Record numbers of students choose Computer Science A Level in 2022 | BCS – BCS
BCS MEMBERSHIP
Join the global and diverse home for digital, technical and IT professionals.
CHARTERED IT PROFESSIONAL
CITP is the independent standard of competence and professionalism in the technology industry.
APPRENTICESHIPS
Work in an exciting technology role and train at the same time, with a digital apprenticeship.
CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Continuing professional development (CPD)
IT SKILLS FRAMEWORK (SFIAPLUS)
Understand your skills and your next steps.
SOFTWARE TESTING CERTIFICATION
Over 100,000 professionals worldwide are certified with BCS.
ESSENTIAL DIGITAL SKILLS
Improve your digital skills so you can get on in today's workplace.
EVENTS CALENDAR
View all of our upcoming events.
ARTICLES, OPINION AND RESEARCH
The latest insights, ideas and perspectives.
IN FOCUS
BCS MEMBERSHIP
CHARTERED IT PROFESSIONAL
APPRENTICESHIPS
CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
IT SKILLS FRAMEWORK (SFIAPLUS)
SOFTWARE TESTING CERTIFICATION
ESSENTIAL DIGITAL SKILLS
EVENTS CALENDAR
ARTICLES, OPINION AND RESEARCH
IN FOCUS
22 June 2022
Computer Science is now the fastest growing subject at A Level with more students than ever choosing to sit Computer Science A Level exams this year, latest data reveals.
More students than ever are sitting Computer Science at A Level exams this year, with data revealing it is now the fastest growing subject.
Analysis by BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT found that entries in England to take Computer Science A level were up by nearly 18% on last year.
Though there are many routes to a tech career, BCS said the subject’s growing popularity was important to the pipeline of talent working in areas like digital health and climate change.
BCS’ study of Ofqual’s provisional data shows that 15,210 students are sitting Computer Science A Level in England this year, up from 12,930 in 2021. This rise of 17.6% is the largest increase of any A Level subject.
It is the highest number of entrants in England ever and a 57% increase over the last five years, BCS, the professional body for information technology, added.
Demand for computer science is rising across higher education too, with BCS’ analysis earlier this year showing applications to study computer science degrees also rising by 13% – the biggest increase of any UK university subject.
Dr Bill Mitchell OBE, Director of Policy at BCS, said: “An A-level in Computer Science helps to develop the thinking skills needed to solve the big challenges facing society, whether that’s in healthcare, climate change, or the digital divide.
For you
Be part of something bigger, join the Chartered Institute for IT.
“Thanks to initiatives like the National Centre for Computing Education, we’ve got the highest number ever of students ever taking A-level Computer Science, which is excellent for these students and excellent for the rest of us who’ll benefit when they take those advanced skills into their further education and their jobs.”
BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT, is one of the three consortium partners which run the NCCE, alongside the Raspberry Pi Foundation and STEM Learning. The NCCE is funded by the Department for Education and delivers training and resources with the aim of enabling every child in every school in England to have a world-leading computing education.
Entries to GCSE Computing have also steadily increased over the last five years, showing a 9% increase over the last five years, with 79,135 students entering GCSE computing in 2022, up from 72,360 in 2018.
16 days ago
17 days ago
One month ago