Top grades for GCSE entries have seen an increase compared with 2025, though overall pass rates have now settled back to pre-pandemic levels, according to national data.
Meanwhile, the results gap between boys and girls has closed further, reaching its smallest margin this century.
A larger number of candidates aged 17 and over sat English and maths examinations this year, driven largely by pupils in England required to resit after missing key pass marks, though overall outcomes for this group deteriorated.
The results were released on Thursday. morning as hundreds of thousands of pupils across England, Wales and Northern Ireland collected their GCSEs and technical qualifications.
Following a pilot scheme in 2025, all year 11 students are able to view their results digitally through an app for the first time this summer.
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