GCSE entries have increased this year mostly due to an increase in the take-up of EBacc subjects, according to Ofqual’s report on the provisional number of entries for GCSE, AS and A Levels for the summer 2020 exam series.

Although exams have been cancelled this summer due to coronavirus, students will have been entered for GCSE, AS and A Level subjects some time ago. Final entry figures for the summer 2020 exam series may vary in light of the cancellation of exams and the operation of alternative arrangements this year, but even so, the report gives a clear indication of subject trends and popularity.

The largest increases in EBacc GCSE entry numbers are in Combined Science (up 4% to 820,270), Maths (up 2% to 757,235) and English Language (up 2% to 746,705).  English Literature, History and Geography show the next largest number of EBacc entries. Spanish has the greatest percentage increase of any EBacc subject with a 5% rise to 105,840 entries. Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Computing show a decrease in entries from the 2019 figures.

Other main trends for the summer 2020 exam series include:

• GCSE entries increased overall by 2% this year to 5,281,745. The increase also corresponds with an increase of 3% in the size of the 16 year old cohort this year.
• The largest relative changes in non-EBacc GCSE subjects are increases of 9% in both statistics and citizenship studies to 25,845 and 22,285 respectively. Decreased entries are reported for PE, Engineering and Religious Studies.
• A Level entries decreased by 2% overall compared to last year, in line with a decrease in the size of the 18 year old cohort (which fell by 3%). Entries are higher in Maths and Further Maths than in 2019 but Biology, Chemistry and Physics all show a slight decrease this year. Entries in History and Geography have relatively large decreases (13% and 14% respectively), as do Political and Religious Studies (both by 11%). Entries in Computing increased by 11%. Maths, Psychology and Biology, in that order, are the top three A Level subjects in terms of entries.
• The overall entry for AS in summer 2020 decreased by 26% to 86,970. This drop in entries continues a trend caused by the decoupling of the AS from the A Level. Overall, there has been a decline of 93% in 2020 from 1.3m entries in 2015 - the last year before reforms began.

The report covers reformed and non-reformed qualifications combined, although this year almost all entries are for reformed qualifications.