (except photographs) can be
also used in the UK without requiring permission for the purposes of news
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Most documents produced by a government department or agency will be
protected by Crown Copyright. Most Crown copyright information can be
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information about the OGL and about re-using Crown Copyright information
please see The National Archives website
-[3]http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/infor...
.

 

Copyright in other documents may rest with a third party. For information
about obtaining permission from a third party see the Intellectual
Property Office’s website at [4]www.ipo.gov.uk.

 

If you have any queries about this letter, please contact me. Please
remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.

 

If you are unhappy with the way your request has been handled, you should
make a complaint to the Department by writing to me within two calendar
months of the date of this letter. Your complaint will be considered by an
independent review panel, who were not involved in the original
consideration of your request. 

 

If you are not content with the outcome of your complaint to the
Department, you may then contact the Information Commissioner’s Office

 

 

Yours Sincerely,

 

 

Philip Sinfield

Department for Education

References

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1. https://www.gov.uk/government/collection...
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