Average score for students taking A levels and other qualifications

Published 9 April 2021

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Contents

1. Main facts and figures

• in the 2019 to 2020 school year, the average point score for all students taking A levels was 39.51 (including students whose ethnicity was unknown)
• students from the Chinese ethnic group had the highest average point score in every type of qualification

2. Things you need to know

What the data measures

The data shows the average point score and equivalent grade for students taking:

• A levels, applied generals and tech levels – these are all examples of level 3 qualifications, which are usually taken by 16 to 18 year olds and are equal to A levels in difficulty
• technical certificates - these are level 2 vocational qualifications

The number of points depends on the qualification and grade. For example, an A* at A level is worth 60 points, and a C is worth 30 points. You can see a list of all point scores.

Average point scores are rounded to 2 decimal places. Percentages are rounded to 1 decimal place.

How average point scores are calculated

The average point score is worked out by dividing the total point score by the total number of entries.

An entry is one qualification taken by one student.

The ethnic groups used in the data

The ethnic groups are based on the 18 ethnic groups used in the 2011 Census, with three exceptions:

• there are additional categories for Traveller of Irish Heritage, and Gypsy and Roma students
• the Chinese ethnic group has its own category and is not part of the Asian ethnic group
• there is no separate Arab ethnic group under the Other ethnic group

Ethnicity was not known for:

• 16.8% of A level students
• 6.0% of applied general students
• 4.6% of tech level students
• 5.5% of level 2 technical certificate students

This is mainly due to students attending independent schools not having their ethnicity recorded in the school census.

Some of the figures mentioned on this page for detailed ethnic groups are based on small numbers of pupils – this makes it difficult to make reliable generalisations.

Methodology

Read the detailed methodology document for this data.

Exams were cancelled in summer 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Students were awarded the higher of the following 2 grades:

• a centre assessment grade based on what their school or college believed they would have achieved had exams gone ahead
• their calculated grade using a model developed by the qualifications regulator Ofqual

Because of this, data for the 2019 to 2020 academic year should not be compared with data for previous years.

In the data file

See Download file for figures for the 3 school years between September 2017 and July 2020.

3. By ethnicity (A level students only)

• Location: England
• Time period: 2019 to 2020 school year
• Source: A level and other 16 to 18 results: Academic Year 2019/20

Average point score and equivalent grade by ethnicity (A level students only)

Ethnicity	Average Point Score	Grade	Number of students
All	39.51	B	271,601
Asian	37.46	B-	31,919
Bangladeshi	36.10	B-	5,323
Indian	40.08	B	9,997
Pakistani	35.19	B-	10,787
Asian other	38.05	B-	5,812
Black	35.05	B-	13,480
Black African	35.30	B-	9,787
Black Caribbean	34.09	C+	2,170
Black other	34.77	C+	1,523
Chinese	44.01	B+	1,521
Mixed	38.55	B	11,543
Mixed White/Asian	40.76	B	3,171
Mixed White/Black African	37.14	B-	1,352
Mixed White/Black Caribbean	36.44	B-	2,265
Mixed other	38.36	B	4,755
White	38.96	B	163,156
White British	38.92	B	149,856
White Irish	40.64	B	967
Gypsy/Roma	35.07	B-	56
Irish Traveller	32.94	C+	8
White other	39.27	B	12,269
Other	38.01	B-	4,476
Unknown	44.25	B+	45,506

Download table data (CSV) Source data (CSV)

Summary of Average score for students taking A levels and other qualifications By ethnicity (A level students only) Summary

In the 2019 to 2020 school year, 82.8% of level 3 students took A levels.

