A-Level Geography Results Analysis 2023

Grading of students this summer was trailed as being similar to that of students in 2019, prior to the pandemic. In fact, across all subjects A* results were up, from 7.7% to 8.9%, as were A*-A grade results, up from 25.4% to 27.2%, with a 0.3% drop in A*-E results according to JCQ. Geography students' results reflected the overall trend with larger numbers of A*-B grades, though there were some subtle differences between awarding bodies in terms of achievement.

While we were sure the grade boundaries for 2023 would be higher than last year, we hadn't anticipated they would be higher than 2019.

Students sitting AQA's A-Level qualification required a raw score exceeding that of the 2019 boundaries for an A*, A or B. Perhaps this reflects the evolution of the qualification to stage of maturity, with a greater range of practice papers and support materials available to both teachers and students?

However, a comparison of results across awarding bodies might give some teachers pause for thought.

Grade boundaries across awarding bodies at A-level don't look very different, leading some commentators to suggest that it is the cohort of students sitting each qualification that differs, reflecting the context in which they were taught (state versus independent sector).

Demographics matter but so too does some stability in education. Most A-level subjects gained greater number of entries in 2023. A-level entries increased by 2.2% across all subjects in 2023, while the increase in the population of 18 year olds was only 0.5%.

Last year we reported that Geography was back in the top ten most popular subjects sat at A-level. Despite a small gain in total number of entries, this is no longer the case in 2023.

It is interesting to reflect on the growing numbers of students studying social sciences, like Sociology and Economics. Perhaps, as geographers, we need to reflect on whether we are conveying effectively the similarities and differences of studying our subject at A-level to students? Of course, resourcing the subject at A-level is another pertinent challenge facing many schools and a problem unlikely to go away any time soon, despite the real need for young people who can make connections between changes in the carbon cycle, patterns of trade and consumption, and identity politics.