Students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will receive their GCSE grades later today as they work towards sixth form, college or training.
The number of pupils in England achieving at least a grade 4 in maths and English GCSE is expected to fall this year, amid efforts to restore grading to similar levels to 2019, the year before the coronavirus pandemic.
But Ofqual says it has built protection into the grading process which should enable a pupil to get the grade they would have received before the pandemic, even if their quality of work is a little weaker this year.
Earlier this week an education expert said GCSE results day "will not be as enjoyable" as it was during the pandemic as around 300,000 fewer top grades could be awarded.
Professor Alan Smithers, director of the Centre for Education and Employment Research (CEER) at the University of Buckingham, said pupils and parents may be in for a "shock" as grading standards are restored, which could lead to a "record drop in top GCSE grades".
He suggested there could be about 300,000 fewer entries graded 7 or above (an A or A* grade) compared with 2022 if grading standards return to 2019 levels.
