Exam results analysis checklist for subject leaders
A one-page sequence for reviewing your department’s GCSE or A-Level results — from establishing the cohort to agreeing a small number of priorities. Work down it in order, and take it into your department or SLT meeting.
1. CohortEstablish the basic facts before any interpretation.
- Number of students entered recorded
- Exam board and specification noted
- Number achieving each grade (9-U or A*-U) recorded
- Cohort size flagged if small (one student = a large % swing)
2. Grade distributionLook at the whole shape, not one headline.
- Individual grades reviewed, not just one threshold
- Key cumulative measures noted (e.g. GCSE 7+, 5+, 4+; A-Level A*, A*-A, A*-B)
- Any unusual clustering or gap near a boundary identified
3. National benchmarkCompare like with like.
- Same qualification, subject, board and year compared
- Differences expressed in percentage points, not %
- Population checked (all-age national data can include post-16 resits)
4. Previous yearsPut this year in context.
- Same measures compared across years
- Cohort size and prior-attainment changes noted
- National movement used as context for your own change
- Exceptional years (2020, 2021, transitional 2022) treated with care
5. Significant differencesSeparate signal from noise.
- Differences translated back into numbers of students
- Small-cohort volatility acknowledged
- Findings stated as evidence, not yet explanation
6. Further evidenceTest the hypotheses.
- Scripts / question-level analysis reviewed where useful
- Mock and in-year assessment evidence considered
- Prior attainment and cohort circumstances checked
7. StrengthsProtect what works.
- Areas of strong performance identified
- Practice worth maintaining or extending noted
8. PrioritiesKeep it proportionate.
- Two or three evidence-based priorities agreed
- Each action specific enough to implement and evaluate
- What to maintain / investigate / change made explicit
Before sharing your analysis, ask: what do the data definitely show? What are we inferring? What additional evidence would test that inference? What action is genuinely justified?
About this guide. Produced independently by tutor2u using tutor2u’s own guidance for teachers and subject leaders on results analysis, alongside published exam-board and JCQ information, to explain the system clearly and put it in context. Reviewed by
Jim Riley, tutor2u.
How we check this guidance. Last reviewed 30 August 2026.
Last checked August 2026. This is a plain-English summary of official guidance; always check the linked Ofqual, JCQ and exam-board pages for the definitive rules, which can change.