Compare your school’s cumulative percentage at each grade with Cambridge’s worldwide statistics for the same subject and series. In June 2026, 72.9% of Cambridge IGCSE Mathematics candidates worldwide achieved C or above and 18.9% achieved A*. Calculate your own cumulative percentages the same way, then read the gap at A*, A and C for each subject.
Where are Cambridge’s results statistics for 2026?
On Cambridge’s results statistics pages, as a PDF per qualification and series. The IGCSE page and the AS & A Level page carry the June 2026 files. Separate PDFs cover IGCSE (A*–G), IGCSE (9–1), AS Level and A Level, with archives back to 2021 and for the March and November series.
The IGCSE file is headed “Cumulative world totals grades A* - G”. Each subject row shows the percentage of candidates worldwide achieving each grade or above, plus the percentage ungraded. Subjects are listed by name, not syllabus code, and no candidate numbers are given.
What do the June 2026 worldwide statistics show?
Grade distributions vary a lot by subject, which is why a single “whole-school” benchmark misleads.
| Cambridge IGCSE, June 2026 (worldwide) | A* | A or above | C or above |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 18.9% | 34.7% | 72.9% |
| First Language English | 14.6% | 36.8% | 84.4% |
| Biology | 14.7% | 37.3% | 77.1% |
| Chemistry | 16.9% | 44.1% | 82.9% |
| Physics | 20.9% | 44.5% | 81.5% |
| Business Studies | 10.4% | 27.9% | 70.6% |
| Cambridge International A Level, June 2026 (worldwide) | A* | A or above | C or above | E or above |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 16.9% | 37.1% | 74.3% | 93.1% |
| Biology | 13.7% | 34.6% | 71.5% | 91.2% |
| Chemistry | 16.5% | 38.0% | 72.9% | 92.6% |
| Physics | 13.6% | 33.1% | 71.1% | 92.7% |
Sources: Cambridge IGCSE results statistics June 2026 and A Level results statistics June 2026.
So a school with 80% at C or above is well above the worldwide figure in Mathematics but slightly below it in First Language English. The subject is what makes the comparison meaningful.
How should a school calculate its own figures?
Use cumulative percentages, the same measure Cambridge uses. For each subject and series:
- Count the candidates entered, including those ungraded.
- For each grade, count the candidates achieving that grade or higher.
- Divide by total candidates to get the cumulative percentage at A*, A, C and so on.
- Subtract the worldwide figure to get the gap at each grade.
Compare the same qualification and scale. IGCSE A*–G results compare with the A*–G file, and IGCSE (9–1) results with the separate 9–1 file. Use the same series: June with June, November with November.
What are the limits of the comparison?
Cambridge warns that the figures “may differ from previous June series” because “there have been changes to the schools and countries that candidates have come from”. It adds that “the awarding standard was adjusted from June 2020 to June 2022 in response to the Covid pandemic” and “returned to the pre-Covid standard in June 2023”. Grades “may change following results enquiries”. Three more limits matter for schools:
- Intake is not controlled. A worldwide figure mixes selective and non-selective schools, so a gap may reflect intake rather than teaching.
- Small cohorts are noisy. In a subject with a dozen candidates, one student moves the percentage by more than 8 points. Look at three-year trends.
- Pre-2023 years are not comparable. Compare only June 2023 onwards with June 2026.
For a value-added view that accounts for starting points, compare Checkpoint bands with later IGCSE grades. See using Cambridge Checkpoint results to predict IGCSE outcomes.
What other results data can schools use?
Cambridge’s Results Analysis, in Direct, helps schools see “how they have performed in each area of the syllabus” and “how close to a grade boundary individual candidates are”. It covers selected IGCSEs, including 0580, 0610, 0620, 0625 and 0500, and only exams officers can access it (Cambridge). For question-level detail, see question-level analysis for mocks.
Pearson publishes equivalent grade statistics: “the cumulative percentage of learners at each grade boundary”. Unlike Cambridge, it lists them by specification code, for example 4MA1 for International GCSE Mathematics A and YMA01 for IAL Mathematics. June figures are published first as provisional, and it provides International GCSE figures for international-only candidates.
How should leaders use the benchmark?
As a prompt for questions, not a verdict. A department well below the worldwide figure at C should look at tier entries and the students just below the boundary. One below the figure at A* but above it at C may need more stretch for high attainers. Report the gap subject by subject, with three years of trend, alongside the school’s own targets.
How schools do this with AI Buddy
AI Buddy’s analytics dashboards show each cohort’s performance by subject and topic through the year, so departments can see a likely gap before results arrive. After results, heads of department can compare their cumulative percentages with Cambridge’s worldwide figures, then use AI Buddy’s topic data to find where the next cohort needs work.
Frequently asked questions
Where are the Cambridge A Level results statistics?
On Cambridge’s AS & A Level results statistics page, as PDFs for each series, including June 2026 AS Level and A Level files.
What is the worldwide IGCSE grade distribution?
It varies by subject. In June 2026, C or above ranged from 70.6% in Business Studies to 84.4% in First Language English among the main subjects shown above.
How do you benchmark exam results for an international school?
Calculate cumulative percentages at each grade for each subject, compare them with the worldwide figures for the same series and scale, and track the gap over at least three years.
Does Pearson publish International GCSE grade statistics?
Yes. Pearson publishes cumulative percentages at each grade by specification code, provisional at first and then final.
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Sources
- Cambridge International, Cambridge IGCSE results statistics and June 2026 PDF
- Cambridge International, AS & A Level results statistics and June 2026 A Level PDF
- Cambridge International, Results Analysis
- Pearson, Grade statistics