The proportion of top GCSE grades handed out to 16-year-olds in England has dropped by 17 per cent, falling to near the same level as pre-pandemic 2019.
Overall, more than 184,000 fewer 9, 8 and 7 grades were awarded this summer, despite an increase in entries of more than 171,000.
This year, 22.4 per cent of grades issued were between 9 and 7, down from 27 per cent last year.
This summer’s top grades are 25 per cent lower than the peak of 30 per cent in 2021, when teacher assessed grades were awarded due to the pandemic.
