Today marks a big milestone for thousands of learners across Wales as they receive their GCSE and vocational qualification results. This year, like in 2024, results are being awarded in line with 2019 pre-pandemic standards. We explained this in last week’s article on A level results.
Grades have risen slightly this year from 2024 and remain similar to before the pandemic in 2019, as was broadly the case last year. Grades at A/7 or above are higher than 2019, although other grades are slightly lower.
What are the results for summer 2025?
As results are being awarded in line with 2019 standards we can see that
- overall grades A*/9 – A/7 are 1.1 percentage points higher than 2019 and 3 percentage points higher than 2024;
- overall grades A*/9 – C/4 are 0.3 percentage points lower than 2019 and 0.3 percentage points higher than 2024; and
- overall grades A*/9 – G/1 are 0.3 percentage points lower than 2019 and 0.3 percentage points higher than 2024.
Percentage of entries achieving GCSE by grade in Wales, 2025 (provisional)
| Number of entries | A/7 or above | C/4 or above | G/1 or above | |
|
2025 |
307,089 | 19.5 | 62.5 | 96.9 |
|
2024 |
316,588 | 19.2 | 62.2 | 96.6 |
|
2023 (Transition year) |
300,409 | 21.7 | 64.9 | 96.9 |
|
2022 (Transition year) |
311,072 | 25.1 | 68.6 | 97.3 |
|
2021 (No exams) |
328,658 | 28.7 | 73.6 | 98.5 |
|
2020 (No exams) |
302,576 | 25.5 | 73.8 | 99.6 |
|
2019 |
295,690 | 18.4 | 62.8 | 97.2 |
The information in the table above shows results for 2025 based on data published by Qualifications Wales. This is provisional data that represents the position at the time that results are issued. It is subject to checking before final data at national (Wales), local authority and school level is published. The data above refers to the number of entries into qualifications and includes learners of all ages, although Qualifications Wales also publishes data on the overall results for just 16 year-olds in Wales.
This year, outcomes continue to be higher for females than males:
- 6% of females achieved A/7 or above compared with 16.3% of males;
- 9% of females achieved C/4 or above compared with 58.9% of males; and
- 1% of females achieved G/1 or above compared with 96.7% of males.
Beginning in 2017, England changed to a numerical system for grading GCSEs, from 9 to 1 rather than A* to G. They are not directly comparable to the grades used in Wales, but some GCSEs designed for use in England may be taken by learners in Wales. Exam data is also published by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ – a membership organisation comprising the eight largest providers of qualifications in the UK) that includes Wales A*-G GCSEs and the 9-1 GCSEs designed for use in England. As not all of the grade scales directly align, results are published for key grades A/7, C/4 and G/1 where there is general alignment. The proportion of learners in England achieving grade 4 or above was down to 67.1% compared with 67.4% last year and the same as 2019 (when it was also 67.1%).
What happens next?
For learners receiving results, there is lots of advice about what to do next. As well as schools, Careers Wales and UCAS have information on the choices available, about further study or starting a career and the Welsh Government has published some information on choosing apprenticeships. Our article What are the options for school and college leavers? also provides some information on young people’s options and choices.
Article by Sian Hughes, Senedd Research, Welsh Parliament.
