The GCSE pass rate has fallen slightly, with 67.4% of all grades in England, Wales and Northern Ireland at 4 or C and above
As students open their GCSE, BTec and Cambridge Nationals results, the head of an exam body says the education system is in a "resit crisis"
How are GCSEs graded and how do you appeal? We're answering your questions - get in touch on email bbcyourvoice@bbc.co.uk, external or WhatsApp +44 7756 165803, external
Sevante says he feels like he can "do anything" after securing the grades needed for his apprenticeship, while young shepherd Milly brought her sheep Kevin to collect her results
Data shows the regional gap in England has shrunk, and the gap between boys' and girls' pass rates has narrowed to its lowest on record - here are some key takeaways
James Grant
Reporting from Northamptonshire
Image source, BBC/James GrantAt Elizabeth Woodville School in Roade, Northamptonshire, twins Jude (left) and Finn (right) are celebrating their results.
Jude achieved straight 9s across all of his subjects, while Finn secured top grades with a set of 9s and an 8 in English Language - where he was only 3 marks off a grade 9.
As students open their results this morning, there is a warning they could face more competition for places at sixth form colleges.
The head of the Sixth Form Colleges Association, Bill Watkin, says the number of 16-year-olds in the population has increased, and sixth form colleges have grown in popularity.
Some have managed to increase their capacity, he says, but others are "almost certainly going to have to turn some young people away because they are oversubscribed".
But Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the NAHT school leaders' union, says there are a "wide range" of other options for teenagers, such as further education colleges.
Emily Doughty
reporting from Scarborough
Kacper is "absolutely buzzing” with his results after achieving one grade 9 and several 8s.
He was not expecting anything higher than a grade 6 in any of his subjects.
“I'm going to get a kebab later to celebrate” he tells us, but first he’s going to enjoy the moment with his friends.
He hopes the 9 he received in Polish will set him on the right track to become a foreign affairs correspondent - his ultimate goal.
As exam results are released in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, we're seeing the first pictures of students after opening their brown envelopes.
These were taken at Solihull School in the West Midlands.
Image source, PA Media
Image source, PA Media
Image source, PA Media
Image source, PA MediaVocational qualifications are "increasingly important" and "increasingly popular", according to one exam board chief.
OCR chief executive, Jill Duffy, says courses like Cambridge Nationals offer "practical, stimulating experiences that many students and employers are looking for".
Cambridge Nationals were introduced a couple of years ago to replace OCR Nationals, and are two-year vocational courses in areas like health, engineering and sports science which are assessed through exams, practical projects and coursework.
“Seeing this diversity of qualifications, and the well-deserved celebrations of so many young people, is what makes results day so exciting – it’s the highlight of our year as an exam board," Jill says.
We've been hearing from education figures this morning, who've praised the current cohort of students for their work during the Covid pandemic and beyond.
The general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, Pepe Di'Iasio, says pupils exhibited "grit, determination and resilience" during the pandemic.
He tells BBC Radio 4's Today programme that students "had to face many issues that other year groups will never have to face. All the challenges of being at home and not having the support that secondary schools would have wanted to put in place".
Meanwhile former Ofsted Chief Inspector Baroness Amanda Spielman says education in England is a "real success story" in the post-Covid recovery period.
"It was a big, big hit to the system," she says. "I haven't seen today's result yet, but all the indications from last year and various sources of information on this show that in English we are slightly behind - we have lost some of the gains that were made in the few years before Covid."
Students across England, Wales and Northern Ireland are now opening their GCSE, BTec and Cambridge results.
We'll be bringing you the latest reaction from schools and colleges across the country - stick with us.
Emily Doughty
Your Voice Your BBC News reporter, reporting from Scarborough
With the results hall already set up, it’s the calm before the storm here in Scarborough.
For the small group of students who have already arrived, it’s a nervous wait before they’re able to pick up their results at 08:00, but parents and teachers are on hand to calm any nerves.
The school standards minister has been reflecting on the cohort of pupils waiting for their results this morning.
