What % get 4 A* at A level?

houselikeashed · 2020-08-27T14:23:58+00:00

I was just wondering how manny kids actually achieve this? And do they all go to Oxbridge?

MonGrainDeSel · 02/09/2025 16:09

Of students who took 3 A Levels, the % getting 3 A stars is about 2% according to this site. There doesn't seem to be any data on 4 A stars.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/infographic-a-level-results-2024/infographics-for-a-level-results-2024-accessible

Dido2010 · 02/09/2025 11:27

This reply has been withdrawn

This message has been withdrawn at the poster's request

Dido2010 · 01/09/2025 13:35

Hi @houselikeashed !

3 A stars and 4 A stars are more common with STEM subjects than with Arts-Humanities subjects at A Level.

[edited by MNHQ at poster's request]

puffyisgood · 26/08/2025 19:30

flowerbombpetal · 26/08/2025 12:20

Late to this but @Wonderwoman37 - Oxbridge is indeed a bit of a lottery to a degree, but to suggest it's 'still very nepo' is absolutely ridiculous! These universities actively seek to level the playing field and will look closely at candidates who might have advantages over others - private school kids are frequently given higher offers, for example.

Sorry your son was rejected - but for those who were accepted, nepotism wouldn't come into it!

what she said is slightly true, though it's not nearly as bad as it was a generation, much less two generations, back. Oxford publish the numbers every year, state school kids get 70-odd % of the A'A'A+ grades but only 60% odd % of the Oxbridge places. there are lots of reasons for this, including I think strength of applicants - a much higher % of really strong state school kids don't bother applying for one reason or another, whereas nearly all the really strong private school kids do.

https://www.ox.ac.uk/about/facts-and-figures/admissions-statistics/undergraduate-students/current/school-type

flowerbombpetal · 26/08/2025 12:20

Late to this but @Wonderwoman37 - Oxbridge is indeed a bit of a lottery to a degree, but to suggest it's 'still very nepo' is absolutely ridiculous! These universities actively seek to level the playing field and will look closely at candidates who might have advantages over others - private school kids are frequently given higher offers, for example.

Sorry your son was rejected - but for those who were accepted, nepotism wouldn't come into it!

Wonderwoman37 · 22/08/2025 23:23

Just rubbish, my son got this 4a*s and got rejected then went on and achieved a great result at St Andrews and is going to do a post grad at Oxford. Oxford entry is still very nepo and those who know the tricks get in etc. it is a lottery!!! But don’t let them bring you down - Margret Attwood 😊💕

acocadochocolate · 29/08/2020 09:19

She got 4 A star and was offered AstarAA

acocadochocolate · 29/08/2020 09:17

DD got 4A * and got rejected from
Oxford. I'm sure everyone who applies is of that caliber. She is going to Imperial College instead who offered A * AA.

JoanJosephJim · 28/08/2020 23:14

I think the thing to remember is that Oxbridge is massively oversubscribed. Ds1 knows for Cambridge he has something like a 23% chance of getting in for his course.

Statistically for 2019
19,359 applied to Cambridge
4,694 were given offers
3,528 were accepted

I know STEP tests are done in the summer, whereas Ds's course the entrance exam is in November so they know before they start to interview whether you have passed or not.

Ds is doing 4 A levels, the 4th being further maths. Only a small percentage do more than 3 A levels, as that is all that is required for even medicine at the top unis.

Original poster

houselikeashed · 28/08/2020 21:19

ironoaks
Natural Sciences I think.

OP posts:

MrsKypp · 28/08/2020 20:50

3 A*s is common these days. Grades are nothing like they were some years ago, let alone decades ago when getting an A at A-Level was a real achievement. .

Ironoaks · 28/08/2020 20:46

Bolding foiled by the A*

Ironoaks · 28/08/2020 20:46

I'm thinking of a friends child who got 4 A this year - by the algorithm. He did maths, F maths, physics and Chemistry. Clever boy. (he's off to Cambridge!)*

Probably a combination of high ability, good teaching and hard work. To do Natural Sciences or Engineering?

Danglingmod · 28/08/2020 18:31

Oh, and Manchester (the lure of Brian Cox, I think!)

Danglingmod · 28/08/2020 18:30

I know young people with 4 A stars who have gone to Imperial, UCL, Durham, Harvard, also music conservatoires, and degree apprenticeships at top employers (as well as plenty of Oxbridge, too, of course).

worldweary45 · 28/08/2020 18:27

More common in STEM subjects and the offers from Oxbridge reflect this -common humanities offer for Oxford is AAA

Original poster

houselikeashed · 28/08/2020 18:22

I'm thinking of a friends child who got 4 A* this year - by the algorithm. He did maths, F maths, physics and Chemistry. Clever boy. (he's off to Cambridge!)

OP posts:

LIZS · 28/08/2020 17:28

Increasingly unusual but most common in maths/fm and related sciences. Grade boundaries very tight in mfl (now under review) and humanities has some element of subjectivity in the mark scheme. As others have indicated since AS went fewer take 4 to A level anyway.

BlueCowWonders · 28/08/2020 17:24

@MrsSchadenfreude

90% of Mumsnetters’ children?

PatriciaHolm · 28/08/2020 17:19

In 2017, 2.5% of the intake got 3 A* or better. Not entirely sure what this year will look like but it will be higher given what we know about grades.

YogiMatte · 28/08/2020 10:44

In the local 6th form it's something like 10 to 20 per year group of 1500. Pretty sure you can only do 4 if the 4th is further maths. They don't all go to oxbridge, maybe half do.

tarouni2020 · 28/08/2020 10:15

There are 2 girls in my DD's school got 4A* this year and they will be going to Cambridge.

TheoneandObi · 27/08/2020 20:48

DD got 4 A stars and 10 A stars at GCSE under the old
System. Oxford reject. Her problem was the entrance exam, the MAT. She had zero prep or guidance from her school.
She did some at home but it's no substitute for proper prep.
She went to Durham, and is about to start her Masters in a niche area at at another great institution. She rocks!

user1497207191 · 27/08/2020 20:42

Quite a few get 4 As, but, no, they don't all go to Oxbridge. Oxbridge don't even require a full house - usually 1 A and the rest A is fine for them. Lots don't want to try for Oxbridge for various reasons. Our son got a full house and is going to his first choice which was Lancaster because few Unis do the exact course he wanted which is very job orientated rather than academic/research.

MrsHamlet · 27/08/2020 20:37

And actually a couple of years ago we had a lad who got 4A* and turned down oxford for a full scholarship to a uni in America