Results published today show that the percentage of students achieving grade A or better at A-level remains unchanged at 27.0 per cent compared with 2010.
The majority of those holding an offer from a university are likely to achieve the results they need - and there will be lots of support available to those who miss out on a place this time around.
The government has promised that UCAS will provide more support than ever for those needing help with the clearing process. Other options for students include part-time study and a record number of available apprenticeships.
Schools Minister Nick Gibb said:
"There's no question that an A Level is a great personal achievement. The last ten days has seen huge public debate about the appalling behaviour of a tiny minority of young people. Today, however, we can all celebrate the success of the hundreds of thousands of students who have worked hard and are collecting their well-earned results.
"We should also express our gratitude to teachers and other staff in schools and colleges across the country for their dedication and commitment in preparing their students for these challenging exams."
Universities Minister David Willetts said:
"We expect there to be more full-time, first-time undergraduate students than ever before in 2011/12 and we have repeated last year's pledge to fund 10,000 extra places. So it is likely that there will be nearly 50,000 places available in the UCAS clearing system this year, which aims to match unplaced students to unfilled places.
"Other options exist too. For example, you may wish to consider part-time study (which is not included in the UCAS system) and there are also more apprenticeships available than ever before."