MATHS STUDENTS TOP THE A-LEVEL CHARTS
DATA REVEALS THE SUBJECTS WITH THE HIGHEST PROPORTION OF A* GRADES
STUDENTS taking Maths and Further Maths at A-level are the most likely to come out with top grades, new figures show.
A stunning 30.1 per cent of all Further Maths students got an A* grade last year - as did 17.9 per cent of those studying Maths.
Art and Design had the third highest rate of A* grades, at 12.3 per cent. The A* was introduced in 2010 with the aim of rewarding exceptional students, and is awarded to candidates who score at least 80 per cent across the A-Level. Further Maths, which is designed to broaden and deepen mathematical knowledge, can only be studied by pupils who are also taking a Maths A-level. The data - published by the Joint Council for Qualifications - shows those taking languages also tend to do well in achieving top marks.
Some 10.3 per cent of those taking French got an A*, along with 10.2 per cent of those studying Spanish and 10.0 per cent of those studying German.
Among science subjects, Physics had the highest proportion of A* students (9.2 per cent) ahead of Chemistry (8.6 per cent).
Some 8.7 per cent of students taking English literature managed an A*.
At the bottom of the table, only 1.1 per cent of pupils studying ICT got a top grade.
For English Language it was 1.6 per cent, for Media, Film and TV 1.7 per cent, for Communication Studies 2.8 per cent and for combined English Language and Literature 2.9 per cent.
General Studies had a 3.7 per cent A* success rate, the same as Physical Education.
Drama students fared a little better, with 4.0 per cent getting the top grade.
Higher A-level grades in a particular subject don’t, of course, imply that subject is easier than others. Rather, it might simply be that the most able students tend to pick particular subjects. While an A* is the highest possible marks, grades A, B, C, D and even E are also recognised as A-Level passes, while a U is considered a fail. Critical Thinking had the highest proportion of students failing the A-Level - at 13.0 per cent.
THE TEN SUBJECTS WITH THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS ACHIEVING A*S THE TEN SUBJECTS WITH THE LOWEST PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS ACHIEVING A*S