The data shows that:

• the average point score for all A level students (including students whose ethnicity was unknown) was 39.51 (equivalent to grade B)
• students from the Chinese ethnic group had the highest average point score out of all ethnic groups (44.01 – equivalent to grade B+)
• White Irish Traveller students had the lowest average point score (32.94 – equivalent to grade C+) – this is based on only 8 students and is less reliable as a result
• Black Caribbean students had the second lowest average point score (34.09 – equivalent to grade C+)
• the score for White British students (38.92) was below the national average – the scores for students from the Indian (40.08), White Irish (40.64) and Mixed White and Asian (40.76) groups were above the national average
• the ethnicity was not known for 16.8% of A level students – this group had an average point score of 44.25 (equivalent to grade B+)

4. By ethnicity (applied general students only)

• Location: England
• Time period: 2019 to 2020 school year
• Source: A level and other 16 to 18 results: Academic Year 2019/20

Average point score and equivalent grade by ethnicity (applied general students only)

Ethnicity	Average Point Score	Grade	Number of students
All	31.25	Dist-	78,939
Asian	31.41	Dist-	10,045
Bangladeshi	32.16	Dist-	1,854
Indian	31.78	Dist-	2,496
Pakistani	31.25	Dist-	4,253
Asian other	30.23	Dist-	1,442
Black	29.80	Merit+	5,768
Black African	30.01	Dist-	3,935
Black Caribbean	29.58	Merit+	1,158
Black other	28.90	Merit+	675
Chinese	34.64	Dist	202
Mixed	30.07	Dist-	3,365
Mixed White/Asian	30.90	Dist-	672
Mixed White/Black African	30.02	Dist-	465
Mixed White/Black Caribbean	29.79	Merit+	914
Mixed other	29.91	Merit+	1,314
White	31.46	Dist-	53,321
White British	31.52	Dist-	49,177
White Irish	32.33	Dist-	219
Gypsy/Roma	30.05	Dist-	47
Irish Traveller	29.52	Merit+	8
White other	30.63	Dist-	3,870
Other	30.97	Dist-	1,471
Unknown	31.43	Dist-	4,767

Download table data (CSV) Source data (CSV)

Summary of Average score for students taking A levels and other qualifications By ethnicity (applied general students only) Summary

In the 2019 to 2020 school year, 24.1% of level 3 students took applied general qualifications.

The data shows that:

• the average point score for all students taking applied general qualifications was 31.25 (equivalent to ‘distinction minus’)
• students from the Chinese ethnic group had the highest average point score out of all ethnic groups (34.64 – equivalent to ‘distinction’)
• Black Other students had the lowest average point score (28.90 – equivalent to grade ‘merit plus’)
• the average point score of White British students (31.52 – equivalent to ‘distinction minus’) was above the national average

5. By ethnicity (tech level students only)

• Location: England
• Time period: 2019 to 2020 school year
• Source: A level and other 16 to 18 results: Academic Year 2019/20

Average point score and equivalent grade by ethnicity (tech level students only)

Ethnicity	Average Point Score	Grade	Number of students
All	29.77	Merit+	21,967
Asian	30.00	Dist-	1,906
Bangladeshi	30.35	Dist-	277
Indian	31.17	Dist-	399
Pakistani	29.58	Merit+	995
Asian other	29.59	Merit+	235
Black	28.90	Merit+	873
Black African	29.44	Merit+	520
Black Caribbean	27.65	Merit+	256
Black other	29.25	Merit+	97
Chinese	33.51	Dist	48
Mixed	29.56	Merit+	737
Mixed White/Asian	29.74	Merit+	173
Mixed White/Black African	28.69	Merit+	81
Mixed White/Black Caribbean	28.57	Merit+	224
Mixed other	30.65	Dist-	259
White	29.75	Merit+	17,145
White British	29.75	Merit+	16,294
White Irish	26.39	Merit	43
Gypsy/Roma	30.16	Dist-	9
Irish Traveller	32.78	Dist-	2
White other	29.82	Merit+	797
Other	29.28	Merit+	247
Unknown	30.50	Dist-	1,011

Download table data (CSV) Source data (CSV)

Summary of Average score for students taking A levels and other qualifications By ethnicity (tech level students only) Summary

In the 2019 to 2020 school year, 6.7% of level 3 students took tech level qualifications.

