Listed: Figures reveal gender balance of students sitting year 12 SACE exams in 2024

In some year 12 exams there are three times as many male students as female - or vice versa. See the list.

At least three times as many boys as girls sat physics and accounting exams this year while girls outnumbered boys three-to-one in psychology assessments.

The ratio of male to female students was most even in the year 12 music studies and general mathematics tests.

St Ignatius Senior SACE students Juliet Mazur 17yrs studies Maths and Archer Brewer 16yrs studies History. Picture Emma Brasier

Data released by the SACE Board of SA, following queries from The Advertiser, shows girls were more likely to be enrolled in subjects with an exam than boys overall.

However, male students were more numerous in examinations for mathematical methods, essential and specialist mathematics, physics, accounting and economics and geography.

In the final two exams to be held on Friday there will be almost equal numbers of girls and boys in music studies (41 to 40) and more boys (136) than girls (107) in geography.

The data has prompted renewed pleges from the state government to encourage more female students to pursue science and maths studies, and to interest male students in “language-rich” topics.

Saint Ignatius’ College student Archer Brewer was among the 472 boys who sat the modern history exam this year, alongside 633 girls.

“When doing subject selections, I never really gave any thought to what the gender bias was in subjects, I just picked what I would excel in,” said the 16-year-old who has just completed year 11.

He and classmate Juliet Mazur each took a year 12 subject this year as part of an accelerated learning program offered by their school.

Saint Ignatius’ College principal Lauren Brooks said the program encouraged students to “take on subjects that can typically experience gender disparity”.

“This program enables students who demonstrate strong ability in their chosen subjects to complete the curriculum at any age,” she said.

Juliet was one of the 1197 female students to sit the mathematical methods exam, alongside 1710 young men.

“I think traditionally, male students gravitate towards more analytical subjects whereas female students gravitate more towards humanities and arts subjects,” the 17-year-old said.

“However, the advice that I’ve been given time and time again is to always go with what you enjoy because in that you’re more likely to do better.”

Education Minister Blair Boyer said gender differences were “quite stark”. Picture: Roy VanDerVegt

Education Minister Blair Boyer said gender differences in student subject choices had “always been quite stark” but he was “particularly concerned with the drop-off” in girls studying maths and science later in high school.

“It means they are less likely to have the skills and qualifications they need to take up engineering or advanced manufacturing roles that are critical to the future development of the state,” he said, giving the example of the AUKUS submarine deal.

Mr Boyer said a new Education Department maths improvement strategy, included a numeracy check for young students and finacial literacy teaching.

The government has also invested $19m into career guidance resources, which are being given to primary school students for the first time.

Education Department chief executive Professor Martin Westwell said the SACE Board data showed “a familiar pattern ... with female students tending to choose more language-rich subjects and male students tending to choose more quantitative subjects” he stressed that “all students have opportunities to make more diverse choices than past generations”.