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Some students found out their results early, as Reeta Chakrabart reports
There has been a fall in the proportion of A-levels awarded top grades for the second year in a row, after years of steady increases.
Just over a quarter of exam entries - 26.3% - were given A or A* grades, a slight fall on 2012's figure of 26.6%.
Previously, the proportion getting top grades had risen year on year.
More than 300,000 teenagers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are finding out their A-level results, as universities compete to attract them.
The national breakdown of results shows the overall pass rate rose marginally - to 98.1%. It has been rising for about 30 years.
As expected, the results show more students are opting to do A-levels in maths and science and there is a continued fall in those taking French and German, down by 10% and 11% respectively. However, Spanish bucks that trend and has seen an increase in entries of 4%.
Economics was the subject that saw the biggest rise in entries - up 7.4%. Chemistry rose by 5.2% and physics by 3.1%. Maths rose by just under 3% and further maths by 4.5%.
Language disappointmentGirls are still more likely than boys to get an A* or an A, but boys this year were slightly more likely to get the highest grade - A*.
A total of 7.9% of boys' entries got an A*, compared with 7.4% of those of girls.
The results are published by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ), a body that represents the exam boards.
Director of the JCQ Michael Turner said: "The continued rise in subjects such as the sciences, maths and the extended project will be welcomed.
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Sarah got two As and one B, but missed out on a place to study medicine
"However, that so few students take a language at A-level is disappointing and although Spanish continues to show growth, the overall trend remains downwards."
Last year, schools challenged the grading of English GCSEs in the courts, arguing that grades had been unfairly held down, but lost their case.
Asked if the exam boards had come under pressure from Ofqual over A-levels this year, a JCQ spokesperson said "absolutely not".
Brian Lightman, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) said the results showed that A-levels were "stable" and that "minor fluctuations" in grades were to be expected year and between schools.
He said the association had not heard any noticeable concerns from schools about the grading this year - in stark contrast to what happened over the GCSE results last year.
The university admissions body Ucas has said a record number of students have been accepted by UK universities.
Marketing campaignsAs of midnight, 385,910 students had been accepted, 31,600 more than at the same point last year and a rise of nine percentage points.
Universities Minister David Willetts told the BBC this was because of government reforms to open up the system and make it easier for universities "to take on the people that they want to recruit".
Under changes, universities in England are being allowed to admit as many top-performing students as they want to.
With government funding following students through tuition fee loans and grants, some are keen to expand and are running big marketing campaigns and offering students extra incentives.
Many will be hoping not to repeat last year's experience, where thousands of course places were left unfilled. One estimate suggested that among Russell Group universities alone, 11,500 places were not taken up.
Last year universities were allowed to take in extra students who had the top grades of at least AAB or the equivalent, but this year that pool of students has been increased to include anyone achieving ABB or more.
About 100,000 teenagers make that grade.
Universities are given individual limits for the number of undergraduates they can recruit with results lower than that.
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Universities Minister David Willetts: "More young people than ever are going to get their first choice university place"
The change was part of a move to increase market forces in England's university system and allow popular universities to expand. It came in alongside higher tuition fees, which rose to a maximum of £9,000 a year from autumn 2012.
'Competitive market'Wendy Piatt, director general of the Russell Group, which represents 24 institutions including Oxford and Cambridge, said "uncertainties" in the new system meant universities might have more places to offer well-qualified students through clearing - the process that matches students to spare course places.
"We hope this year's change to a lower threshold of ABB or equivalent will reduce some of the unintended consequences from last year when students who wanted to attend a leading university and had the right qualifications were not able to - even when those universities wanted to accept them," she said.
- Introduced in 1951
- Taken in England, Wales and Northern Ireland
- Until 1982, pass rate was set at 70%
- Since then, pass rate has risen steadily, up to 98%
- Last year 26.6% of pupils achieved A or A* grades
- All set to change from 2015, when pupils will prepare for A-level exams to be taken after two years and AS-levels will no longer count towards final A-level grades
- The first of the new exams will be taken in 2017
The results released today are for A and AS-level exams taken by pupils in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Pupils in Scotland got the results of their Highers and Standard Grades early last week, with the pass rate for both rising slightly.
While many teenagers will start work at 18, more than half of UK A-level students will opt to go on to university.
A-levels are set to change from 2015. Under coalition plans for England, the AS-level will no longer count towards the final A-level grade and all exams will be taken at the end of two years.
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