<p>Overall A-level pass rates have fallen for the first time in 30 years, if only marginally, from 98.1% to 98%.</p>
<p>At the same time, it was announced that the number of university places available has risen by 30,000 since 2013 to a total of over 500,000.
Bucking the downward trend in pass rates, however, were the number of A* passes, which have risen by 0.6% to 8.2% since 2013. </p>
<p>It is thought that part of the reason for this increase is that being aware of the extra places available has made students try that bit harder.
The Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ), the organisation responsible for representing exam boards, has taken the view that the fall in overall pass rates is possibly due to the fact that more students have taken science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects than previously and have found these subjects more difficult than expected.
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Supporting this view, JCQ has written to pupils, schools and governors suggesting: “It is quite probable that [the drop] is due to students taking these subjects who in the past may have made other choices. If these students have found a particular facilitating subject more challenging than their peers, it may have depressed overall outcomes at grade A and grade B.”</p>
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The secretary for education, Nicky Morgan, said that she was delighted more students had elected to take A-levels in science and maths and that talented individuals in science and maths teacher jobs had the time to encourage pupils to aim for the highest grades. She was also encouraged by the number of girls taking these subjects.</p>