Millions of students nervously opened envelopes across the UK yesterday in the first normal exam season since the coronavirus pandemic - but not all were satisfied.
In England, many students who do not secure at least a grade 4 in English and/or maths at GCSE are required to retake the subjects during post-16 education.
Experts said students in Britain had faced disruption from Covid-19 and the cost-of-living crisis, with a disproportionate impact on those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Some 71.7 per cent of female entries in England, Wales and Northern Ireland got a 4/C or higher this year, compared with 64.9 per cent for boys - a lead of 6.8 points, which is the narrowest since 2000.