Average score for students taking A levels and other qualifications

Published 26 May 2022

Last updated 12 June 2023 - see all updates

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Contents

1. Main facts and figures

• the average point score for all students taking A levels in the 2020 to 2021 school year was 41.60 – equivalent to grade B

• students from the Chinese ethnic group had the highest average point score in every type of qualification out of all ethnicities

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 size of entries.

You can see a list of [all qualification sizes] (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/16-to-19-qualifications-discount-codes-and-point-scores).

The ethnic groups used in the data

The ethnic groups are based on the 18 ethnic groups used in the 2011 Census, with 3 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
• 6.6% of applied general students
• 5.5% of tech level students
• 7.7% of level 2 technical certificate students

This is mainly because students at independent schools do not have 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 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2020, A level students were awarded the higher of a centre assessed grade (CAG) and a grade calculated using a model developed by the qualifications regulator, Ofqual.

In 2021, A level students were awarded grades based on an assessment by their teachers using a range of suitable evidence (‘teacher assessed grades’). Students were only assessed on the content they had been taught.

Because of this, data for A levels awarded in 2020 and 2021 should not be directly 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: 2020 to 2021 school year
• Source: A level and other 16 to 18 results: 2021 (provisional)

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

Ethnicity	Average Point Score	Grade	Number of students
All	41.60	B	271,072
Asian	39.95	B	32,534
Bangladeshi	38.64	B	5,453
Indian	42.79	B+	10,412
Pakistani	37.33	B-	10,609
Asian other	40.46	B	6,060
Black	37.06	B-	13,747
Black African	37.32	B-	10,022
Black Caribbean	35.97	B-	2,153
Black other	36.79	B-	1,572
Chinese	45.77	A-	1,552
Mixed	40.57	B	12,266
Mixed White/Asian	42.35	B+	3,470
Mixed White/Black African	39.29	B	1,481
Mixed White/Black Caribbean	38.33	B-	2,294
Mixed other	40.63	B	5,021
White	40.86	B	160,616
White British	40.82	B	147,126
White Irish	42.39	B+	963
Gypsy/Roma	31.98	C+	61
Irish Traveller	38.18	B-	19
White other	41.18	B	12,447
Other	39.76	B	4,697
Unknown	46.83	A-	45,660

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 2020 to 2021 school year, 83.4% of level 3 students took A levels.

The data shows that:

• the average point score for all A level students including those whose ethnicity was not known was 41.60 – equivalent to grade B

• students from the Chinese ethnic group had the highest average point score out of all ethnic groups (45.77 – equivalent to grade A-)

• students from the Gypsy and Roma ethnic group had the lowest average point score (31.98 – equivalent to grade C+) – this is based on only 61 students and is less reliable as a result

• students from the black Caribbean ethnic group had the second lowest average point score (35.97 – equivalent to grade C+)

• the score for white British students (40.82) was below the national average – the scores for students from the Indian (42.79), white Irish (42.39), and mixed white and Asian (42.35) ethnic groups were above the national average

• ethnicity was not known for 16.8% of A level students – this group had an average point score of 46.83, equivalent to grade A-

4. By ethnicity (applied general students only)

• Location: England
• Time period: 2020 to 2021 school year
• Source: A level and other 16 to 18 results: 2021 (provisional)

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

Ethnicity	Average Point Score	Grade	Number of students
All	32.82	Dist-	85,832
Asian	32.84	Dist-	10,187
Bangladeshi	33.36	Dist	1,964
Indian	33.66	Dist	2,530
Pakistani	32.28	Dist-	4,197
Asian other	32.34	Dist-	1,496
Black	30.37	Dist-	6,383
Black African	30.44	Dist-	4,409
Black Caribbean	30.34	Dist-	1,239
Black other	30.01	Dist-	735
Chinese	33.78	Dist	238
Mixed	31.33	Dist-	3,994
Mixed White/Asian	32.16	Dist-	822
Mixed White/Black African	30.55	Dist-	527
Mixed White/Black Caribbean	31.29	Dist-	1,115
Mixed other	31.23	Dist-	1,530
White	33.20	Dist-	57,811
White British	33.29	Dist-	53,374
White Irish	33.65	Dist	226
Gypsy/Roma	32.00	Dist-	57
Irish Traveller	32.77	Dist-	11
White other	32.13	Dist-	4,143
Other	32.19	Dist-	1,524
Unknown	33.27	Dist-	5,695

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 2020 to 2021 school year, 26.4% of level 3 students took applied general qualifications.

