National 2026 results data on how common a grade 7 actually is in each subject, why Maths and English aren't the easy wins people assume, and what that means for where to focus support.
Figures below are from the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ), the body representing all the UK's exam boards, and reflect its own 2026 national results, covering all UK entries across the most widely taken GCSE subjects, ordered by the percentage of entries awarded a grade 7 or above.
| Subject | Entries | Grade 7+ |
|---|---|---|
| Combined Science (Double Award) | 1,007,628 | 9.4% |
| English Language | 882,030 | 15.3% |
| Mathematics | 912,410 | 17.0% |
| Business Studies | 148,747 | 19.6% |
| English Literature | 645,249 | 20.1% |
| Art and Design | 211,369 | 23.7% |
| Geography | 299,306 | 25.5% |
| History | 307,051 | 26.5% |
| Spanish | 137,236 | 29.3% |
| French | 125,678 | 30.7% |
| Religious Studies | 238,249 | 32.7% |
| Biology | 180,769 | 43.6% |
| Physics | 170,583 | 46.1% |
| Chemistry | 171,024 | 47.1% |
For context, the national average across all GCSE subjects sits at 22.0%. Combined Science, English Language and Mathematics, the three single biggest GCSEs by entry numbers in the country, all sit below that average. Chemistry, Physics and Biology sit well above it.
It's tempting to read this table as "Chemistry is easier than Maths." The JCQ figures above can't actually confirm that, because they only show how many students cleared each grade, not who those students were or how they compared going in. Maths, English Language and Combined Science are sat by almost every GCSE student in the country, including plenty of students for whom a grade 7 was never a realistic target, so a lower 7+ rate in those subjects doesn't necessarily mean the exam itself is harder.
Separate research supports a cohort explanation, though it doesn't speak to 2026 specifically. FFT Education Datalab's analysis of Key Stage 4 science options found that "selective schools, schools with sixth forms, those with high levels of average prior attainment and those with low levels of disadvantage entered a higher proportion of their pupils for triple science" (the three separate sciences), rather than Combined Science. That supports the idea that Chemistry, Physics and Biology are typically sat by a more academically selective group than Maths or English, which would partly explain their higher grade-7 rates, but it's a pattern seen in earlier cohorts, not a figure we can attach directly to this year's results.
None of this means Maths or English are "the hard subjects" in some absolute sense, and it's not proof that the sciences are easier. What the national data does show directly is that, in 2026, a smaller share of Maths and English Language entries cleared a 7 than Chemistry or Physics entries did.
It's worth being precise about what this table can and can't tell you. The national grade 7+ rate describes the overall shape of a subject's results, including every student who sat it, not just those close to the boundary. It can't tell you how hard it is for a specific child already sitting on a 6 to reach a 7 in that subject. That depends on where your child actually is, not the national average.
What the table is genuinely useful for is pushing back on a default assumption: it's easy to treat the sciences as "the hard subjects" simply because they're graded roughly, and Maths or English as the safer subject to deprioritise if time is tight. The national data doesn't support that instinct. If anything, a smaller share of Maths and English entries clear a 7 than science entries do. The practical step isn't to read a "harder gap" off this table, it's to ask for an honest, subject-specific assessment of where your own child stands, rather than assuming one subject is inherently safer than another.
It's also worth remembering that a school's own grade distribution can look very different from the national one, particularly at a selective school. The right comparison for your child isn't just this national table, it's where they sit within their own year group.
Which GCSE subject is hardest to get a grade 7 in?
Among the most widely taken GCSE subjects, Combined Science (Double Award) has the lowest grade 7+ rate nationally at 9.4%, followed by English Language at 15.3% and Mathematics at 17.0%, based on 2026 JCQ results.
Is Chemistry easier than Maths at GCSE?
Not necessarily, and the 2026 results data alone can't confirm that. Chemistry's grade 7+ rate is far higher than Maths' (47.1% versus 17.0%), but separate research (FFT Education Datalab) suggests this partly reflects cohort differences — separate sciences tend to be taken by a more academically selective group than Maths, which is sat by almost every student. That research looks at earlier cohorts, not 2026 specifically.
What is the national average GCSE grade 7 rate in 2026?
22.0% of all GCSE entries across the UK were awarded a grade 7 or above in 2026, according to JCQ's national results data.
Which GCSE subject has the highest grade 7 rate?
Among the most widely taken GCSE subjects in 2026, Chemistry had the highest grade 7+ rate at 47.1%, followed closely by Physics at 46.1% and Biology at 43.6%.
If a subject is sitting on the edge of a grade boundary, that's often exactly the kind of gap the right support can close. Get in touch if you'd like to talk through your child's subjects.
Source: Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ), "GCSE results by key grades, subjects, age, sex and country, 2026" (Table 1), UK-wide entries, all ages, male and female combined. Cohort explanation referenced from FFT Education Datalab, "The long-term outcomes associated with Key Stage 4 science options" (2023), covering earlier cohorts.
Related guides: What do GCSE grades actually mean? · GCSE Results 2026: Independent Schools In and Around North London