The data shows that:

• the average point score for all students taking tech level qualifications was 29.77 (equivalent to ‘merit plus’)
• students from the Chinese ethnic group had the highest average point score out of all ethnic groups (33.51 – equivalent to ‘distinction’)
• White Irish students had the lowest average point score (26.39 – equivalent to ‘merit’)
• the average point score of White British students (29.75 – equivalent to ‘merit plus’) was similar to the national average

6. By ethnicity (level 2 technical certificate students only)

• Location: England
• Time period: 2019 to 2020 school year
• Source: A level and other 16 to 18 results: Academic Year 2019/20

Average point score and equivalent grade by ethnicity (level 2 technical certificate students only)

Ethnicity	Value	Grade	Number of students
All	5.71	L2 Merit-	8,631
Asian	5.65	L2 Merit-	515
Bangladeshi	5.44	L2 Pass+	121
Indian	5.73	L2 Merit-	121
Pakistani	5.68	L2 Merit-	203
Asian other	5.79	L2 Merit-	70
Black	5.20	L2 Pass+	212
Black African	5.04	L2 Pass	104
Black Caribbean	5.34	L2 Pass+	77
Black other	5.34	L2 Pass+	31
Chinese	6.41	L2 Merit+	13
Mixed	5.75	L2 Merit-	250
Mixed White/Asian	6.10	L2 Merit	53
Mixed White/Black African	5.76	L2 Merit-	40
Mixed White/Black Caribbean	5.49	L2 Pass+	82
Mixed other	5.80	L2 Merit-	75
White	5.72	L2 Merit-	7,104
White British	5.72	L2 Merit-	6,751
White Irish	5.42	L2 Pass+	12
Gypsy/Roma	5.16	L2 Pass	15
Irish Traveller	6.00	L2 Merit	1
White other	5.57	L2 Merit-	325
Other	5.62	L2 Merit-	60
Unknown	5.83	L2 Merit-	477

Download table data (CSV) Source data (CSV)

Summary of Average score for students taking A levels and other qualifications By ethnicity (level 2 technical certificate students only) Summary

Technical certificates are level 2 qualifications – they are not included in the total counts of students taking level 3 qualifications. In the 2019 to 2020 school year, 8,631 students took level 2 technical certificates.

The data shows that:

• the average point score for all students taking level 2 technical certificates was 5.71 (equivalent to ‘level 2 merit minus’)
• students from the Chinese ethnic group had the highest average point score out of all ethnic groups (6.41 – equivalent to ‘level 2 merit plus’) – this is based on only 13 students and is less reliable as a result
• Black African students had the lowest average point score (5.04 – equivalent to ‘level 2 pass’)
• the average point score of White British students (5.72 – equivalent to ‘level 2 merit minus’) was similar to the national average

7. Data sources

Source

A level and other 16 to 18 results: Academic Year 2019/20

Type of data

Administrative data

Type of statistic

National Statistics

Publisher

Department for Education

Publication frequency

Yearly

Purpose of data source

The main purpose of this data is to measure the performance of schools, colleges and students. This is to monitor and improve standards and inform parental and student choice.

8. Download the data

Average score for students taking A levels and other qualifications - 2017/18 to 2019/20 - Spreadsheet (csv) 43 KB

This file contains the following: measure, ethnicity, ethnicity_type, time, time_type, geography, geography_type, geography_code, age, value, value_type, APS per entry as a grade and number of students

Publication release date: 9 April 2021

full page history

1. 9 April 2021 Updated with the latest available data (for the 2019 to 2020 school year). An analysis of level 2 technical certificates has replaced the analysis of all level 3 qualifications combined. This is because different level 3 qualifications have different points scales. This means the average point scores are influenced by the number of students from each ethnic group entered for different qualifications.

From: Department for Education

Previous edition:

1. 11 August 2020

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