Opinions: Were A-levels too easy this year?

SARAH BELL, grades AAB, girls' C of E comprehensive, Liverpool: The night before the results I dreamt my teeth fell out and I got a D and two Fs. I was convinced I wouldn't be going to university but I am. No, no way they're easy, people were disappointed, especially in the sciences.

SIAN DAVIS, grades AAA, girls' C of E comprehensive, Liverpool: I do think they are a bit easy. The work load is very high but you know exactly what you have to do, it's a bit robotic.

RUPERT WHITELEY, grades AC, comprehensive, Saffron Walden: I got given this scrap of paper and I looked and looked and looked again. I was ecstatically surprised so I went and got fairly drunk, then I went to a Michael Jackson concert. A- levels were a nightmare experience: coursework is much fairer. I'm going to university to have a brilliant time and maybe do a bit of interesting work on the side.

KAREN ENGLAND, grades D and fail, sixth-form college, Huddersfield: How can anyone say they are too easy? Even the tutor said the one I failed was very difficult. I wanted to get my results on my own and go into a corner and cry. I have already decided to re-do one and then hopefully go to poly.

SHARON ROGERS, grades ABDD, sixth-form college, Huddersfield: If results are getting better it's because students are putting more into them - going to college seems more enticing than working at Spar.

STEPHEN VERITY, grades DDD, comprehensive, London: What can I say? Not too many excuses. I did maths but I found it impossible so I gave up and tried to do geography in a year. I'm pleased that I passed, but I'm disappointed with a D in design and technology. I blame it on having had five teachers in two years. I'm going to art school to do a foundation course, and so my grades aren't too important.

JULIE TANG, grades EE, comprehensive, London: It's unbelievable . . . I'm going to stay in the pub rather than go home. I worked hard but only at the end after Easter. Anybody who says they're too easy is mad.

TOM GROUND, grades ABB, independent, London: A-levels were a complete pain. There's nothing easy about them. I certainly worked much harder than I would like to have done.

CHRIS WALTON, grades AAAC, sixth-form college, Wigan: I'm over the moon, absolutely shattered] I was so nervous last night: I'm going home now to catch up on some sleep.

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