Key facts
- Top National 5 subject
- Spanish (almost 60 percent A grades)
- Lowest National 5 subject
- Practical Cake Craft (22.5 percent A grades)
- Top Higher subject
- Spanish (48.8 percent A grades)
- Lowest Higher subject
- Health and Food Technology (14.1 percent A grades)
- Top Advanced Higher subject
- Mathematics (41.3 percent A grades)
- Lowest Advanced Higher subject
- Biology (19.7 percent A grades)
Background
The release of 2026 exam results has confirmed that pass rates have improved across the board while attainment gaps have shrunk, although figures are still worse than they were during the pre-pandemic period.
Data published by the exam board shows which subjects have the highest, and lowest, proportions of students achieving A grades, and the variations at each level are extremely significant. In order to make the analysis as far as possible, subjects with fewer than 1,000 students over the most recent academic year were excluded.
Current situation
At National 5 level, Spanish tops the list with almost 60 percent of students awarded the highest grade. German (56.4 percent) and French (53.3 percent) follow, with other top ten subjects including Engineering Science (52 percent), Physical Education (50.1 percent), Drama (47.7 percent), Music (48.5 percent), Religious, Moral and Philosophical Studies (47.5 percent), Practical Woodworking (45.9 percent), and Chemistry (44.0 percent).
The subject with the lowest proportion of A grade awards was Practical Cake Craft (22.5 percent), followed by Music Technology (28.7 percent) and English for Speakers of Other Languages (29.3 percent).
At Higher level, Spanish again had the largest proportion of students achieving an A-grade in 2026, with 48.8 percent. RMPS, French, Music and Computing also recorded A grade attainment rates above 40 percent. In contrast, just 14.1 percent of students were awarded an A-grade in Health and Food Technology, while seven other subjects (Photography; Design and Manufacture; Applications of Maths; Media; Art and Design; Politics; Psychology) recorded A-grade attainment rates lower than 20 percent. In English – the most popular Higher – slightly more than a quarter of students attained the highest grade.
| Level | Subject | A-grade rate |
|---|---|---|
| National 5 | Spanish | almost 60 percent |
| National 5 | German | 56.4 percent |
| National 5 | French | 53.3 percent |
| National 5 | Engineering Science | 52 percent |
| National 5 | Physical Education | 50.1 percent |
| National 5 | Drama | 47.7 percent |
| National 5 | Music | 48.5 percent |
| National 5 | Religious, Moral and Philosophical Studies | 47.5 percent |
| National 5 | Practical Woodworking | 45.9 percent |
| National 5 | Chemistry | 44.0 percent |
| National 5 | Practical Cake Craft | 22.5 percent |
| National 5 | Music Technology | 28.7 percent |
Impacts
The variations in A-grade attainment across subjects are significant for students competing for university and college places. While pass rates matter, the actual grades achieved are equally important in a competitive environment.
Students in subjects with lower A-grade rates, such as Practical Cake Craft at National 5 or Health and Food Technology at Higher, may face greater challenges in securing top grades compared to peers in languages or other high-performing subjects.
The data also highlights disparities across levels, with Advanced Higher entry levels lower than National 5 and Higher, and only ten subjects recording at least 1,000 students for the 2025/26 academic year.
Future outlook
Scenario analysis: The possibilities below are not certain predictions.
If current trends continue, languages may remain the strongest subjects for A-grade attainment, while practical and technical subjects could continue to show lower rates. However, changes in curriculum or assessment could alter these patterns.
The improvement in pass rates and shrinking attainment gaps may continue, but figures are still worse than pre-pandemic levels, suggesting that full recovery could take several more years.
Students and educators may use this data to inform subject choices and teaching strategies, potentially narrowing the gaps in A-grade attainment across subjects in the coming years.
Source: heraldscotland.com
खबर को बेहतर समझें
आंकड़े, तुलना और घटनाक्रम—एक ही जगह, बिना अनुमान के
National 5 A-grade rates: top and bottom subjects
Music Technology28.7 percent
सटीक आंकड़े देखें
| श्रेणी | A-grade rate |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 60 percent |
| German | 56.4 percent |
| French | 53.3 percent |
| Engineering Science | 52 percent |
| Physical Education | 50.1 percent |
| Drama | 47.7 percent |
| Music | 48.5 percent |
| RMPS | 47.5 percent |
| Practical Woodworking | 45.9 percent |
| Chemistry | 44 percent |
| Practical Cake Craft | 22.5 percent |
| Music Technology | 28.7 percent |
स्रोत:Data from exam board, subjects with fewer than 1,000 students excluded. स्रोत-समर्थित
