How are pupils in England doing at GCSE?
64.8% of pupils in England got at least a grade 4 in both English and maths GCSE in 2024-25, and 45.4% got a grade 5 or above. The average pupil scored 46.1 on Attainment 8 (out of 90).
In English and maths together, 2024-25. down 6.4 points on 2019-20.
In English and maths together, 2024-25. down 4.5 points on 2019-20.
The average score of each pupil's best eight results, 2024-25.
GCSE results over time
What’s this?
The share of 16-year-olds in England who got at least a grade 4 (a standard pass) in both English and maths.
What it cannot tell you: Grades in 2020 to 2022 were awarded differently because exams were cancelled or changed, so the series is not a clean trend.
What’s this?
The share of 16-year-olds in England who got at least a grade 5 (a strong pass) in both English and maths.
What it cannot tell you: Grades in 2020 to 2022 were awarded differently because exams were cancelled or changed, so the series is not a clean trend.
What’s this?
The average of each pupil's best eight GCSE-level results in England, scored from 0 up to 90, with English and maths counted twice.
What it cannot tell you: The score is a school-accountability measure, and the scale changed when GCSEs moved to numbered grades, so compare only recent years. The exam years 2020 and 2021 were graded differently.
Year by year
State-funded schools in England; academic years.
| Period | GCSE English and maths at grade 4 or above | GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above | Average GCSE score (Attainment 8) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 64.8% | 45.4% | 46.1 |
| 2023-24 | 65.0% | 45.9% | 45.9 |
| 2022-23 | 65.1% | 45.3% | 46.3 |
| 2021-22 | 68.8% | 49.8% | 48.8 |
| 2020-21 | 72.2% | 51.9% | 50.9 |
| 2019-20 | 71.2% | 49.9% | 50.2 |
| 2018-19 | 64.6% | 43.2% | 46.7 |
Questions people ask
What is a grade 4 at GCSE?
A grade 4 is a standard pass and a grade 5 a strong pass. Pupils without a grade 4 in English or maths are expected to keep studying them after 16. The numbered grades replaced A* to G in England between 2017 and 2020.
Why were results higher in 2020 to 2022?
Exams were cancelled in 2020 and 2021 and grades were set by teachers, and in 2022 grading was set between the pre-pandemic standard and the generous 2021 grades. The series is not a clean trend through those years.
What is Attainment 8?
A school measure that scores each pupil's best eight GCSE-level results, with English and maths counted twice, on a scale from 0 to 90. The average was 46.1 in 2024-25.
What does “gcse english and maths at grade 4 or above” measure?
The share of 16-year-olds in England who got at least a grade 4 (a standard pass) in both English and maths. It was 64.8% (% of pupils) in 2024-25, down 6.4 points on 2019-20. The highest we have is 72.2% (2020-21) and the lowest 64.6% (2018-19).
What does “gcse english and maths at grade 5 or above” measure?
The share of 16-year-olds in England who got at least a grade 5 (a strong pass) in both English and maths. It was 45.4% (% of pupils) in 2024-25, down 4.5 points on 2019-20. The highest we have is 51.9% (2020-21) and the lowest 43.2% (2018-19).
What does “average gcse score (attainment 8)” measure?
The average of each pupil's best eight GCSE-level results in England, scored from 0 up to 90, with English and maths counted twice. It was 46.1 (points per pupil) in 2024-25, down 8% on 2019-20. The highest we have is 50.9 (2020-21) and the lowest 45.9 (2023-24).
Sources: Department for Education, Explore education statistics. Updated every night. Each chart has a CSV and a Share button.
See also: Spending on education · Classroom packs