Speaking from Blyth, Catherine McKinnell tells BBC Breakfast: "Today will be a day of celebration not only to mark the strength and resilience of those who sat the exams, but also the schools and families who have supported them."
McKinnell is also asked about the overall picture.
Although the McKinnell says she cannot comment on specifics yet, she says we should see a "steadying of the ship" after the coronavirus pandemic.
As a reminder, national data on this year's results will be released at 09:30 BST.
As students across England, Wales and Northern Ireland anxiously await their results, let's take a look at what we learnt from last year's set of grades.
Falling pass rates: It was the third year in a row that pass rates fell in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. They dropped most steeply in Northern Ireland, falling from 86.6% to 82%.
Regional divide: The divide between the south of England and the rest of the country continued, with the highest pass rate, in London, being 9.4 percentage points up on the West Midlands - the lowest-performing region.
Maths and English: Two of the most staple subjects in school also had low pass rates. The data suggested that around 182,000 16-year-olds needed to resit English language, and around 176,000 needed to resit maths.
Emily Doughty
Your Voice Your BBC News reporter, reporting from Scarborough
Jiya says she hopes her grades will be enough to get her into college
Many students getting their results today were in Year 6 when the first Covid lockdown was announced in March 2020 - and will have started secondary school learning in "bubbles".
We spoke to Jiya before results day, a pupil at St Augustine's Catholic Academy in Scarborough who told us she wants to become a dentist - and hopes she'll get the grades she needs to start A-levels at Scarborough College next month.
But she said it was bittersweet to be leaving the friends that she met during the Covid pandemic.
"I think when I first came in Year 7 I was probably really nervous," she said.
"I have found my people, my friends, and they have helped me become more confident."
Pre-results nerves are very common and can manifest in all sorts of different ways: sleepless nights, short tempers, loss of appetite, nausea, anxiety; the lot.
First of all, it's important to remember that you're not alone. Thousands of students around the country are probably feeling the same way.
While you might not be able to get rid of these feelings entirely, there are ways to manage them. Here are a few tips from the NHS to help you decompress:
Throughout the day, our experts will be on hand to answer your questions and help you get to the bottom of anything you are unsure about.
You can get in touch in the following ways:
In some cases a selection of your comments and questions will be published, displaying your name and location as you provide it unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published.
Emily Doughty
Your Voice Your BBC News reporter, reporting from Scarborough
Stella's ultimate dream is to become an engineer
Like many students, Stella from Scarborough is waiting this morning to find out how she has done - in particular, if she has achieved an all-important pass in her maths GCSE.
She needs it to pursue her dream of becoming an engineer.
“I have definitely focused on maths quite a lot because it is a core subject. If I don’t pass my maths, I can’t really do anything,” she tells us.
While she is not confident in how her first paper went, Stella says her second paper was better. She believes she has done well and is excited to go to Scarborough College in September.
In England, GCSEs are graded using a numerical system from 9-1, rather than A-E system that was previously in place.
Students need 4 for a "standard pass" and 5 for a "strong pass".
In Wales and Northern Ireland, GCSEs are still graded using letters unless an exam taken in those nations is managed by an English exam board.
There is a lot happening today - but these are the two key times you need to be aware of this morning:
Throughout the day we will be bringing you reaction from students at schools around the country, along with analysis from our experts, so stayed tuned.
Rachel Flynn
Live reporter
The stomachs of hundreds of thousands of teenagers are churning across the UK this morning, while they wait for their exam results - the culmination of months of hard work.
Results for GCSEs, BTecs and Cambridge Nationals will be released this morning, and we'll be following the stories of students across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, where those exams are sat.
We'll also have experts to answer your questions on what's next for GCSE students, and to cover the big picture of this year's results.
Best of luck to everyone getting their grades today. It may feel like your whole world revolves around those results - it certainly did for me when I walked into school this time 10 years ago.
But really, I can promise you that it's just one small part of life, and doesn't define you.
Whatever happens today, you've got this!