§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many pupils sat(a) GCSE and (b) A level exams early in the academic cycle; what was the youngest age at which the exams were sat; and how many students, as a percentage of all GCSE and A level students, sat exams early in (1) 1995–96, (2) 1996–97, (3) 1997–98, (4) 1998–99 and (5) 1999–2000. [127254]
§ Ms Estelle Morris[holding answer 27 June 2000]: The information requested on GCSEs and GCE A level is shown in the following table.
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1995–1996 1996–1997 1997–1998 1998–1999 (a) GCSE entrants Number of candidates who sat at least one exam before age 15 30,630 40,817 40,890 44,744 Percentage of all candidates 3.7 5.0 5.2 5.7 Youngest age at which sat exam 9 12 10 8 (b) GCE A level entrants Number of candidates who sat at least one exam before age 17 7,559 7,944 7,568 8,470 Percentage of all candidates 2.9 2.9 2.8 3.2 Youngest age at which sat exam 11 9 12 11 Data for 1999–2000 are not yet available.