Provisional November 2025 exam entries: GCSE English language and mathematics
Published 27 November 2025
Applies to England
© Crown copyright 2025
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The provisional figures in this release show the number of entries for GCSE English language and mathematics for exams sat in November 2025 as submitted by schools and colleges to exam boards by 23 October 2025.
The November exam series is normally for students aged 16 or over by the end of the previous August, except in certain cases set out below. This applies before the pandemic and from 2022 onwards. In 2021, because summer exams were cancelled, any student entered for the summer, including younger ones, could sit the November exams.
The November 2021 series was also open to those students the exam boards believed had intended to enter in the summer but were unable to do so, or who chose not to do so when exams were cancelled. Further information about arrangements for the November 2021 series is available on the Ofqual website.
In addition to the different entry requirements, different grading policies were in place during and in the years immediately following the pandemic, before the return to pre-pandemic standards in summer 2023. For example, the policy for summer 2022 was for grading to be at a midpoint between summer 2021 and summer 2019. The differences in grading policies in the summer series will have impacted on the number of students entering for subsequent re-sits.
Key headlines
The key headlines regarding the provisional number of entries for the November 2025 series were:
- total GCSE entries in November 2025 increased by 5.8%, from 152,610 in November 2024 to 161,480 in November 2025.
- GCSE English language entries in November 2025 increased by 7.7% from 77,005 in November 2024, to 82,900 in November 2025.
- GCSE mathematics entries in November 2025 increased by 3.9% from 75,605 in November 2024, to 78,580 in November 2025.
- year 12 entries increased by 4.3% from 85,725 in November 2024 to 89,405 in November 2025.
- year 13 and above entries increased by 7.8% from 66,880 in November 2024 to 72,070 in November 2025.
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November GCSE entries over time
GCSE entries in November 2025 increased by 5.8%, from 152,610 in November 2024 to 161,480 in November 2025.
Table 1: GCSE entries from November 2021 to November 2025
| Year | Total entries | Percentage change from previous year |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 114,040 | Not applicable |
| 2022 | 102,405 | -10.2% |
| 2023 | 125,615 | 22.7% |
| 2024 | 152,610 | 21.5% |
| 2025 | 161,480 | 5.8% |
Variations in entries over recent years may reflect a number of factors such as:
- the alternative awarding arrangements for the summer 2021 series and changes in eligibility criteria for entry in November 2021 series
- the approach to grading in summer 2022 (when results reflected a midpoint between summer 2021 and summer 2019)
- the return to pre-pandemic standards in summer 2023
The size of the 16- and 17-year-old cohort (which represents the largest group of students entering for these exams) has also increased by 12.1% from 2021 to 2025 - from 1,274,650 in 2021 to 1,429,122 in 2025, according to Office for National Statistics (ONS) population projections. For additional information on how these figures have been retrieved, see the ‘data sources’ section of the background information accompanying this release. For more information on how population projections are calculated, see Office for National Statistics: Population projections.
November GCSE entries by subject
GCSE English language entries in November 2025 increased by 7.7%, from 77,005 in November 2024 to 82,900 in November 2025.
GCSE mathematics entries in November 2025 increased by 3.9%, from 75,605 in November 2024 to 78,580 in November 2025.
Table 2: GCSE English language and mathematics entries from November 2021 to November 2025
| Year | Subject | Total entries | Percentage change from previous year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | English language | 50,345 | Not applicable |
| 2022 | English language | 46,900 | -6.8% |
| 2023 | English language | 60,365 | 28.7% |
| 2024 | English language | 77,005 | 27.6% |
| 2025 | English language | 82,900 | 7.7% |
| 2021 | Mathematics | 63,695 | Not applicable |
| 2022 | Mathematics | 55,500 | -12.9% |
| 2023 | Mathematics | 65,250 | 17.6% |
| 2024 | Mathematics | 75,605 | 15.9% |
| 2025 | Mathematics | 78,580 | 3.9% |
November GCSE mathematics entries by tier
GCSE mathematics is a tiered qualification with foundation and higher tiers. The tier of entry determines the possible range of grades. Grades 5 to 1 are available on the foundation tier. Grades 9 to 4 are available on the higher; students who narrowly miss a grade 4 on the higher tier are awarded a grade 3. The November entries followed a similar pattern to previous years with the majority (95.5%) of entries being for the foundation tier.
Table 3: GCSE mathematics entry by tier from November 2021 to November 2025
| Exam series | Foundation tier entries | Higher tier entries | Percentage of foundation tier entries | Percentage of higher tier entries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 2021 | 60,910 | 2,785 | 95.6% | 4.4% |
| November 2022 | 52,755 | 2,750 | 95.0% | 5.0% |
| November 2023 | 61,955 | 3,295 | 94.9% | 5.1% |
| November 2024 | 72,510 | 3,095 | 95.9% | 4.1% |
| November 2025 | 75,045 | 3,535 | 95.5% | 4.5% |
GCSE entries by year group
Year 12 entries increased by 4.3% from 85,725 in November 2024 to 89,405 in November 2025.
Year 13 and above entries increased by 7.8% from 66,880 in November 2024 to 72,070 in November 2025.
Year 11 and below entries were lower in November 2022 to November 2025 compared with November 2021. This is a result of the entry arrangements for the November 2021 series, following the alternative assessment arrangements that were in place in summer 2021.
Table 4: GCSE entries by year group from November 2021 to November 2025
| Year group | November 2021 | November 2022 | November 2023 | November 2024 | November 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 11 and below | 1,380 | 30 | 25 | Fewer than 5 | 5 |
| Year 12 | 64,830 | 60,395 | 75,555 | 85,725 | 89,405 |
| Year 13 and above | 47,830 | 41,980 | 50,035 | 66,880 | 72,070 |
| Total entry | 114,040 | 102,405 | 125,615 | 152,610 | 161,480 |
English language entries in November 2025 increased by 5.6% for students in year 12 and increased by 10.6% for students in year 13 and above, when compared with November 2024.
Mathematics entries in November 2025 increased by 2.9% for students in year 12 and increased by 5.2% for students in year 13 and above, when compared with November 2024.
Table 5: GCSE English language and mathematics entries by year group in November 2024 and November 2025
| Subject | Year group | November 2024 | November 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| English language | Year 11 and below | Fewer than 5 | Fewer than 5 |
| English language | Year 12 | 45,220 | 47,735 |
| English language | Year 13 and above | 31,785 | 35,165 |
| Mathematics | Year 11 and below | Fewer than 5 | Fewer than 5 |
| Mathematics | Year 12 | 40,505 | 41,670 |
| Mathematics | Year 13 and above | 35,095 | 36,905 |
Contextual information
In England, GCSE English language and mathematics exams are routinely available in November. Since 2017, entry to the November series has been limited to students who were aged 16 or above on 31 August of the year of the November series. Note that entries from students younger than 16 are allowed for disabled students as a reasonable adjustment under certain circumstances. In 2021, any students, including younger students, who were entered in the summer and wished to do so could sit the November exams. The 2021 series was also open to students the exam boards believed had intended to enter in the summer but were unable to do so.
The figures for entries can change daily until the exam date. We collect provisional data at the point when it is reasonably complete, although final entry numbers may be slightly different. The figures presented here are the provisional figures as submitted by schools and colleges to exam boards by 23 October 2025.
To ensure confidentiality, the entry data in this report has been rounded in line with Ofqual’s rounding policy.
Further information is available in the detailed background information and data tables accompanying this release.
Head of profession: Ben Cuff