School Examinations (Passes) (Hansard, 18 November 1977)

§ Mr. Grist
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will list for each of the last three years the number

SCHOOL LEAVERS BY NUMBER OF GCE O^* LEVELS AS PERCENTAGE OF ALL LEAVERS (ENGLAND ONLY)

Number of O levels Grade C or better or CSEs Grade I 1974 1975 1976

Number of leavers As a percentage of all leavers Number of leavers As a percentage of all leavers Number of leavers As a percentage of all leavers

1–2 … … 107,110 17 114,966 18 119,469 18

3–4 … … 56,980 9 58,382 9 60,640 9

5 or more … … 148,340 23 147,533 23 152,649 23

All leavers … … 641,800 100 651,708 100 666,588 100

^* Includes CSE grade I.

§ Mr. Grist
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will list for 1976 the number of entrants for GCE O-level in England in the 12 most popular subjects and the number and percentages who obtained grades A and B and C passes in each of these subjects.

§ Miss Margaret Jackson
The number of GCE O level entrants from England

GCE "O" LEVEL 1976—ENGLAND AND WALES

Entries and Grades A—C awarded in the 12 Most Popular Subjects

Grade A Awarded Grade B Grade C

Subject Entries Number Percentage of entries Number Percentage of entries Number Percentage of entries

1. English Language 452,179 42,395 9 96,113 21 130,744 29

2. Mathematics 270,297 28,629 11 56,974 21 71,873 27

3. English Literature 248,485 23,345 9 52,241 21 70,655 28

4. Biology 209,559 21,516 10 44,309 21 52,368 25

5. Geography 188,765 17,058 9 37,426 20 48,318 26

6. French 152,459 17,068 11 35,008 23 38,816 25

7. History 149,242 17,952 12 32,737 22 34,402 23

8. Physics 137,929 14,577 11 30,536 22 36,282 26

9. Art 112,422 9,576 9 26,242 23 37,298 33

10. Chemistry 112,221 12,444 11 26,065 23 29,845 27

11. Economics 64,064 5,039 8 12,938 20 14,819 23

12. Religious Knowledge 63,717 6,771 11 13,494 21 16,677 26

§ Mr. Grist
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will list for each of the last three years the number of entrants in England for A level GCE in the 12 most popular subjects and the number and percentage who obtained passes in each subject.
418W
of school leavers in England with one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine and ten O-level GCE passes at Grade C or better, or CSE equivalent; and if she will express these figures as a percentage of total school leavers.

§ Miss Margaret Jackson
This information is not available in precisely the form requested. However, the following table shows for 1974 to 1976 the available information on the number of school leavers in England with GCE O levels grade C or better or CSE grade I:
and Wales in 1976 in the 12 most popular subjects and those gaining grades A, B and C are given below. These statistics are derived from summaries supplied by the GCE examination boards, which do not identify the area of residence of the candidate. These statistics include candidates from further education establishments and those privately entered as well as from schools.

§ Miss Margaret Jackson
Entries and passes in the summer 1976 GCE A level examinations for England and Wales for the 12 most popular subjects are given below. These statistics are derived from examination board returns which do not 419W identify the area of residence of the candidate.
The statistics cover further education establishments and privately entered candidates as well as schools.

GCE A LEVEL EXAMINATIONS SUMMER 1976—ENGLAND AND WALES ENTRIES AND PASSES IN THE 12 MOST POPULAR SUBJECTS

Number of entries Number of passes As percentage of entries

English … … … 65,985 46,446 70.39

Physics … … … 41,803 29,163 69.76

Pure and Applied^* Mathematics … … … 38,886 26,496 68.14

History … … … 37,891 26,870 70.91

Geography … … … 37,004 25,528 68.99

Economics … … … 35,451 23,462 66.18

Chemistry … … … 34,558 24,508 70.92

Biology … … … 32,066 21,791 67.96

General Studies … … … 30,113 22,333 74.16

Art … … … 24,829 17,154 69.09

French … … … 24,111 17,252 71.55

Pure Mathematics^* … … … 18,853 9,820 52.09

^* 4,116 persons taking pure mathematics and applied mathematics (single subjects) were each awarded a single "compensatory" pass. The entries are included under those for pure mathematics, but the passes are in addition to those shown for pure and applied mathematics (single subject).

SCHOOL LEAVERS BY NUMBER OF GCE O^* LEVELS AS PERCENTAGE OF ALL LEAVERS (ENGLAND ONLY)
Number of O levels Grade C or better or CSEs Grade I	1974	1975	1976
			Number of leavers	As a percentage of all leavers	Number of leavers	As a percentage of all leavers	Number of leavers	As a percentage of all leavers
1–2	…	…	107,110	17	114,966	18	119,469	18
3–4	…	…	56,980	9	58,382	9	60,640	9
5 or more	…	…	148,340	23	147,533	23	152,649	23
All leavers	…	…	641,800	100	651,708	100	666,588	100
^* Includes CSE grade I.

GCE "O" LEVEL 1976—ENGLAND AND WALES
Entries and Grades A—C awarded in the 12 Most Popular Subjects
		Grade A	Awarded Grade B	Grade C
Subject	Entries	Number	Percentage of entries	Number	Percentage of entries	Number	Percentage of entries
1. English Language	452,179	42,395	9	96,113	21	130,744	29
2. Mathematics	270,297	28,629	11	56,974	21	71,873	27
3. English Literature	248,485	23,345	9	52,241	21	70,655	28
4. Biology	209,559	21,516	10	44,309	21	52,368	25
5. Geography	188,765	17,058	9	37,426	20	48,318	26
6. French	152,459	17,068	11	35,008	23	38,816	25
7. History	149,242	17,952	12	32,737	22	34,402	23
8. Physics	137,929	14,577	11	30,536	22	36,282	26
9. Art	112,422	9,576	9	26,242	23	37,298	33
10. Chemistry	112,221	12,444	11	26,065	23	29,845	27
11. Economics	64,064	5,039	8	12,938	20	14,819	23
12. Religious Knowledge	63,717	6,771	11	13,494	21	16,677	26

GCE A LEVEL EXAMINATIONS SUMMER 1976—ENGLAND AND WALES ENTRIES AND PASSES IN THE 12 MOST POPULAR SUBJECTS
				Number of entries	Number of passes	As percentage of entries
English	…	…	…	65,985	46,446	70.39
Physics	…	…	…	41,803	29,163	69.76
Pure and Applied^* Mathematics	…	…	…	38,886	26,496	68.14
History	…	…	…	37,891	26,870	70.91
Geography	…	…	…	37,004	25,528	68.99
Economics	…	…	…	35,451	23,462	66.18
Chemistry	…	…	…	34,558	24,508	70.92
Biology	…	…	…	32,066	21,791	67.96
General Studies	…	…	…	30,113	22,333	74.16
Art	…	…	…	24,829	17,154	69.09
French	…	…	…	24,111	17,252	71.55
Pure Mathematics^*	…	…	…	18,853	9,820	52.09
^* 4,116 persons taking pure mathematics and applied mathematics (single subjects) were each awarded a single "compensatory" pass. The entries are included under those for pure mathematics, but the passes are in addition to those shown for pure and applied mathematics (single subject).