Summary

  • It's A-level results day in England, Wales and Northern Ireland for hundreds of thousands of students

  • The proportion of A or A* grades is 27.2% - down from a peak of 44.8% during the pandemic

  • The fall was steepest in England - 26.5% of exams got the top grade

  • In Wales, the figure was 34%, with 37.5% in Northern Ireland getting the top grades

  • T-level results have also been released, along with many AS-level and BTec Level 3 grades

  • Across the UK, 79% of those receiving results gained a place at their first-choice university, Ucas says

Live Reporting

Edited by Alice Evans and Aoife Walsh

  1. ‘Excited but anxious’

    Christina McSorley
    Education reporter

    Lara Duffy and sister Hollie smiling and both giving a thumbs up

    Lara, pictured with her sister Hollie, is among the hundreds of thousands of teenagers getting results today

    Lara hopes to have her plans to go to university confirmed when she gets her A-level results in English literature, maths, and computer science this morning.

    “My parents are so excited for me to go and do something we’ve all planned so much for,” says Lara, who lives in London.

    “Hollie, my sister, would like to turn my room into a Lego room when I leave, so she is very excited.”

    But Lara, who is a registered young carer for Hollie, has “some anxieties” about leaving.

    “Obviously, I’ll still be available to phone and pop down to visit, but there is that anxiety that I will be leaving and I’m not sure how either of us will react to that situation,” she says.

    Lara feels ready to leave home, thanks to help from her family and the Carers Trust.

    She encourages other young carers to get in touch with the charity if they need support.

    “It can be difficult and overwhelming having all these extra things on your plate,” she says.

  2. What’s happening today?

    Rand El-Shebli opens her A-level results at Ark Putney Academy, south-west London 2022PA Media

    Rand El-Shebli opens her A-level results at Ark Putney Academy, south-west London 2022

    A-level students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will start getting their results from 08:00 BST.

    Those waiting for T-level results will also get them then. Some students taking vocational qualifications will have already had their results, but others will get them today.

    Many students will head into school or college to pick up their results, and some will get them online.

    At 09:30 BST, we’ll get a full national picture of how students have done.

    In response to the disruption the pandemic has had on learning, English exam boards have said grade boundaries will be slightly more lenient than in the past - but results are expected to be broadly in line with 2019 levels.

    In Wales, and Northern Ireland, grades will still be awarded more generously - roughly between 2019 and 2022 levels. Results from Highers in Scotland have already been given out.

  3. Good morning

    Aoife Walsh
    Live reporter

    Hello and welcome to our live coverage as hundreds of thousands of students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland wait for their A-level results to be released.

    Overall results in England are expected to drop back in line with pre-pandemic levels this year, after three years of higher grades, while in Wales and Northern Ireland grades will still be a bit inflated.

    Many BTec and T-level students are also getting their results today.

    Stick with us to follow the latest news, results and reaction.