A pair of identical twins today discovered they had yet another thing in common after they got exactly the same average grades in their GCSE results. as scores fell for the third year in a row as pandemic exam measures ended in all regions of the UK.

Marveille Cuanico and Armaine Cuanico, both 16, today celebrated as they found out the scored exactly the same average grades.

'We're still twinning, even in GCSEs!' Armaine said.

The twins, who attended St Anne's Catholic School in Southampton, Hampshire, both scored an average grade of eight in their GCSEs.

And their 'twinning' is set to continue as their impressive grades means they will both head to prestigious college Peter Symonds in Winchester, where the likes of Ben Ainslie and Alexa Chung studied.

'I'm so happy, I thought I did so badly,' said Marveille, who didn't think she was going to get the Maths grade she needed to get into the college.

It came as hundreds of thousands of teenagers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland opened their GCSE exam results in a year when grades were due to be restored to 2019 levels in all three nations.

More than a fifth (21.8 percent) of UK GCSE entries were awarded the top grades - at least a 7 or an A grade - this year, down 0.2 percentage points on last year.

This is higher than the equivalent figure for 2019 - before the pandemic disrupted schooling - of 20.8 percent. Most of the students receiving results today were in year 7 at the start of the pandemic.

This summer's exams saw a record number of GCSE grades awarded, an increase on 2023 of 4.8 percent, or more than 6.1 million - compared with a 4.6 percent increase in the number of 16-year-olds.

Results fell over all for the third time in three years, an expected trend following the assistance given to GCSE students during the pandemic. 

On what it was like to do the exams in the same year as each other, Marveille said: 'When we're revising we get really stressed at each other, but at the same time we encourage each other to do well and to motivate each other.'

Armaine added: 'At the same time it was a bit competitive.'

'After every mock, we would always compare,' Marveille agreed.

The twins got different grades in their subjects, but the average was the same so neither twin did better or worse than the other.

Armaine said: 'We got good grades, so I'm happy.'

Armaine got a nine in religious studies and sevens in geography and maths. She got eights in media studies, physical education, English language and English literature. She got 88 in combined science.

Marveille got eights in history, physical education, English language, English literature and religious studies. She got a seven in maths and 98 in combined science. She also got D2 in health and social care.

At Peter Symonds College, Hampshire, Armaine will study film, biology and sociology at A Level, and Marveille is going to do chemistry, psychology, law and biology.

Marveille intends to study medicine at university, while Armaine isn't sure of her future plans yet.

St Anne's head teacher Julian Waterfield said: 'We are absolutely delighted to see so many smiling faces.

'It's a testament to five years of amazing hard work by our young people and the brilliant supportive families - 42 percent of our single GCSE grades were at grade seven or above and we look forward to seeing as many of those young people as possible who want to carry on their journey with us in our sixth form tomorrow from 10am.'

The twins are not the first to complete the remarkable feat - last week on A-Level results day, another set of identical sisters found out they had received the exact same A-Level grades, after doing the same at GCSEs in 2022. 

Nicola and Victoria Tsang, 17, both achieved A* grades in Economics and A grades in Maths and Physics, while they both also earned an A* in the EPQ - a research project similar to a mini dissertation.

It comes two summers after the pair, who attend Benenden School in Kent, recorded the same grades in the same subjects at GCSE.

Victoria, the older sibling by one minute, said: 'I was saying yesterday what happens if we get the same results again and we both said that won't happen!

'We've had different grades in our mocks in the run-up to the exams so I can't believe it's happened again.'

All eyes will be on Marveille and Armaine in 2026 to see if they can replicate the same remarkable feat.