Nervous teenagers across the UK have been sharing funny GIFs on Twitter overnight as more than half a million students are set to find out their GCSE grades this morning after this summer's exams were cancelled for the second year in a row due to Covid restrictions.
The hashtag #GCSEresults2021 was trending last night as thousands of pupils in England, Wales and Northern Ireland suffered a sleepless night - with some predicting they had failed the tests because they had not prepared for them and others expecting a row with their parents later.
The grades will determine if pupils can get into their chosen sixth form or college, with many hoping for similar success that was seen in the record-breaking A-level results earlier this week - a success that sparked a furious row over the growing gap between private and state students.
Teachers have decided the marks, which could lead to a possible surge in top grades and could make the job of admissions teams at colleges and sixth forms more difficult. Such an outcome would likely fuel accusations of 'grade inflation' and the qualifications being devalued.
Traditional A*-G grades have been scrapped and replaced with a 9-1 system amid reforms, with 9 the highest result and a 4 broadly equivalent to a C grade, while a 7 is broadly equivalent to an A. Students receiving GCSE results in England will get numerical grades for all their subjects as all courses have moved over to the grading system.
The proportion of GCSE entries awarded top grades rose to a record high last year after grades were allowed to be based on teachers' assessments, with 26.2 per cent of UK GCSE entries were awarded one of the three top grades, compared to 20.8 per cent in 2019, the last year that exams were pre-Covid.
Girls also pulled further ahead than boys amid the surge in top grades awarded last summer, with the gap between boys and girls achieving at least a 7 increasing from 6.5 percentage points in 2019 to eight percentage points in 2020.
The cancellation of the summer exams for a second year in a row has prompted some education leaders and politicians to call on ministers to consider reforming GCSEs in the post-Covid years.
Addressing concerns about possible grade inflation, Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders' union NAHT, said: 'Grades have been arrived at in a completely unique way, so it would not be sensible to compare this year's results with any other, and any talk of 'grade inflation' is unhelpful to students.'
Gavin Williamson, who could be sacked by Boris Johnson in the next cabinet reshuffle after presiding over mass grade inflation, said: 'Students should feel proud of their achievements and will now be looking forward to taking their next steps.
'I am also hugely grateful to teachers and school leaders for their hard work to ensure students get the grades they deserve and need to progress to the next stage of their lives. There have never been so many great options available for young people, whether that's going on to study A-levels, our pioneering T Levels, starting an apprenticeship or a traineeship.
'Whatever option young people choose, they can do so with the confidence it will give them the skills and knowledge to get on in life.'
Nervous teenagers across the UK have been sharing funny GIFs on Twitter overnight as more than half a million students are set to find out their GCSE grades this morning after this summer's exams were cancelled for the second year in a row due to Covid restrictions
This year, teachers in England submitted their decisions on pupils' grades after drawing on a range of evidence, including mock exams, coursework, and in-class assessments using questions by exam boards.
Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), is expecting pressure to be placed on admissions teams at sixth forms colleges and schools if grades are inflated this summer.
He also warned that some young people could be 'turned away' from courses if centres cannot increase capacity due to limited space and staff.
Mr Barton added: 'I think what we'll see admissions tutors doing on Thursday, and heads of sixth form, is doing their best to make sure that irrespective of grades a young person moves on to what they had wanted to do in terms of their course and the course best suited to them.
'Because what we don't want is young people euphoric that they got higher grades than they had hoped for on results day, and then three or four weeks into a new term feeling out of their depth on a course which actually isn't the appropriate course for them.
'I think there'll be quite a
