GCSE results 2026 show stable pass rates and widening regional gaps

The GCSE pass rate for grades 4/C and above remained stable at 67.3% across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, matching the 2019 level and slightly down from 67.4% last year.

The gap between the highest-performing region, London at 71.7%, and the lowest, the West Midlands at 62.4%, widened to 9.3 percentage points, up from 8.7 points in 2025.

Resit entries for English and maths by students aged 17 and older rose to 24.3% of total entries, with pass rates for these groups slipping to 19.8% in English and 15.3% in maths.