On August 14, 2025, thousands of students across Wales awoke to the long-awaited news of their A-level and vocational qualification results, marking a pivotal moment in their academic journeys and shaping the next steps of their lives. After years of pandemic-induced disruption, this year’s results reflected a return to pre-pandemic standards, with a blend of celebration, relief, and, for some, anxiety about what comes next.
According to BBC and WalesOnline, Swansea schools in particular had reason to celebrate, posting results that outpaced the national Welsh average. The city’s overall pass rate at grades A to E stood at 98%, compared to the Welsh average of 97.5%. Even more impressive, 32.8% of Swansea’s results were at the coveted A-A level, well above the 29.5% average for Wales. In total, 81.8% of grades in Swansea were C or better, a testament to the hard work of students, teachers, and families.
Gower College Swansea was a standout, achieving a 100% pass rate across 1,250 individual exam entries. The college saw 12% of students achieve the highest A grade, an increase from 9% in 2024. In addition, 34% of its results were A-A, 65% were A-B, and 85% were A-C. Vocational results were equally strong, with a 98% pass rate and 37% of students earning at least one distinction, while 9% attained the top distinction grade.
Individual stories of triumph abounded. Carl Offia, an 18-year-old from Bishop Vaughan Catholic School, secured an A and two As and is headed to Cardiff to study medicine. "I feel like I've always wanted to help people around me," Carl told WalesOnline. "I think with medicine I can go in every day and I'm going to be able to help someone else in their lives." His classmate, Nia Bibi, achieved three As and will study pharmacy at Bath University. Meanwhile, Joel George Destin celebrated three As in maths, further mathematics, and physics, earning a place on a four-year master's course in mechanical engineering at Bristol University. "I felt a bit complacent, and chilled over the years, but after last year I just felt like I could put in much higher than this, which is why I really wanted the three As," he said.
The broader Welsh picture, as reported by BBC, showed that the proportion of top A-level grades remained stable after several years of fluctuation due to Covid-19. The number of A grades rose slightly to 10.5%, with 29.5% of results at A or A, compared to 29.9% in 2024. This stability comes after the gradual removal of extra support measures that were put in place during the pandemic. In 2024, 29.9% of pupils achieved A and A grades, down from 34% in 2023, a drop that ministers had predicted as the system returned to its usual rigor.
For many, the journey to results day was a shared one. Identical twins Adrian and Łukasz Koman from Newport, who took maths, further maths, computer science, and physics together, both secured the grades needed for their first-choice universities. Adrian will attend Bristol University, while Łukasz will study at Bath University. Łukasz earned one A and two As, while Adrian achieved two As and one A. The two brothers, who have shared a room their whole lives, are now preparing to go their separate ways for the first time. "I am just so excited and happy to go to the uni I want," Łukasz told BBC. Adrian added, "We were studying the same things so at least we had each other to help out on what we didn't know and what we didn't understand sometimes."
Other students also overcame significant challenges. Meghan Cotty, 18, from Caerphilly, balanced her studies with being a carer for her brother and working part-time. She achieved two As and a B and will study law with business at the University of Birmingham. "It's taken a lot of work and patience but I'm so glad it paid off," she said. Viktoriia Tkackenko, who fled Ukraine after the Russian invasion, completed three years of study at Cardiff and Vale College and will now study history and politics at Swansea University. "I am so happy with my achievement," she shared.
Vocational qualifications also played a significant role in this year’s results. Ngaire Gape, 19, from Cardiff, completed her art and design BTec and secured a place at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. "I've really thrived with being able to do a BTec and it's let me explore things that I don't think I would have if I'd stayed on in school," she said. Her degree will involve work on set costumes, props, and puppetry.
For those not heading to university, apprenticeships and other pathways were highlighted as valuable alternatives. On a visit to engineering and manufacturing company Boccard on Deeside, Wales’ Skills Minister Jack Sargeant spoke with apprentices about their experiences. Beau Tattersall, 19, started his apprenticeship "with no experience at all" and is learning welding and fabrication. Laurence Coleman, 20, said, "This wasn't actually my first option... but I came through and ended up signing up in college. You've got to have an open mind to it all." Careers Wales adviser Catrin Owen emphasized, "We are seeing more higher level apprenticeships now - degree-level apprenticeships, which are great options for some young people. It's really important that you sit down with a professional who can go through everything with you to make sure you're making the best decision that suits you."
This year, grade boundaries returned to pre-pandemic levels after Qualifications Wales removed the "safety net" that had been in place in case performance dipped below historic norms. The total number of A-level examination entries in Wales was 31,791, a decrease of 1.4% from 2024. Maths remained the most popular subject, with biology and physics seeing increased entries, while business, computing, and psychology saw reductions. Females continued to outperform males at most grade points, with 97.9% of female entries achieving A to E compared to 96.9% for males, though males edged ahead at the A level by 1.2 percentage points.
University admissions also saw notable trends. Dr Jo Saxton, head of the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS), predicted that a record number of 18-year-olds would secure their first-choice university places, even if they narrowly missed their grades, due to universities’ eagerness to enroll UK undergraduates amidst uncertainty around international student numbers. The clearing process remained available for those who didn’t get their expected results or changed their minds. By the end of June, 32.5% of Welsh 18-year-olds had applied to university, compared to 41.2% across the UK, but there was a 5.3% increase in university places for students from the most deprived areas in Wales.
The political response to the results was mixed. Natash Asghar, Conservative Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Education, criticized the Welsh Labour government, calling the fall in top results "a bitter disappointment." Plaid Cymru's Cefin Campbell, on the other hand, congratulated students and teachers, stating, "The success seen across Wales is a testament to the hard work of students and their teachers." Wales’ Education Secretary Lynne Neagle promised to "continue to work on raising educational standards and ensure every young person has the support they need to achieve their goals."
As the dust settles on results day, the stories of perseverance, ambition, and adaptation stand out. Whether heading to university, embarking on apprenticeships, or entering the workforce, Wales’ young people have shown remarkable resilience and determination—and the future, while uncertain, is full of possibility.
