At Oxford, 32% of women achieved a first in history, compared with 37% of men

Oxford University is to change its exam system to help women do better amid figures showing men are much more likely to get a first-class degree.

One of Oxford’s five final-year history exams will be replaced by a paper that can be done at home to try to improve results for female students.

The move, which begins in the next academic year, comes as statistics showed 32% of women achieved a first in history at Oxford, compared with 37% of men. Cambridge University — where the average gender gap is nearly nine percentage points across all subjects — is reviewing its exam system “in order to understand fully any variations and how we can mitigate them effectively”.

The attainment gaps between men and women at