After a lot of hard work and the dreaded long wait since pupils sat their last A Level exam, the moment is finally here.

But this year, A Level entries that were awarded top grades has fallen compared to 2022, new figures show.

But yet the grades still remain above pre-pandemic levels, the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) can reveal.

The council which covers A Level entries from students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland said more than a quarter (27.2%) of UK entries were awarded an A or A* grade, down by 9.2% on last year when 36.4% achieved the top grades.

Top A-Level grades fall but remain above pre-pandemic levels, figures show

It’s not all bad news as this was still higher than in 2019 – the last year that summer exams were taken before the coronavirus pandemic – when 25.4% of entries were awarded A or A* grades.

The results show that the overall pass rate (the proportion of entries graded A* to E), has fallen to 97.3% in 2023, which is lower than last year at 98.4% and the pre-pandemic year of 2019 at 97.6%.

Overall, the proportion of UK entries awarded the top A* grade this year has fallen by 5.7% points to 8.9% compared with 14.6% in 2022, but it is higher than when it stood at 7.7% in 2019.

A total of 3,820 students in England alone scored three A* grades, according to separate figures from exams regulator Ofqual.

This is down from 8,570 last year, but up from 2,785 in 2019.

Margaret Farragher, chief executive of the JCQ, said: “This year’s results recognise the fantastic achievements of students across the country. They have worked incredibly hard throughout the pandemic period to achieve these well-earned grades.

“The 2023 results show that students are well equipped to continue their studies or move into apprenticeships or employment.”

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) said although the number of students achieving the top grades has “fallen sharply”, it is not “not as a result of underperformance."

He explained: “The proportion of students achieving the top A-level grades has fallen sharply this year, not as a result of underperformance, but because the grading system has been adjusted in the wake of the pandemic so that the distribution of grades in England is similar to 2019.

“This adjustment is a return to normality after the pandemic which necessitated the use of different approaches to grading.

“Whatever the rationale, however, it will feel like a bruising experience for many students, as well as schools and colleges which will have seen a sharp dip in top grades compared to the past three years.

“It is important to remember that these students also suffered the disruption of the pandemic, and this will have impacted particularly on those from disadvantaged backgrounds.”

Mr Barton added: “We would urge students who are disappointed by their grades not to panic but to talk to their teachers about the options available to them and we wish all the young people receiving their results today every success for the future.”