What to do on Results Day 2024
A Level Results day. BTEC results day. T Level results day. Thursday August 15th
What to do to prepare for results day
Your school or college will have told you about the arrangements for collecting your results, but there are some things you might want to think about or do in advance...
- Don't be on holiday when your results come out.
- Try to get some sleep the night before - being sleep deprived isn't going to help so keep active the day before to keep your mind off things.
- If you have applied to university, check Track on UCAS first before you leave to get your results - that way you can be prepared to talk to teachers about any issues once you have received your results.
- If going in person to school or college arrive early to collect your results or be ready to check your emails first thing if they will be shared with you online. If you go to a fairly large college or school, arriving on or after the allocated time can mean you're faced with large queues - prolonging the wait and making nerves worse.
- Being nervous is natural, but try not to get too worked up - remaining calm can mean you're better prepared to consider your next steps, whatever they may be.
- It's not the end of the world if your grades aren't what you hoped or expected - take time to consider your options - rushing to a decision is not a good idea.
- Try not to compare your results with friends if you think there's a risk it might make you feel worse.
- Don't be afraid to ask for advice from teachers or advisers - they will be keen to help you and it's their job!
What to do on results day
What to do if you have applied to university
Hopefully you'll get the exam grades you need, but if you just miss out, the university might accept you anyway.
- You might get a place on either your firm or insurance choice, depending how well your exams go.
- You might be offered an alternative by the university/college - a Changed Course Offer (that you'll need to accept or decline).
- You might not get a place, but you can search through UCAS Clearing to see what courses still have vacancies.
If things don't go according to plan..
- You can try contacting the university and discuss if there are any circumstances that have affected your grades. You can get your teacher to do this with you and speak to them as well if possible.
- You could search for course vacancies in the UCAS Clearing Service.
- You could download UniCompare's clearing app http://clearing.co.uk/ which tells you everything you need to know about Clearing and allows you to talk to universities directly.
- You might want to think about other options – like a gap year, work or an apprenticeship - either instead of higher education, or before reapplying for next year. You can look for apprenticeship vacancies here.
Getting help and advice - university course
- UCAS advisers are available to answer questions from applicants, the number is 0371 4680468.
- Expert advice is also available on Twitter - @ucas_online & Facebook - facebook.com/ucasonline.
- If you don’t get the results you expected (whether higher or lower) and need advice about future options, you might also find it helpful to contact professional careers advisers on the Exam Results Helpline 0800 100 900. The line is open from 8.00 am on results day.
If you have applied for university, the After Applying: results, confirmation and clearing, etc. section of Careerpilot provides useful information about what action to take after receiving your results.
Alternatives to university
Going on to an apprenticeship or work
If you already have an offer of employment or an apprenticeship, it's a good idea to confirm this place once you have received your results. Obviously, this is especially important if your job or apprenticeship was made dependent on achieving particular grades. Whether you get the grades needed or not, it always makes sense to keep your potential employer fully informed of developments.
If you don't have a preferred option in place, you might benefit from investigating these relevant sections in Careerpilot...
Other websites with information about alternatives to university…
Be proud of your achievements
Whatever happens on results day, remember that your friends and family will be proud of you and your achievements - you have worked hard for your qualifications and can be rightly proud of yourself!
What if you couldn't sit your exam?
In the the first instance contact your exams officer at your school or college. You can talk to them about the possibility of resitting your exams or the process for receiving an estimated grade.
Appeals
You can ask your school or college to request a review from the exam board.
You can also ask your school, college or training provider to review the results of any other qualification, for example a BTEC or an NVQ.
If you’re not satisfied with the outcome, you can appeal directly to the awarding organisation. They’ll send you a final report after they’ve reviewed the result.
If you think the awarding organisation did not deal with your appeal correctly, you can complain to Ofqual.