Pupils sitting their GCSE and A-level exams in England this term face tougher grading than their peers in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Support for teenagers sitting exams this term varies in different parts of the UK as regulators in each country assess how to rein in record grade inflation during the pandemic.
Ofqual, the exam regulator in England, has decided to return to 2019 grading levels. However, grades are expected to remain higher than they were in 2019 in devolved nations.
Ofqual has maintained some Covid-support measures for pupils, such as allowing pupils to use formulae and equations sheets in some GCSE subjects.
The regulator has said that if national performance is lower than it was prior to the pandemic, senior examiners will make allowances when setting grade boundaries so that overall results will be similar to those in 2019.
