GCSE students will receive their results on Thursday, August 25 after months of anxiously waiting to see whether they have received the results they need for their preferred next step.
Whether students are waiting to find out if they have been placed in their preferred college or if they have received the results they need for their desired career, GCSE results day can be anxiety-inducing for everyone involved.
Many students will be nervous to see if the coronavirus pandemic has left them disadvantaged as this year's GCSE students are the first to sit exams since the pandemic.
But what time will GCSE grades be released on results day? Here's everything you need to know.
What time can you collect your GCSE results?
Students can normally collect their results from school or college at around 8am on results day.
However, make sure to check with your teachers before travelling to collect your results.
Schools should have already let students know whether they can receive their results by email or post.
Those who are unable to collect their results in person will receive their grades either by email from 8am or by post, which will come with with their household's regular mail.
How the GCSE grading system works
In 2017, a numerical grading system was introduced, with the higher the number, the better the grade.
- Grade 9 is equivalent to a high A*
- Grade 8 is equivalent to a low A*, high A
- Grade 7 is equivalent to an A
- Grade 6 is equivalent to a high B
- Grade 5 is equivalent to a low B, high C
- Grade 4 is equivalent to a C
- Grace 3 is equivalent to a D
- Grade 2 is equivalent to a low E, high F
- Grade 1 is equivalent to an F or G
If you fail your exam, you will receive a U (meaning ungraded).
How were last year's results calculated?
The coronavirus pandemic meant that students were unable to sit their exams last year.
Instead, teachers' predictions - called 'Centre Assessment Grades' (CAGs) and based on all their work until schools closed in March 2020 - were used to work out grades.
Those who benefited from a grade being revised up were able to keep their grade over their teachers' predictions.
What to do if you don’t get the grades you expected?
It can be incredibly disappointing when students don’t get the grades they expected or hoped for.
Students wishing to appeal any grades given that they believe to be wrong must first contact their school or institution.
The school will ensure all measures were correctly following during the grading process and the school will review the grade given.
If the school finds a grading error, the school will submit a revised grade to the exam board.
If no error is found by the school and all procedures were followed correctly, the school will contact the exam board for them to review the grade given.
The exam board will look at the evidence provided by the school to assess if they believe the grade given shows a true and fair representation of the student's overall work.
If these processes are conducted and the student still disagrees with the grade given, they can apply for their case to be referred to The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation's (Ofqual) Exams Procedure Review Service (EPRS).
Ofqual will investigate further to see if the exam board has made the correct judgement.
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