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GCSE Results Day: Pass rates fall amid biggest exam shake-up in generation GCSE Results Day: Pass rates fall amid biggest exam shake-up in generation
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GCSE pass rates have fallen this year amid the biggest shake-up to the exams in a generation, with the number of pupils attaining the top grades having plummeted under the new system.GCSE pass rates have fallen this year amid the biggest shake-up to the exams in a generation, with the number of pupils attaining the top grades having plummeted under the new system.
As half a million pupils recieve their results, today's figures show that across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the proportion of entries scoring a C or above - or a 4 under the new system - has fallen by 0.6 percentage points to 66.3 per cent compared to last summer. As half a million pupils recieve their results, today's figures show that across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the proportion of entries scoring a C or above - or a 4 under the new system - has fallen by 0.6 percentage points since last year to 66.3 per cent – the lowest it has been since 2008.
The percentage of pupils at least an A grade - or a 7 under the new system - has fallen by 0.5 percentage points to 20 per cent, while the proportion of pupils receiving a G grade has remained unchanged. The percentage of pupils at least an A grade - or a 7 under the new system - has fallen by 0.5 percentage points to 20 per cent, the lowest since 2007 when the figure was 19.5 per cent.
Meanwhile, slightly over 2,000 pupils achieved a grade 9 in all three reformed subjects – a figure that was more than double that number last year at around 6,500, indicating the increased difficulty to achieve the top grade under the new system.Meanwhile, slightly over 2,000 pupils achieved a grade 9 in all three reformed subjects – a figure that was more than double that number last year at around 6,500, indicating the increased difficulty to achieve the top grade under the new system.
​In all, around 50,000 pupils in England achieved the top 9 grade, with around 3.5 per cent of 16-year-olds - around 18,600 - attaining the top score in maths, 2.6 per cent (13,700) in English and 3.3 per cent (around 17,000) in English Literature. ​In all, around 50,000 pupils in England achieved the top 9 grade, with around 3.5 per cent of 16-year-olds - around 18,600 - attaining the top score in maths, 2.6 per cent (13,700) in English and 3.3 per cent (around 17,000) in English Literature. 
Two thirds of the grade 9s were awarded girls, with female pupils outperforming boys in both English GCSEs, while more male pupils achieved the highest result in maths, in line with trends rom previous years.  Two thirds of the grade 9s were awarded girls, with female pupils outperforming boys in both English GCSEs. Despite the overall better performance of girls, more male pupils achieved the highest result in maths, continuing in line with trends from previous years.
Under the overhaul, traditional A* to G grades are being gradually replaced in England with a 9 to 1 system, with English and maths – key GCSEs for all teenagers – being the first to move across this year and other subjects following over the next two years. The gender gap across the UK has widened since last summer, with some 71 per cent of girls achieving a C/grade 4 or higher compared with 61.5 per cent of boys – a 0.6 per cent rise on 2016.
The new grading scale has more grades at the higher end to recognise the very highest achievers, with grade 9 being the highest grade and grade 4 as a "standard pass" – equivalent to a C grade. If pupils fail to achieve a grade 4 or higher, they will need to continue to study these subjects as part of their post-16 education.  Under the new exam overhaul, traditional A* to G grades are being gradually replaced in England with a 9 to 1 system, with English and maths – key GCSEs for all teenagers – being the first to move across this year and other subjects following over the next two years.
The new grading scale has more grades at the higher end to recognise the very highest achievers, with grade 9 being the highest grade and grade 4 as a "standard pass" – equivalent to a C grade. If pupils fail to achieve a grade 4 or higher, they will need to continue to study these subjects as part of their post-16 education.
Overall across the UK, 72.6 per cent of pupils got a C or grade 4 in English literature or above, down 3 per cent from last year. In English, meanwhile, the figure rose from 60.2 per cent to 62.1 per cent. In maths, the overall proportion of entries getting C or grade 4 or above dropped from 61 per cent in 2016 to 59.4 per cent.
In response to the results, Nick Gibb, Minister for School Standards, congratulated pupils and urged that the benefits of the new GCSE system would be seen "in years to come".
“The Government's new gold-standard GCSEs in English and maths have been benchmarked against the best in the world, raising academic standards for pupils. These reforms represent another step in our drive to raise standards, so that pupils have the knowledge and skills they need to compete in a global workplace," he said
“The fruits of these reforms will be seen in the years to come, but already pupils and teachers are rising to the challenge with more than 50,000 top 9 grades awarded across the new GCSEs and more than two thirds of entries sitting the tougher English and maths exams securing a grade 4 or C and above - a standard pass."
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