Thousands of students are set to receive their A-level, AS, BTec, and other vocational qualification results on Thursday, 13 August 2026. Many students are awaiting these grades to progress to university.
A-level grades will be available to students from 08:00 BST, though specific arrangements may differ between schools and colleges. Among those awaiting results is Bobi Jones, 18, from Newcastle Emlyn, who combined his A-levels in business and sport with responding to emergency calls as a firefighter. He plans to undertake an apprenticeship with a local electrician while continuing his on-call shifts for Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service.
Provisional data for summer 2026 indicates notable changes in subject entries compared to 2025. Computer science entries saw a 14.9% decrease, Spanish entries were down by 12.9%, and drama and theatre entries decreased by 8.2%. Conversely, English language and literature entries increased by 23.3%, Welsh language by 42.7%, and German by 59.4% from a small base.
Data from Medr, which oversees post-16 education in Wales, suggests a decline in 16-year-olds progressing to A-levels in recent years. Provisional data for 2025/26 indicates that less than half (49%) of Year 11 students continuing in education now progress to AS courses, compared to 60% in 2014/15. Bethan Evans, executive director for regulation and analysis at Medr, noted a drop in A-level progression, particularly since Covid, but highlighted that more vocational options are now available to young people.