Every region across the country saw a fall in the proportion of pupils getting a 7/A or above in their GCSEs.

As expected, with the return to formal exams for the first time in three years, top grades fell from 2021 levels but remained higher than in 2019.

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Figures published by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) – covering GCSE entries from students predominantly in England, Wales and Northern Ireland – showed top grades of 7/A have fallen from 28.9 per cent in 2021 to 26.3 per cent this year, a drop of 2.6 percentage points.

But this remains higher than the equivalent figure for 2019 of 20.8 per cent.

The proportion of entries receiving a 4/C – considered a pass – dropped from 77.1 per cent in 2021 to 73.2 per cent this year, a fall of 3.9 percentage points, but higher than 67.3 per cent in 2019.

Kath Thomas, interim chief executive officer of JCQ, welcomed the return of exams, describing them as “the fairest way to assess students and give everyone the chance to show what they know”.

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