Official Statistics

Entries and late entries for GCSE and A level: 2016 to 2017 academic year

Number of entries and late entries in GCSE, AS and A level qualifications.

Applies to England, Northern Ireland and Wales

Documents

Entries_and_late_entries_in_GCSE_and_A_level_-_2016-17_academic_year-England

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Entries_and_late_entries_in_GCSE_and_A_level_-_2016-17_academic_year-Wales

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Entries_and_late_entries_in_GCSE_and_A_level_-_2016-17_academic_year-Northern Ireland

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Background information_Entries_and_late entries_2016_17

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Details

  1. The number of late GCSE entries in England has dropped by just under 10% from 485,785 to 437,945, but continue to represent approximately 3% of all GCSE entries.
  2. Number of late AS and A level entries in England has also dropped by almost 8% from 90,845 to 83,975, but again continues to represent just over 2% of all AS and A level entries.
  3. Just over 5.2 million GCSE certificates were awarded in England in the academic year 2016 to 2017, representing a 3.3% increase on the year 2015 to 2016.
  4. The increase in GCSE awards is in part due to schools moving from IGCSE to GCSE qualifications and more students taking English literature.
  5. There has been a 17% decrease in AS and A level certificates in England, between the academic year 2015 to 2016 and the year 2016 to 2017, due to the decoupling of AS and A levels.

Geographical coverage

This report presents data on entries, late entries and certifications for GCSEs, AS and A levels in England. Reports published in previous years included data for learners in Wales and Northern Ireland as well. As such, historical figures in this year’s report reflect data for England and may differ from previously published figures.

For all statistical releases for the academic year 2016 to 2017, Ofqual will publish separate data tables for learners in Wales and Northern Ireland, without commentary.

Responsibility for publishing data for learners in Wales and Northern Ireland has been passed to Qualifications Wales and CCEA respectively for the academic year 2017 to 2018 and beyond.

User feedback

We are publishing our statistical releases in a new format and would really like to hear your views on it. Please send any comments on this statistical release and how to improve it to meet your needs to statistics@ofqual.gov.uk.

Published 23 November 2017
Last updated 13 December 2017 + show all updates
  1. Figures updated based on the revisions submitted by 1 exam board.

  2. First published.