The gender attainment gap for part IA students closed: the average female score was 64.52 compared to 65.06 for males, while the average mark across the board was 64.94.Holly Hardman for Varsity

The gender attainment gap for part IB English exams reopened in last year’s exam cycle, according to the English Faculty examiners’ report. This was most notable “at the upper end,” with 21% of female-identifying students achieving a First as opposed to 32% of males.

While females’ average score was 64.26, lower than the overall average of 64.78, the average for male students was 66.14. Females were also “significantly likelier to get a 2.2 (14%) than were males (5%)”.

In contrast, the gender attainment gap for part IA students, now in their second year, closed. The average female score was 64.52 compared to 65.06 for males, while the average mark across the board was 64.94.

Unlike in part IB, more female-identifying students than males achieved a first, at 22% in comparison to 15%. Female candidates “specifically out-performed males” in their Shakespeare portfolios, with 27.08% to 13.16% gaining a First.

Eloise Davis, English Faculty student representative, said that “it seems promising that part IA showed a narrower gap” but expressed concern that the gender awarding gap “trend is not disappearing”.

She explained: “We recently had a lecture in which we were assured that being told to ‘write like a man’ was no longer an issue in Cambridge English. But the part IB statistics speak a much more alarming story. With one fifth of female-identifying students gaining a first compared to a third of males, we really have to start asking what social forces are at play.”

“Why is the attainment gap so persistent? Is it a confidence issue - and if it is, how do we show female-identifying students that their thoughts are just as valuable, their writings just as compelling, as those of their peers?” she continued.

Professor Bhaskar Vira, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education and Environmental Sustainability, said: “The University is investigating possible causes for the awarding gap in First Class degrees, including variation across subject and time. This is also being examined as part of our current teaching review.”

“Our findings so far suggest that there is no single cause, and while there are examples of progress in some parts of the University, more remains to be done. We will make sure this research is visible and share the lessons we learn. This will contribute to action plans being set up to address the issue,” he continued.

Third-year English student Esther Knowles, who served as the student representative last year, suggested that “the relation between the gender-awarding gap in last year’s part IB exams and the introduction of Inspera” should also be considered.

She explained: “One of the predicted benefits of using Inspera that was discussed in open Faculty meetings last academic year was that typed scripts remove unconscious handwriting bias on the part of examiners, and so it was seen as something that could potentially help to lessen the gender-awarding gap.”

“The fact that the gap did not improve means that Inspera was not working as it was hoped and predicted to, which I think would be worth discussing if the Faculty uses Inspera again in the future,” she continued.

The varying performances across individual papers at part IA was also present in part IB, with male-identifying students achieving “significantly higher marks than females on Papers 6 and, especially, 7A this year”.

For paper six, 34% of males gained a First in comparison to 12% of females, while paper 7a saw a difference of 30%. 45% of males attained a First whereas only 15% of females received the same grade.

Females did, however, outperform males in paper 7b, with the percentage of female and male Firsts being 18% and 14% respectively. The maximum mark attained by a female student for part IB was 80, in contrast to 82 for male students, both of which were achieved in paper 5.

The report noted that in 2023, “the gender gap was quite stark at Part IA and less so at Part IB,” also noting that 2023’s part IA cohort is 2024’s part IB cohort.

This smaller gender attainment gap in 2023’s part IB cohort carried forward into their part II results, with 47.37% of males achieving a First against 41.43% of females. Females were 9.55% more likely than males to achieve a II.i while, unlike in part IB, males were more likely to be awarded a II.ii.

Discussing the attainment gap, Students’ Union women’s officer Nowsha Farah said: “It is deeply concerning that there is such a disparity in the grades being awarded to female-identifying and male-identifying Students in the English Faculty notably for part IB English exams. These figures highlight the importance of addressing this issue impacting Students.”


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“I am currently in conversation with the University Gender Champion and some Members of Staff across the University who are actively working on identifying and bridging the Gender Awarding Gap. This is also one of the agenda items for the upcoming Gender Equality Steering Group (GESG) where Members will discuss all ongoing work across the Collegiate University on the Gender Awarding Gap,” she continued.

This comes after it was revealed that the University would not include the gender awarding in their new Access and Participation Plan, despite the Students’ Union being told that it would be. The Office for Students rejected the proposal to include the gap in the next plan in December 2023.

The University of Cambridge was contacted for comment.

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