Examination results: September 2019 to August 2020

Pupils in Year 11

• In 2019/20 the percentage of entries awarded A* to A, A* to C and A* to G was the highest since 2015. The increase in the latest year being greater than in all other years
• The percentage of entries awarded at each individual grade between A* to C was higher in 2019/20 than the previous year, while this percentage was lower at each individual grade between D and U/X.

Results by selected pupil characteristics

• The gap between boys and girls increased over the last year at grades A* to A but decreased at grades A* to C and A* to G. Girls were more likely to be awarded A* and A grades.
• The same pattern is seen when comparing pupils eligible for free school meals and those not eligible and white British pupils to black, Asian and minority ethnic pupils. The gap increased at A* to A grades and decreased at A* to C and A* to G grades.

Pupils aged 17

• The same pattern is seen in A level results.
• The percentage of entries awarded A* to A, A* to C and A* to G grades was higher in 2019/20 than in the previous four years.
• The gap between boys and girls increased at A*to A grades but decreased at A* to C and A* to E grades.

Notes

Suspension of performance measures

Due to the cancellation of the normal examination period in 2019/20 and ongoing disruption to schools as a result of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Welsh Government has decided not to calculate or publish performance measures for 2019/20 or 2020/21, for both Year 11 and sixth form cohorts.

The analysis presented in this release is based on grade distributions that are consistent with other information released by Qualifications Wales and the Joint Centre for Qualifications (JCQ) (see definitions). These grade distributions allow the results to be interrogated at a finer level and show results at both the upper and lower ability ranges.

Centre assessed grades

Following the cancelation of public examinations, all qualifications that would have been sat as examinations in the 2019/20 summer term have been replaced with the best of either the centre assessed grade (CAG) or the standardised grade calculated by the WJEC. Centre assessed grades were decided using the teacher’s best professional estimate of what the pupil would achieve had they been able to sit an exam. Teachers may use any criteria they wish when estimating grades including (but not limited to) completed course work, mock exams or previous academic achievement.

Pupils that were awarded a qualification before the summer 2020 examination series will not have a centre assessed grade but the grades they were awarded in a written examination.