The data shows that:

• the average point score for all students (including those whose ethnicity was not known) taking applied general qualifications was 32.82 – equivalent to ‘distinction minus’

• students from the Chinese ethnic group had the highest average point score out of all ethnic groups (33.78 – equivalent to ‘distinction’)

• students from the black other ethnic group had the lowest average point score (30.01 – equivalent to grade ‘distinction minus’)

• the average point score of white British students was above the national average (33.29 – equivalent to ‘distinction minus’)

5. By ethnicity (tech level students only)

• Location: England
• Time period: 2020 to 2021 school year
• Source: A level and other 16 to 18 results: 2021 (provisional)

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

Ethnicity	Average Point Score	Grade	Number of students
All	31.76	Dist-	20,213
Asian	31.92	Dist-	1,548
Bangladeshi	31.69	Dist-	253
Indian	33.08	Dist-	388
Pakistani	31.30	Dist-	689
Asian other	32.20	Dist-	218
Black	30.38	Dist-	928
Black African	31.43	Dist-	556
Black Caribbean	28.57	Merit+	260
Black other	29.48	Merit+	112
Chinese	37.94	Dist+	46
Mixed	30.25	Dist-	791
Mixed White/Asian	30.91	Dist-	148
Mixed White/Black African	29.91	Merit+	95
Mixed White/Black Caribbean	31.18	Dist-	216
Mixed other	29.36	Merit+	332
White	31.81	Dist-	15,547
White British	31.77	Dist-	14,656
White Irish	30.78	Dist-	50
Gypsy/Roma	26.14	Merit	9
Irish Traveller	25.00	Merit	3
White other	32.69	Dist-	829
Other	32.78	Dist-	248
Unknown	32.61	Dist-	1,105

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 2020 to 2021 school year, 6.2% of level 3 students took tech level qualifications.

The data shows that:

• the average point score for all students (including those whose ethnicity was not known) taking tech level qualifications was 31.76 – equivalent to ‘distinction minus’

• students from the Chinese ethnic group had the highest average point score out of all ethnic groups (37.94 – equivalent to ‘distinction plus’)

• students from the Irish Traveller ethnic group (25.00 – equivalent to ‘merit’) and the Gypsy and Roma ethnic group (26.14 – equivalent to a ‘merit’) had the lowest average point scores – this is based on only 3 and 9 students respectively and is less reliable as a result

• the average point score of white British students was similar to the national average (31.77 – equivalent to ‘distinction minus’)

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

• Location: England
• Time period: 2020 to 2021 school year
• Source: A level and other 16 to 18 results: 2021 (provisional)

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

Ethnicity	Value	Grade	Number of students
All	5.64	L2Merit-	3,308
Asian	5.23	L2Pass+	205
Bangladeshi	5.81	L2Merit-	31
Indian	5.53	L2Merit-	47
Pakistani	4.95	L2Pass	98
Asian other	5.07	L2Pass	29
Black	4.88	L2Pass	106
Black African	4.84	L2Pass	70
Black Caribbean	5.28	L2Pass+	22
Black other	4.40	L1Dist+	14
Chinese	6.50	L2Merit+	5
Mixed	5.59	L2Merit-	130
Mixed White/Asian	5.67	L2Merit-	21
Mixed White/Black African	5.35	L2Pass+	18
Mixed White/Black Caribbean	5.64	L2Merit-	48
Mixed other	5.61	L2Merit-	43
White	5.68	L2Merit-	2,566
White British	5.69	L2Merit-	2,447
White Irish	5.87	L2Merit	6
Gypsy/Roma	5.18	L2Pass+	7
Irish Traveller	N/A*	N/A*	0
White other	5.44	L2Pass+	106
Other	5.11	L2Pass	41
Unknown	5.85	L2Merit	255

^* Not applicable

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 2020 to 2021 school year, 3,308 students took level 2 technical certificates.

The data shows that:

• the average point score for all students (including those whose ethnicity was not known) taking level 2 technical certificates was 5.64 – equivalent to ‘level 2 merit minus’

• students from the Chinese ethnic group had the highest average point score out of all ethnic groups (6.50 – equivalent to ‘level 2 merit plus’) – this is based on only 5 students and is less reliable as a result

• students from the black other ethnic group had the lowest average point score (4.40 – equivalent to ‘level 1 distinction plus’)

• the average point score of white British students was similar to the national average (5.69 – equivalent to ‘level 2 merit minus’)

7. Data sources

Source

A level and other 16 to 18 results: 2021 (provisional)

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 - 2020-2021 - Spreadsheet (csv) 16 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: 26 May 2022

Updated: 12 June 2023

full page history

1. 12 June 2023 updated dataset to make it more machine readable - removed empty rows in the dataset
2. 26 May 2022 Updated with the latest available data (for the 2020 to 2021 academic year).

From: Department for Education

Previous editions:

1. 9 April 2021
2. 11 August 2020

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