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| GCSE results show significant decline | GCSE results show significant decline |
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| This year's GCSE results have shown the biggest ever year-on-year decline - down to the lowest level since 2008. | This year's GCSE results have shown the biggest ever year-on-year decline - down to the lowest level since 2008. |
| The overall proportion of entries achieving A* to C has declined from 69% to 66.9%. Top A* grades have slipped from 6.6% to 6.5%. | The overall proportion of entries achieving A* to C has declined from 69% to 66.9%. Top A* grades have slipped from 6.6% to 6.5%. |
| This has been blamed on more pupils in England being required to resit English and maths. | This has been blamed on more pupils in England being required to resit English and maths. |
| Schools Minister Nick Gibb said 17-year-olds who had successfully retaken these GCSEs now had "better prospects". | Schools Minister Nick Gibb said 17-year-olds who had successfully retaken these GCSEs now had "better prospects". |
| Michael Turner of the Joint Council for Qualifications said there had been "significant movement in this year's entries, which impacts on results". | Michael Turner of the Joint Council for Qualifications said there had been "significant movement in this year's entries, which impacts on results". |
| Impact of retakes | Impact of retakes |
| The results of more than five million GCSE entries in England, Wales and Northern Ireland have been published. | The results of more than five million GCSE entries in England, Wales and Northern Ireland have been published. |
| This year's combined figures show a fall in those getting good GCSEs and the proportion of top A* and A grades. | |
| This has been driven by a fall in grades in England - as Northern Ireland's results improved and results in Wales remained stable. | This has been driven by a fall in grades in England - as Northern Ireland's results improved and results in Wales remained stable. |
| The fall in overall results has been attributed to a policy in England to encourage more pupils to get A* to C grade GCSEs in maths and English, which required resits for 17-year-olds who missed these grades last year. | The fall in overall results has been attributed to a policy in England to encourage more pupils to get A* to C grade GCSEs in maths and English, which required resits for 17-year-olds who missed these grades last year. |
| There were more than 380,000 GCSE entries among these older pupils, retaking English and maths after Year 11, up by a quarter on last year. | There were more than 380,000 GCSE entries among these older pupils, retaking English and maths after Year 11, up by a quarter on last year. |
| This has contributed to lower English and maths results this year and Mark Dawe, a former exam board boss and now head of the Association of Employment and Learning Providers, said: "Surely this is evidence enough that hitting students over the head with the same form of learning and assessment is not the way forward." | This has contributed to lower English and maths results this year and Mark Dawe, a former exam board boss and now head of the Association of Employment and Learning Providers, said: "Surely this is evidence enough that hitting students over the head with the same form of learning and assessment is not the way forward." |
| Even without these older pupils resitting exams, there has been a fall in the results of 16 year olds, with the proportion getting A* to C declining by 1.3% points. | Even without these older pupils resitting exams, there has been a fall in the results of 16 year olds, with the proportion getting A* to C declining by 1.3% points. |
| This year's results were down for history and geography. | This year's results were down for history and geography. |
| And there were further falls in the numbers of pupils taking modern languages, with the British Council warning that entries for French had more than halved in the past two decade. | And there were further falls in the numbers of pupils taking modern languages, with the British Council warning that entries for French had more than halved in the past two decade. |
| The National Union of Teachers said the decline in modern languages was exacerbated by the "difficulty many schools have in recruiting qualified language teachers". | The National Union of Teachers said the decline in modern languages was exacerbated by the "difficulty many schools have in recruiting qualified language teachers". |
| Gender gap | Gender gap |
| The gender gap has widened further - with 71.3% of entries by girls getting a C grade or above compared with 62.4% of boys. | The gender gap has widened further - with 71.3% of entries by girls getting a C grade or above compared with 62.4% of boys. |
| There has been a continuing reduction in the number of pupils taking GCSEs a year early, down by about a quarter compared with last year. | There has been a continuing reduction in the number of pupils taking GCSEs a year early, down by about a quarter compared with last year. |
| League tables now only count the first time a pupil sits an exam, discouraging entries by younger pupils. | League tables now only count the first time a pupil sits an exam, discouraging entries by younger pupils. |
| This will be the last year before the start of a major change in how GCSEs are graded in England and how school performance is measured. | This will be the last year before the start of a major change in how GCSEs are graded in England and how school performance is measured. |
| A revised set of GCSE exams are going to graded by numbers - from 9 down to 1 - rather than the current letter-based system in a process that will be phased in from next year. | A revised set of GCSE exams are going to graded by numbers - from 9 down to 1 - rather than the current letter-based system in a process that will be phased in from next year. |
| There will also be a new way of assessing schools in England, to be introduced later this year, called Progress 8, which will measure how much progress pupils make in secondary schools, rather than their raw results. | There will also be a new way of assessing schools in England, to be introduced later this year, called Progress 8, which will measure how much progress pupils make in secondary schools, rather than their raw results. |
| Russell Hobby, leader of the National Association of Head Teachers, said: "GCSE results day is a nervous time for all, as much depends on these grades. | Russell Hobby, leader of the National Association of Head Teachers, said: "GCSE results day is a nervous time for all, as much depends on these grades. |
| "2016 is worse than ever in this regard as the results are so unpredictable following wave after wave of over hasty changes. Such overwhelming change introduces mistakes and makes it hard to sustain a calm focus on teaching," said Mr Hobby. | "2016 is worse than ever in this regard as the results are so unpredictable following wave after wave of over hasty changes. Such overwhelming change introduces mistakes and makes it hard to sustain a calm focus on teaching," said Mr Hobby. |
| England's School Standards Minister Nick Gibb said he was "pleased to see that there are more GCSEs being taken in the core academic subjects, those that give students a wider range of opportunities. | England's School Standards Minister Nick Gibb said he was "pleased to see that there are more GCSEs being taken in the core academic subjects, those that give students a wider range of opportunities. |
| "And for those 17-year-olds who have struggled to achieve good grades in maths, we are seeing 4,000 more successful re-takes of those exams; delivering better prospects for every one of those young people." | "And for those 17-year-olds who have struggled to achieve good grades in maths, we are seeing 4,000 more successful re-takes of those exams; delivering better prospects for every one of those young people." |
| Kirsty Williams, Education Secretary in Wales, said: "This year's GCSEs show another strong performance with two thirds of our learners achieving at least A*-C and an increase in the top grades." | Kirsty Williams, Education Secretary in Wales, said: "This year's GCSEs show another strong performance with two thirds of our learners achieving at least A*-C and an increase in the top grades." |
| Are you awaiting GCSE results? Do you have questions for a GCSE results expert? Share your comments and questions via haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk | Are you awaiting GCSE results? Do you have questions for a GCSE results expert? Share your comments and questions via haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk |
| Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: | Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: |
| Or use the form below | Or use the form below |