[lmm]

Physics at A-level in the UK suffers greatly from the efforts to keep each A-level independent, despite the huge overlap between physics and mathematics (particularly the "further mathematics" A-level). The resulting course is simultaneously very easy for students who are doing double mathematics, and very difficult for students who aren't. I wonder how much of the gender difference in the article is simply due to more girls taking physics without mathematics (the article mentions those intending to apply for medicine, who IME usually wouldn't take the mathematics A-level).