The GCSE A* to C pass rate in Wales for 2017 has fallen to 62.8% – its lowest level since 2006.
The decline has been attributed to GCSE changes in English Language, English Literature, Welsh Language, Welsh Literature, Mathematics-Numeracy and Mathematics.
There was a big increase this summer in the number of 15-year-old pupils sitting exams early, at the end of Year 10.
Exams regulator Qualifications Wales said the number of qualifications awarded to students who are 15-years-old and younger is up by 57%.
It also said more Year 11 students opted to “bank” grades from previous exams, rather than returning to sit their exams again this summer. Taken together, these changes have had the effect of lowering overall exam results.
The A* to C pass rate had remained stable at 66.6% for the past three years.
Qualifications Wales has analysed data to focus on the results of 16-year-olds who sat the exams this year and compared them with the performance of 16-year-olds in previous years. In this analysis results for 16-year-olds only the A* to C pass figure rises to 66.8%.
Director of Regulation Jo Richards said: “Given the big shift in entry patterns for these qualifications, with a large influx of Year 10 students sitting their exams early and some Year 11 students having sat their exams in November, it’s not possible to draw reliable conclusions from directly comparing summer 2017 and summer 2016 results.
“That’s why we have focused on results for 16-year-olds to make more reliable comparisons.”
For 16-year-olds only the figure rises to 66.8%.
Pupils receiving their GCSE and Welsh Baccalaureate results today, Thursday, August 24, have been congratulated by Education Secretary Kirsty Williams AM, who said she was “concerned” at the high number of pupils entering exams early.
She said: “These reformed qualifications are aimed at providing pupils with the right skills for the modern world. We can be proud of the way our pupils and teachers have handled the introduction of these new qualifications that are playing a vital role in raising standards.
“I am concerned about the high number of pupils being entered early for their exams. Many of these pupils, who are taking exams before they have completed their two years of GCSE study, have not had the opportunity to reach their full potential.
“This is putting unnecessary pressure on pupils, teachers and also puts an extra strain on school budgets. I will respond to Qualifications Wales’s rapid review of this issue when I receive it in October, but the current situation is unsustainable and all options are on the table.
“Our radical overhaul of our education system is about raising standards and the aspirations of our learners. As well as reforming GCSEs, we are introducing a new curriculum and new professional teaching and leadership standards to make sure our pupils have the skills they need to succeed in life.”
Overall GCSE results for Caerphilly County Borough pupils are due to be released later today after the council has collated them.