Teenagers in Oxfordshire are waking up to their A-level results, with many hoping that their grades will be good enough to secure a coveted university place.

Experts have predicted that the pass rate will stall this year, amid fresh attempts by the exams regulator to tackle grade inflation.

It has been suggested that around 8 per cent of exams will achieve an A* and just over one in four exams will score at least an A - the same as in 2011.

In a bid to tackle rising pass rates, Ofqual has told exam boards they will be asked to justify results that differ wildly from previous years. It means that the proportion of Students awarded top grades is unlikely to increase greatly from 2011 levels.

Concerns have also been raised this year that changes to university admissions will mean that able teenagers who are predicted to score two As and a B, but just fall short, will struggle to gain a place.

Under a new system, there is now no limit on the numbers of students with two As and a B at A-level that universities can recruit, allowing them potentially to offer last-minute places to youngsters who do better than expected and meet this threshold. But it means universities are likely to have less flexibility to admit students who just miss this standard, as there is still a strict cap on those who score less than AAB.

This year's students are already facing up to being the first to pay tuition fees of up to £9,000.

For more on the success of Oxfordshire's students, keep checking oxfordmail.co.uk or follow us on Twitter at @theoxfordmail. 

Do you know of any success stories or anyone who has overcome the odds to do well in their exams? Call reporter Rhianne Pope on 01865 425411 or email news@oxfordmail.co.uk