GCSE subject combinations and outcomes


The graphs below show the grade distributions for students taking different combinations of GCSE subjects.

You can select an individual subject or a combination of two or three subjects. You can choose to show the distribution of all grades or to only show data for students who achieved certain grades in the selected subjects.

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For any feedback on these graphs or tables, please contact [email protected].

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If you need an accessible version of this information to meet specific accessibility requirements, please email [email protected] with details of your request.

The table below shows the most frequent combinations of GCSE subjects.

You can view the most frequent combinations of two or three subjects or select combinations with a particular subject. You can also view the most frequently taken individual subjects.


For any feedback on these graphs or tables, please contact [email protected].

Return to the Ofqual Analytics home page.

If you need an accessible version of this information to meet specific accessibility requirements, please email [email protected] with details of your request.

This interactive visualisation shows information on subject combinations and outcomes for GCSE subjects taken by students in England. It covers the years from 2018 to 2024. You can explore students' grades for different subject combinations and explore the most frequent combinations of subjects.

The 'Grade distributions' tab shows students' grades for different subject combinations. You can select a combination of up to three subjects and explore how students' grades in one subject relate to their grades in other subjects. For example, you can find out:

  • how many students achieved 9 in mathematics, biology and chemistry
  • what grades did students who achieved 4 or above in geography, achieve in history?

The 'Subject combinations' tab shows the most frequent combinations of subjects. You can choose to see the individual subjects that were most frequently taken or the most frequently taken combinations of two or three subjects. You can also select a subject to see which other subjects were mostly frequently taken together with it. For example, you can find out:

  • which two subjects were most frequently taken together
  • which subjects were most frequently taken together with physics

Grading is continuing as normal in summer 2024 following the return to pre-pandemic standards in summer 2023. Further information is available in the Ofqual guide for schools and colleges , the Ofqual student guide 2024 and our news story on summer 2024 grading.

In 2020 and 2021, when GCSE, AS and A level exams did not go ahead because of the pandemic, national results were higher than prior to the pandemic. National results were also higher than pre-pandemic in 2022 when grading was at a midway point between summer 2019 and summer 2021. The return to pre-pandemic grading in summer 2023 meant that national results were similar to pre-pandemic years and were lower than in summer 2022. Further information is available on the Ofqual website.

Schools and colleges in England are included.

Students of all ages from schools and colleges in England who took at least one GCSE exam are included. You can tick the check box 'Filter for students aged 16 only' to only show the data for students aged 16. For each combination of subjects, only students who took all of the selected subjects are included.

For each year, GCSE subjects which were taken by at least 2,500 students are included. Only reformed GCSE subjects are included. GCSE subjects were reformed in stages. If a subject is not present in the selected year, it may not have been examined in its reformed version in that year.

The results shown for the selected subject and grade combinations include all grades awarded on results day. A result 'U' (unclassified) means that a student received a result that is below the standard of achieving a grade 1 or above. In the 'Grade distributions' tab, you can select to show all grades, any particular grade or a range of grades. If a grade is not shown, this is because no student achieved that grade for the selected combination of grades and subjects.

We use rounding wherever it is needed to make sure that our data does not reveal the identity of an individual, or any private information about them.

For data in the 'Grade distributions' tab:

  • The number of students who achieved each grade in a subject has been rounded to the nearest 5. Where fewer than five students achieved a grade this is labelled 'fewer than 5'. If a grade is not shown, this is because no student achieved that grade for the selected combination of grades and subjects.
  • The total number of students in a subject has been calculated from unrounded numbers and then has been rounded to the nearest 5. It can be slightly different to the sum of rounded numbers of students achieving each grade.
  • Percentages have been calculated based on rounded numbers and may not add up to exactly 100%.
  • Combinations of grades and subjects that include fewer than 25 students are not shown.

For data in the 'Subject combinations' tab:

  • The number of students for each subject combination has been rounded to the nearest 5.
  • Percentages have been calculated based on rounded numbers and the rounded total number of students who received results this summer.
  • Subject combinations that have been taken by fewer than 25 students are not shown.

The 'Listen to this graph' button plays sounds based on the data shown in the graph. The higher the pitch of the sound, the more students have received a particular grade, starting with A*. A special sound is played for the grade that has been achieved by the most students. 'Listen to this graph' makes the data more accessible to people who are blind or partially sighted.

Data is supplied to Ofqual by exam boards near to results day. At the point in time we receive the data, not all certificates and entries may have been fully processed. The data does not reflect changes to grades that may occur after results day.

We are publishing this data so that students, schools, policy makers and other stakeholders can easily access and explore information on qualifications and results.

For any feedback on these graphs or tables, please contact [email protected].

Return to the Ofqual Analytics home page.

If you need an accessible version of this information to meet specific accessibility requirements, please email [email protected] with details of your request.