Exam entries for 'Stem' subjects rose this year as students look to impress top universities and prepare for the jobs market

This article is more than 10 years old

This article is more than 10 years old

Pupils are trying to recession-proof themselves by shunning so-called soft subjects in favour of science, economics and maths, A-level results published today show.

The number of entries for maths, economics and further maths rose by 6.2%, 9% and 11.5% respectively against last year. Entries for maths and further maths reached an all-time high of almost 90,000. The last time it approached this level was in 1989 when there were 85,000 entries.

The number for further maths has doubled in five years. Exam boards and teachers said pupils were sharpening their skills for a difficult jobs market, but also picking the subjects that are most sought after by top universities.

Record numbers applied to university this year and about 180,000 students are chasing a diminishing number of places, according to Ucas, the university admissions service.

Studies have shown that top universities favour traditional A-levels over vocational subjects such as law, general studies and accounting. Cambridge University and the London School of Economics publish lists of ''non-preferred'' subjects.

This is reflected in subject choices. General studies which many universities do not accept as a condition of entry fell for the fifth year.

Entries for computing dropped 13.7% on last year and critical thinking fell by 16.4%. Sport and communication studies, fell by 4.9% and 4%.

English remained the most popular subject at A-level, accounting for just over one in 10 entries. Biology, chemistry and physics continued to rise with increases of 4.3%, 3.7% and 5.2%.

Imran Khan, director of the Campaign for Science and Engineering, said that it was "great news for the economy" with two-thirds of employers reporting difficulties in recruiting enough workers with science, technology and maths skills.

"The one cause for concern is that although the number of girls taking science and maths at A-level has increased, the number of boys doing so is increasing even faster – so the gender gap isn't narrowing," he said.

In maths, there was a lower proportion of A grades than 2009, with 44.8% A or A*, compared to 45.2% in 2009. Entries for Spanish rose by 4% but French and German dropped by 3.4% and 3.8%. There were 7,629 entries for Spanish, compared with 7,334 last year. This compares with 13,850 for French and 5,548 for German.

John Bangs, former head of education at the National Union of Teachers, blamed the decline in modern foreign languages on the Labour decision six years ago to make them optional at the age of 14.

Girls still outperform boys but the gap narrowed to 1.8 percentage points for an A or A*. The last time it was this narrow was in 2001 when it was 0.8 percentage points.

Andrew Hall, director general of the AQA exam board, said the resurgence in "Stem" subjects (science, technology and maths) was "one of the really interesting things" about the results. "This probably reflects the fact that there is pressure on university places. The fall in general studies probably reflects the fact that universities are not accepting this subject."

John Dunford, outgoing general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: "In difficult economic times, students are choosing their subjects astutely and turning to traditional subjects."

Ziggy Liaquat, managing director of Edexcel exam board, said students' choices of subjects was being driven by their career hopes and the "currency" and "value" of a subject. "Students are thinking about their futures."

This year, examiners inserted more challenging questions into A-levels. Students were encouraged to question the question. This was thought to be better preparation for university study. Some subjects had fewer modules – four rather than six.

The education secretary, Michael Gove, has called for an overhaul of the system and will be publishing a white paper on the national curriculum this autumn.