According to a report by the UK's Guardian on 11th August 2025, British students' "Gaokao" results are expected to approach normal levels for the first time since the global COVID-19 pandemic led to the cancellation of A-Level exams.

During the global COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, A-Level exams were canceled, and schools determined grades through "teacher-assessed grades", causing a significant rise in the proportion of A* and A grades. After the resumption of A-Level exams in 2022, the issue of grade inflation remained severe. In 2024, the highest A-Level grades were 1-2 percentage points higher than before the pandemic, with 14,200 more students achieving A* or A grades. In England specifically, 9.3% of A-Level candidates obtained A* grades. This year, however, the proportion of top grades has returned to levels comparable to 2019, the year before the global pandemic.

Mathematics remained the most popular subject in the 2025 A-Level exams, with 105,000 candidates registering—a 4% year-on-year increase. This year, 43,000 students took Physics, 41,900 took Economics, and 40,900 took History. The number of students taking English Literature dropped by 5% to 35,000, while the number of candidates for French and German continued to decline.

Overall, Chinese students' A-Level results are among the highest globally. During the pandemic period when high grades were inflated, Chinese students' score advantages were not fully evident. However, as A-Level results normalize, Chinese students' strengths will resurface, benefiting their applications to top-ranked UK universities.