The GCSE Gender Gap Reaches a Historic Low
The gender gap in GCSE results has reached its narrowest point since the year 2000, with boys gradually closing the lead that girls have historically held. This trend is reflected in the latest 2025 exam figures, which highlight both progress and ongoing challenges in the education system.
One of the most notable trends this year is the record number of resits in English and maths. Nearly a quarter of all entries are resits, marking an all-time high. While demographic changes contribute to this increase, a significant portion of these resits comes from students who were affected by the return to pre-pandemic grading standards after years of teacher-assessed grades during the pandemic.
Education leaders have criticized the current resit policy, calling it “not fit for purpose” and urging the government to implement meaningful reforms. They argue that the existing system is demotivating and ineffective, particularly for students who struggle to achieve the required grades.
Key Figures from the 2025 GCSE Results
This year, more than a fifth (21.9%) of UK GCSE entries were awarded top grades—defined as at least a grade 7 or an A. This represents a slight increase from last year’s 21.8%. However, the proportion of entries achieving at least a 4 or C grade—a standard pass—has dropped slightly from 67.6% in 2024 to 67.4% this year. Despite this decline, it remains higher than the 67.3% recorded in 2019.
The gender gap between boys and girls has also narrowed significantly. Girls outperformed boys at the top grades, with 24.5% of their entries earning at least a grade 7/A compared to 19.4% of boys’ entries. This marks a 5.1 percentage point difference, which is the smallest gap observed this century. Last year, the gap was slightly larger at 5.7 percentage points.
Regional Attainment Gaps Persist
While the overall gender gap has narrowed, regional disparities remain. London continues to lead with the highest proportion of entries receiving top grades at 28.4%, down slightly from 28.5% in 2024. In contrast, the North East of England had the lowest rate at 17.8%, unchanged from the previous year.
The gap between London and the North East has shrunk over the past three years, decreasing from 10.8 percentage points in 2023 to 10.6 this year. However, it is still wider than it was before the pandemic, when the gap stood at 9.3 percentage points.
London and the southeast of England saw the largest drops in the standard pass rate (grade 4 or above) this year. In London, 71.6% of entries achieved this level, down from 72.5% in 2024. Similarly, the southeast saw a drop from 70.4% to 70.0%.
The Resit Crisis
The surge in resits has raised concerns among educators. There has been a 14% increase in the number of pupils taking resits in English and maths, bringing the total to 400,000 post-16 entries. This accounts for 22.9% of all maths and English GCSE entries, a record high.
Jill Duffy, chief executive of OCR exam board, described the situation as a “resit crisis.” She noted that less than a fifth of resitting students managed to achieve the grade 4 needed to escape the resit cycle. This highlights the need for fundamental reform in secondary education, particularly in Key Stage 3, to support students who fall behind in critical subjects like English and maths.
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the NAHT union, echoed these concerns, stating that the current resit policy is “demotivating and ineffective.” He called for more engaging alternatives to traditional GCSEs in English and maths at Key Stage 4.
Exam Results Remain Stable
Sir Ian Bauckham, chief regulator at Ofqual, described this year’s GCSE results as “stable” compared to the past two years. He emphasized that the minor fluctuations seen this year are part of natural variation and not indicative of any growing issues.
The return to pre-pandemic grading standards in England began in 2023, with Wales and Northern Ireland following suit in 2024. This shift came after the pandemic led to an increase in top grades due to teacher assessments rather than exams. While the transition has brought some challenges, it has also provided a clearer picture of student performance based on traditional assessment methods.