The long, nervous wait is finally over.

Today, thousands of teenagers across the region will find out their A-level results, and start preparing for the next stage of their life, whether it is university, an apprenticeship, work, or something else.

Nationally, there are suggestions there will be a slight increase in the number of top grades being awarded, with the percentage to A or A* grades in top-scoring subjects such as maths expected to rise.

Professor Alan Smithers, director of the Centre for Education and Employment Research, said this could see the number of boys achieving the very top grade pull further ahead of girls.

He said: 'Boys tend to cluster in the subjects that give out a lot of the top grades, such as maths, Greek and Latin. Girls cluster in subjects like English that offer relatively few of the top grades, like English and psychology.

'It could be that boys go further ahead this year due to the increase in people taking maths and further maths.'

In Norfolk, the last three years have seen a steady increase in the number of A-levels graded at A*-C, from 72pc in 2013, to 75pc in 2014, and 76pc last summer.

Results day comes as the charity Childline said the number of worried teenagers receiving counselling about their GCSE and A-level exam results had increased by 20pc.

There were 1,127 counselling sessions related to exam results stress in 2015-16 - up from 937 the previous year. A quarter of sessions took place in August, which is the same month that grades are published.

Girls were five times more likely to contact the helpline than boys, and many of those who got in touch said they were worried about disappointing their parents, had a fear of failure, or were suffering under the pressure linked to academic achievement.

Peter Wanless, chief executive of the NSPCC, which runs Childline, said: 'It's important to remember there is life beyond exam results. Disappointing grades are not the end of the world, even if it doesn't feel that way at the time.'

Young people can receive support by calling Childline's free, confidential helpline on 0800 1111 or visiting childline.org.uk.