More than 5.7 million GCSE results have been issued to students in England today, along with more than 374,000 results for level 1 and 2 vocational and technical qualifications (VTQs).
These results allow young people to progress to the next stage of their lives, whatever that may be. They represent a great deal of hard work on the part of students, teachers, and schools, as well as parents and carers. Congratulations to all.
This year’s GCSE results are stable overall in comparison with those in 2025. Small variations, either up or down, are normal from year to year and from subject to subject.
GCSE results: what teachers need to know Results for 5,720,045 GCSEs were issued across more than 40 subject areas. Overall outcomes at grade 7 and above are almost identical to 2025 (21.8% of results compared with 21.7% in 2025), and outcomes at grade 4 and above are just 0.1 percentage point down on 2025, at 67.0%. In English language, fractionally fewer students achieved a grade 7 or above than last year: down by 0.3 percentage points. In maths, there has been a small (0.8 percentage point) increase in the proportion of 16-year-olds achieving grade 7 or above. This is a direct reflection of stronger student attainment. The evidence for this can be seen in the National Reference Test across the higher grade range. This is consistent with a wider picture in maths which includes the strong take-up and outcomes in A Level maths and further maths seen last week. Fewer 17-year-olds resitting English language and maths achieved a grade 4 and above this year (21.0% and 16.4%, respectively). Overall outcomes in French, German and Spanish are slightly higher in all 3 subjects than in 2025. This is the first year of awards based on the new GCSE courses introduced in 2024. Ofqual committed to making sure that students would be neither advantaged nor disadvantaged by being the first to take these. Like last year, more results were issued in London at grade 4 and above (71.7%) and grade 7 and above (28.6%) than in any other region. The North East had the fewest grade 7s and above (17.7%), while the West Midlands had the fewest grade 4s and above (62.5%). In state schools, results at grade 7 and above improved very slightly compared with last year (up 0.1 percentage point), with no change at grades 4 and above. In independent schools, results at grades 7 and above and 4 and above fell compared with last year (by 0.5 and 0.4 percentage points, respectively). Subjects with notable changes in entry include: statistics: up 11% business studies: up 8% sociology: up 5.2% engineering: down 9.3% computing: down 7.2% French: down 5.5% Level 1 and 2 vocational and technical qualification (VTQ) results: what teachers need to knowResults for 363,210 technical awards have been issued today, up very slightly on last year’s figure.
The number of technical awards given at the top grade is up 0.2 percentage points, to 4.3%. The most commonly taken subjects are similar to previous years:leisure, travel and tourismhealth, public services and carearts, media and publishingretail and commercial enterprise business, administration and lawResults for 11,185 technical certificates have been shared today with post-16s across England, down 10% on last year’s figure.
The number of technical certificates awarded the top grade is up 1.4 percentage points, to 6.5%. Nearly two-thirds of all technical certificates are in one of two subject sector areas:construction, planning and the built environment agriculture, horticulture and animal careThe standard of work required to achieve each grade in these qualifications has remained consistent.
Where to find more details about GCSE and level 1 and 2 resultsFor a more detailed look into all of our data take a look at our statistical report on this year’s results and our interactive outcomes charts.
Amanda Swann, Executive Director for Delivery, Ofqual
seen at 10:40, 20 August in The Ofqual blog.