The number of students awarded top grades at GCSE has risen for the second year in a row despite a major government overhaul to make the qualifications more difficult.
Grades were awarded in the first tougher GCSEs, maths and English, in 2017 - with a further 20 reformed subjects last summer. Students received numerical grades in a further 25 subjects this year.
The new GCSEs, which are now graded 9 to 1 rather than A* to G, have less coursework and a greater focus on exams at the end of two years.
Just 837 teenagers scored a clean sweep of the highest grade in their GCSEs this summer, with more girls achieving straight top grades than boys.
This summer's clean sweep figure is up from 732 16-year-olds in 2018, the figures from Ofqual show.
Follow our coverage of GCSE results day:
Hundreds of thousands of students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are anxiously waiting to open their GCSE exam results today.
In case you need a quick recap on results day - we have a handy guide on what to expect today:
Everything you need to know about GCSE results day 2019
The Independent's guide to everything you need to know
Around one in five GCSE entries are expected to score one of the three top grades this year, but just a tiny fraction of teenagers is likely to walk away with a clean sweep of 9s.
Under England's exams overhaul, GCSEs have been toughened up, with less coursework, and exams at the end of the two-year courses, rather than throughout.
Traditional A*-G grades have been scrapped and replaced with a 9-1 system, with 9 the highest result.
A 4 is broadly equivalent to a C grade, and a 7 broadly equivalent to an A.
Most students receiving GCSE results this summer will get numerical grades for all their subjects as almost all courses have now moved over to the new system.
A total of 25 subjects will be awarded new grades for the first time this year.
GCSE courses are also taken by students in Wales and Northern Ireland where there have been separate exam reforms.
Here's Eleanor Busby, our education correspondent, explaining what the numerical GCSE grades mean in greater detail:
What do the numerical new GCSE grades mean?
Here is everything you need to knowGavin Williamson, the education secretary, said: "Today is a proud day for students, teachers and parents up and down the country, and I wish them all the very best for their results.
"It should also be an exciting day. It's a day that marks the culmination of years of hard work and opens doors that can create life-changing opportunities."
"It should also be an exciting day. It's a day that marks the culmination of years of hard work and opens doors that can create life-changing opportunities."
Last year, one in five UK entries (20.5 per cent) picked up at least a 7 or an A grade, roughly in line with previous years, and is likely that a similar proportion of entries will achieve this level this summer.
Around two thirds (66.9 per cent) of UK entries were awarded at least grade 4, or C, last summer, according to data published by the Joint Council for Qualifications.
Separate figures, published by exams regulator Ofqual, showed that last year just 732 16-year-olds in England taking at least seven new GCSEs scored straight 9s - the highest grade available under the new system - in all subjects.
This is just a tiny fraction (0.1 per cent) of the more than half a million teenagers in England who take GCSEs.
Philip Nye, researcher at Education Datalab said the numbers getting straight grade 9s "might go up a little bit because there are more subjects in the 9-1 system, but it is very difficult to say what will happen."
Of those who got a clean sweep last year, 62 per cent were female and 38 per cent male.
Several restaurants are offering a variety of discounts and freebies as 16-year-olds across the country either rejoice or commiserate after opening their results. Katie O'Malley, our assistant lifestyle editor, has a roundup of the best deals:
Best free food and drink for GCSE students collecting their results
Selected restaurants to offer free food to GCSE students receiving results on ThursdayAhead of results day, school leaders raised concerns that the new GCSE courses are "demoralising" for lower-achieving students, headteachers have warned.
A poll by the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) of 554 members in England found that eight in 10 believe the reformed courses are having a detrimental effect on struggling students.
Geoff Barton, ASCL general secretary, said: "The findings of this survey reflect widespread concern that reformed GCSEs have sacrificed the interests of the most vulnerable students for the supposed benefits of raising the bar for the most able students."
A Department for Education spokeswoman said: "Exams are an essential part of ensuring that young people have acquired the knowledge and skills they need, but should never be at the expense of a young person's wellbeing."
Boris Johnson, the prime minister, has wished students luck and said: "Nothing beats hard work and effort - and the greatest reward is knowing that you've done your best."
Poorer pupils are nearly twice as likely not to pass their maths GCSE as their richer peers, an analysis of last year's results suggests. Eleanor Busby, our education correspondent, has the story:
Rich pupils nearly twice as likely to pass maths GCSE than poorer students
‘A child’s postcode should never determine how well they do at school,’ charity says
And the results are in...
The number of students securing top grades at GCSE has risen to the highest point in four years despite the government’s major exam reforms to make the qualifications harder.
The number of students securing top grades at GCSE has risen to the highest point in four years despite the government’s major exam reforms to make the qualifications harder.
Across the UK, the proportion of students gaining an A grade and above – or a 7 under the new grading system – increased from 20.5 per cent last year to 20.8 per cent.
And 67.3 per cent were awarded a C or above, or a 4 which is now considered to be a “standard pass”, this summer, which has risen by 0.4 percentage points from 66.9 per cent.
The number of students awarded top grades at GCSE has risen for the second year in a row despite a major government overhaul to make the qualifications more difficult. Eleanor Busby, our education corespondent, has the full story:
Top GCSE grades and pass rates rise despite backlash over tougher exams
Struggling students left 'demoralised' by harder GCSEs, school leaders warnedHere are the main figures from today's results:
The lead enjoyed by girls over boys at A/7 is unchanged from last year (6.5 percentage points), while the gap at C/4 has narrowed slightly from 9.1 points to 8.8.
The number of UK entries getting C/4 or above in English and maths has increased slightly since last year.
A total of 62 per cent of UK entries scored C/4 or above in English, up from 61.8 per cent, while 59.6 per cent of entries scored C/4 in maths, up from 59.4 per cent.
The most popular subject was double award science, followed by maths and English.
Among all the subjects individually listed, the least popular was leisure and tourism with 111 entries.
The subject with the largest percentage jump in entries was statistics, which rose 55 per cent, from 15,562 entries in 2018 to 24,027 this year.
The second largest increase was for Welsh second language (up 33 per cent) followed by economics (up 17 per cent).
The second largest increase was for Welsh second language (up 33 per cent) followed by economics (up 17 per cent).
The subject with the largest proportional drop in entries was leisure and tourism, which fell 95 per cent from 2,306 entries in 2018 to just 111.
The next biggest drop was for hospitality (down 88 per cent), followed by health and social care (down 83 per cent).
