The number of A-level Mathematics entries across the UK is up 3.3% on last year, with 95,244 students sitting the exam.
Figures released today by the Joint Council for Qualifications also show that
- A-level Further Mathematics has continued to rise in popularity, with entries increasing by 6.0% (to 16,172)
- AS Mathematics entries decreased by 1.4% (to 160,450)
- AS Further Mathematics entries increasing by 4.6% (to 27,980)
The London Mathematical Society (LMS) and the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications (IMA) extend their congratulations to all students receiving their AS and A-level results today.
The Mathematical Sciences offer a wide choice of rewarding careers and are a pre-requisite for jobs in all sectors of the economy, whether or not students go on to use their mathematics qualification in higher education. The numeracy, modelling, logical and problem-solving skills that students gain from their Mathematical Science studies are sought by employers, and the contribution these young people will make to our economic success in the future is crucial.
Dr Michael Grove, Honorary Secretary, Education, IMA, and Dr Vicky Neale, Member, аĿª½±Education Committee added, ‘It is once again pleasing to note the increase in students studying both Mathematics and Further mathematics at A-level and this is testament to the hard work of the Mathematical Sciences community in raising awareness of our subject and the opportunities it affords. However, we cannot be complacent: from September 2017 new AS and A-levels in Mathematics and Further Mathematics are being introduced in England and we need to monitor the effect of these changes upon student participation and success. Further, with the UK continuing to lag well behind the rest of the developed world in the number of students studying Mathematics post-16 we need to explore a range of different pathways so that we might one day achieve the aspiration of most or all students continuing their study of Mathematics until the age of 18’.
A complete set of national results is available