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Original poster

Humanities v STEM subject results at A level

31 replies

Almostdonenow · 21/08/2025 17:52

My dc's school's A level results look great at first glance - approx 50% A/A star in STEM subjects and a couple of other random subjects, but every year in Humanities subjects (particularly English & History) the A/A star grades are around 10%, with a fair few students missing their predicted grades by a long way.
Is this a common disparity? Do schools put more funds into STEM subjects? Maybe the coursework has a detrimental effect on revision? Or perhaps the teachers are too stretched?
When this has been queried with teachers previously, the stock answer is "well they're really hard subjects" but aren't STEM subjects hard too?! Or are a lower percentage of Humanities subjects awarded an A/A star and this is normal for most schools?!
For context, this is a 'good' state school in a 'leafy' area!

OP posts:
Fishneedscycle · 21/08/2025 18:05

Application of mark schemes in English Literature, History, Politics etc is less cut and dried and more subjective. Questions can be more unusual or unlike past paper questions. I know from my DD2 that if you have covered every single past paper question and all of Seneca for A level Biology and Chemistry that you would probably not have many surprises in the actual exams.

HippoStraw · 21/08/2025 18:05

So last year for example, Maths was 42%ish whereas English was 25%

ErrolTheDragon · 21/08/2025 18:03

HippoStraw · 21/08/2025 18:00

Nationally there is a higher % of A star and A in STEM I think? By a fair bit

The highest A/A* percentages are for FM - obviously that’s not because it’s ‘easy’ to get top grades in, it’s because only the ablest mathematicians take it.

HippoStraw · 21/08/2025 18:00

Nationally there is a higher % of A star and A in STEM I think? By a fair bit

titchy · 21/08/2025 17:59

ErrolTheDragon · 21/08/2025 17:56

Is there any difference in the requirements for being allowed to take different A levels? I think sometimes the STEM subjects (particularly maths and even more obviously FM) required eg a 7 (or 8 for FM) whereas the humanities would be allowed with a lower threshold.

This. STEM subjects usually have much higher requirements, especially at comprehensives and non-selective sixth form colleges.

ErrolTheDragon · 21/08/2025 17:56

Is there any difference in the requirements for being allowed to take different A levels? I think sometimes the STEM subjects (particularly maths and even more obviously FM) required eg a 7 (or 8 for FM) whereas the humanities would be allowed with a lower threshold.