Fail grades predicted to rise as GCSEs return to pre-pandemic levels

Expert says exam results will likely mirror A-levels and remain above what they were in 2019

More pupils will fail their GCSEs this year and top grades are expected to fall as results return to pre-pandemic levels, an education expert has predicted.

There could be 230,000 fewer top grades in the UK compared with 2021, but 230,000 more than 2019, according to Prof Alan Smithers, director of the centre for education and employment research at the University of Buckingham.