The 2026 National Reference Test: rising attainment in maths and what this means for grades

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: A levels and GCSEs, Exams, Grading, Marking, National Reference Test, Qualifications, Results
Young person sitting at a small desk using a pencil to write on a notepad, with a window behind them.

The 2026 National Reference Test results are out. They show a long-term trend of slightly improved attainment in GCSE maths, but not in English language. To ensure standards are maintained, we told exam boards to take the NRT results into account when setting some GCSE maths grade boundaries. Here we explain what that means.

A Level and level 3 results 2026 at a glance: key trends and context for teachers 

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: A levels and GCSEs, Assessments, Exams, Results, Vocational and technical qualifications

More than 880,000 A and AS Level results have been issued today to students in England, with another 221,000 results for vocational and technical qualifications. These results open doors for students to move on to the next stage in their lives and recognise the effort and quality of work they have displayed.

Level 3 results analysis 2025: Key trends and context for teachers

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: A levels and GCSEs, Exams, Grading, Results, Vocational and technical qualifications
A female student reading her exam results while sitting on a sofa

More than 850,000 A and AS level results have been issued to students in England today, along with just over 250,000 results for vocational and technical performance-table qualifications taken alongside them. These are results that enable young people to progress …

GCSE English language and maths results from the November series

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: A levels and GCSEs, Exams, Grading, Results
A student at a desk writing on an exam paper.

Students who took GCSE English language and maths in England in the November exam series will be receiving their results today (9 January 2025). GCSE English language and maths are available every November, and entry is restricted to students aged …