What’s up with A-level and GCSE grades in 2025?

Well, it is all down to cost efficiency. With a large surge of young people failing their core subjects, and a low percentage of passes following retakes – as seen in 2025, with only 17.1% of Maths resit entries from 17+ year-olds achieving a grade 4 or higher – it doesn’t seem worth the strain to the UK government.

This would give young people less opportunities to get a recognised qualification, especially those who are working class that may not be able to afford retake fees.

It’s a double hit for Gen Z: the lingering impact of Covid on learning, plus stricter exam boards keen to return to ‘normal.’

How it’s affecting young people’s futures

Some critics argue that a review on examination styles is much needed. With grades dropping fast and young people struggling to pass crucial exams, perhaps this is an indication that the UK’s education system is outdated and overdue a revamp.

Lower results don’t just sting emotionally, either. They shape future opportunities.

Employers and higher education establishments often look at GCSE Maths and English results as baseline markers. If grades dip, that could impact university, apprenticeship, and eventually job applications too.

There’s also an equality angle. Covid learning loss wasn’t felt evenly – working class students, disabled young people, and those without easily available access to online resources took the hardest hit.

@gianlucachigbo University or Degree apprenticeships🤔 @sturdythoughts #fyp #student #university #degree #apprenticeship #alevels ♬ Not Like Us – Kendrick Lamar

Why grades aren’t the full story

While results matter, they obviously do not define you. Gen Z is already challenging the idea that a neat string of A*s is the only path to success.

With the rise in popularity of apprenticeships and degree apprenticeships, which offer the chance to earn while you learn, colleges and training providers are creating more flexible options in digital skills, sustainability, and creative industries – fields Gen Z are already passionate about.

The trend of internships and degree apprenticeships have truly seeped social media, with many influencers and young people posting day in the life content, pros and cons of a degree apprenticeship, and satirical skits.

And employers? Big names like Google, PwC, and EY are placing more weight on skills, experience, and potential rather than just grades. Your ability to code, create, or communicate are often valued just as much as your exam performance in the modern day.

So yes, this year’s results picture may feel bleak – and for many, unfair. But it also signals a moment to rethink what we value in education. Gen Z has the chance to redefine success not by A4 slips of paper but by resilience, creativity, and adaptability.

If you didn’t get the grades you wanted this year, it doesn’t mean your story is written. It means your path might look different. Grades matter, but they’re not everything.