It has been two years of hard work for thousands of A level students - for some it has paid off, others may regret that they did not put in more effort.

"These results are vital - your career will depend on them," sixth-formers are often told.

But as more pupils pass A levels each year, the average overall grades rise and the number of qualifications gained by each one goes up, critics accuse the exam system of becoming easier.

For the 17th year running, the results show another record pass rate. Howls of "declining standards" will almost inevitably follow.

So how have employers reacted? Do they take less notice of A levels now than ever? Has the exam become devalued?

Increasing numbers of pupils are gaining good grades...

Until the 1970s and early 1980s, it was rare for pupils to sit more than three A levels. Often, they took two.
Now, the proportion of those gaining three or more A levels is increasing steadily and many study for four or five.

The A level pass rate was 68.6% in 1970. It has risen relentlessly since then, and last year stood at 87.8%. In a dozen subjects, the rate is even 90%.

The government's qualifications advisers deny a lowering in standards and put the rise in pass rates down to the growing number of middle-class children sitting the exams.

Employers say they see no drop in academic standards of school-leavers - but nonetheless, few use A levels as a guide when choosing would-be staff members.

The Confederation of British Industry says that although employers do take A levels seriously, most are increasingly looking for young people with other skills, such as the ability to communicate, familiarity with new technology and willingness to continue learning at work.

Vital skills

A spokeswoman said: "More children are being encouraged to stay on at school now, and hopefully that's a sign of a more educated population. I suspect A levels probably aren't regarded quite as highly now because employers can afford to be more fussy and seek someone with a degree.

"Twenty years ago, IT skills wouldn't have been important - now they're vital."

Indeed, there are few jobs for which A level results are a key to being accepted.

...but it's no guarantee of a job when employers want other skills

Most large organisations such as the civil service or retailers, such as Sainsbury and Marks & Spencer, rely on their own assessment systems.

Last year, a survey of 254 leading companies showed that 71% thought exam results a poor indicator of future performance at work. Only one in five said A levels were a useful indicator.

And almost half of managers set internal tests to decide between job applicants, the survey by the Institute of Management showed.

Many set tests in personality, problem-solving, reasoning, comprehension and team-working.

Skills, not grades

M&S spokeswoman Cheryl Kuczynski said: "We're not recruiting this year, but in the past, people on our young managers scheme had to have A levels, although we used our own criteria.

"They could have four A-grades, but if they didn't have skills such as team leadership, they wouldn't be right for a career with us."

The Post Office, a big recruiter of school-leavers, agrees that while qualifications are important, wider skills are what they seek, such as communication, the ability to deal with people and numbers, and IT skills.

Chief Executive John Roberts does not believe A levels are getting easier and says the greater breadth of subjects studied can only benefit employers.

Training on the job

He told BBC News Online: "We use A levels as something which says, that's a group of people we can assess. We use assessment techniques to get people who fit our organisation.

"What I do find is that among people we recruit, the standard is still high. The problem is we have fewer jobs now so the competition among young people is higher and I worry about those who don't get a job with us.

"Those who do not get their first choice of job - where do they go and do we as organisations do enough to make sure they can get the training they need?

"It's important for organisations to focus on training and skills. Good companies see that as an investment, encouraging their staff to stay with the company. The Post Office spends �1m a week on training. But probably we could all do more in that respect," Mr Roberts said.