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�մǻ岹��’s A-level results for England show a small rise in top grades awarded and overall pass rates, but a widening of the regional divide, compared with 2025.

Some 28.3 per cent of entries were awarded an A*/A this year, up from 28.1 per cent last year and 27.7 per cent in 2024.

The A*-E pass rate also increased, from 97.4 per cent in 2025 to 97.5 per cent this year. In 2024, the rate was 97.1 per cent.

Here, we look at other key A-level results, this time broken down by subject.

A-level results 2026 by subject

Maths

Some 42.2 per cent of maths entries were graded A*/A this year, up from 41.6 per cent in 2025. The rate remains above the pre-pandemic level of 40.5 per cent in 2019.

The proportion of grades A* to C in maths was 77.9 per cent this summer, up from 78.1 per cent in 2025.

Maths remained the most popular A level this year with over 107,000 entries, according to data published today. It was once again the only subject with more than 100,000 entries.

Sir Ian Bauckham, chief of exams regulator Ofqual, suggested that the “sheer size” of maths - it now accounts for one in eight of all A-level entries - has an impact on trends across all subjects.

The number of students who achieve top A-level grades is rising; for example, the number of students getting A* grades in all three of their A levels grew from 4,043 in 2025 to 4,195 this year.

Sir Ian said such trends were “largely driven” by the “growing popularity” of maths.

Meanwhile, Sir Ian told ����Vlog that Ofqual was “fully satisfied” that the grading of a Pearson A-level maths paper was completed in a way “entirely fair and consistent with previous years”. Earlier this year more than 38,000 people signed a petition calling for the marking to be reviewed.

English literature and English language

Some 25 per cent of English literature entries were awarded the top grades (A*/ A) this year, up slightly from 24.6 per cent in 2025.

The proportion of English literature entries graded A* to C was 82.6 per cent, up from 81.7 per cent in 2024.

In English language, 12.3 per cent of entries received an A* or A. In 2025, it was 12.8 per cent.

Some 76.4 per cent were awarded grades A* to C in 2024, rising to 78.6 per cent in 2025 and 78.9 per cent this year.

Sciences

Biology (67,991 entries), chemistry (61,032) and physics (42,313) all rank among the top 10 most-entered A-level subjects, according to the latest data.

The proportion of top grades decreased in biology (from 27.6 per cent last year to 27.4 per cent in 2026) and chemistry (32 per cent to 31.8 per cent).

In physics, 32.2 per cent received A*/A grades, up from 31.9 per cent in 2025.

Boys recorded a larger share of the top grades than girls in all three sciences.

Humanities

There was a small reduction in the proportion of history entries awarded the top A*/A grades at 24.8 per cent, compared with 24.9 per cent in 2025 and 24.3 per cent in 2024.

The share of history entries awarded a grade C or above remained at 83.9 per cent.

Some 24.5 per cent of geography entries were graded A*/A this year, slightly up from 24.1 per cent last year and 24.2 per cent in 2024.

• A-level results 2026: the regional divide grows again
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Geography also saw an increase in entries awarded a C or above, at 80.7 per cent, up from 79.8 per cent last summer.

There were 42,724 entries into A-level history this summer, up from 41,940 in 2025. Entries into geography remained similar, with 31,156 this year and 31,395 in 2025.

History was the seventh most popular A level for 2026.

Girls outperformed boys substantially in geography, with 31 per cent receiving A*/A grades, against 19 per cent of boys. Girls also received a higher share of the top grades in history (26.5 per cent) than boys (22.7 per cent).

Social sciences and business

In psychology, the proportion of those achieving the top A*/A grades was 20 per cent, up from 19.3 per cent the previous two years.

In sociology, there was a marginal fall in the proportion of top grades awarded, from 18.8 per cent in 2025 to 18.6 per cent this year.

Business studies saw a decrease in A*/A grades awarded, from 16.1 per cent in 2025 to 15.6 per cent this year.

There was an increase in top grades awarded in economics (29.6 per cent in 2025 up to 30.1 per cent this summer).

For the second year in a row, psychology, sociology, business studies and economics all ranked in the top 10 most popular A-level subjects.

Psychology was the second most popular A level this year, with just over 76,000 entrants.

Modern foreign languages (MFL)

There was a marginal drop in top grades awarded in Spanish this year, from 35.8 per cent in 2025 to 34.5 per cent.

In French, those achieving a C or higher increased from 84.7 per cent in 2025 to 86.1 per cent this year. The share of students awarded the top grades was 38.9 per cent, up one percentage point from last summer.

Some 45.4 per cent of students achieved A*/A grades in German, down from 47 per cent last summer. The share of A*-C grades also reduced from 88.9 per cent to 88.5 per cent.

Entries into Spanish (7,841), French (6,410), German (2,168) and other modern languages (6,571) all increased year on year, but none of the languages is among the top 10 most popular A-level subjects.

Recent analysis by FFT Education Datalab found that girls were more than twice as likely to take MFL A levels than boys, and that students eligible for free school meals were “particularly unlikely” to enter MFL A levels.

Arts

A smaller share of top grades was awarded in art and design in 2026 (35.2 per cent) than that recorded last year (35.4 per cent).

Music saw a greater proportion of top grades this year (25.3 per cent) than in 2025 (24.9 per cent).

Some 23.3 per cent of entries received top grades in drama, up by 0.4 percentage points on 2025.

The share of entries receiving a grade C or better in art and design increased from 88.6 per cent to 89 per cent.

Some 77.9 per cent of entries received a C or above in music. Last year the share of entries in receipt of a C or better was 77.3 per cent.

The results in music come after Ofqual data revealed entries into the A level fell to a new low this year, causing the Independent Society of Musicians to warn that it could “disappear from schools altogether” should trends continue.

In drama, the share of grades C or better remained at 89.1 per cent.

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