The proportion of A-level grades awarded at A or A* has reached a record high of 44.8 per cent, the BBC reports.
This represents a significant rise on last year, the first year that exams were cancelled, when 38.5 per cent of A-level grades awarded were the two top grades.
In the last year that candidates sat national exams, in 2019, only 25.5 per cent of entries were awarded an A or A*.
At independent schools this year, 70 per cent of A-level entries received at least an A, with 40 per cent getting an A*. These results are already prompting accusations of independent schools being overly generous with grades, although those working in the sector argue pupils have worked harder than ever with excellent online provision.
In Scotland, the pass rates for Highers and Nationals fell slightly but scores were still well above levels seen before Covid.
The superior grades are expected to result in record numbers of people applying to university and potentially make it harder to get onto popular courses.
Admissions service Ucas today said a record 396,000 students have been confirmed in their first choice course – up 8 per cent on last year.
Ofqual’s chief moderator Simon Lebus has said that students should be satisfied that their teacher assessed grades this year are fair and a good reflection of their ability.
Meanwhile, the TES reports that a third of teachers answering a survey are afraid there will be an unmanageable number of appeals over A-level and GCSE grades this year.