What to expect on GCSE results day 2025: When is it - and how pupils can get their results
This week is shaping up to be an exciting one for this year’s candidates ✉
- This year’s GCSE results day is later this week
- Most pupils will be able to pick their results up from school that morning
- Some, however, are taking part in a new trial which will see them get their results another way
- GCSEs are now marked using a more detailed nine-point grading system
- There are a few steps you can take if you’re concerned about one of your grades
For secondary school pupils, their GCSE exams probably now seem like a distant memory.
But after a months-long wait the summer holidays are drawing to an end, and this year’s GCSE results day is finally approaching. This Thursday (August 21), learners across England, Wales and Northern Ireland will finally find out how they did in what was likely their first set of major exams. It comes one week after A Level results day, which saw both the proportion of students getting top grades and the overall pass rate rise this year.
As the first qualifications most young learners will have taken, it’s only natural that they – and their parents and families – may have some questions about how it will all go down on the big day. Here is our guide to some of the key things you need to know for later this week, from how to actually get your results, to what your options are if they aren’t what you’d hoped:
How do I get my results?
On Thursday morning, pupils will be able to pick up their sealed results envelope from their school. They will usually open specially for this at around 8am, and have staff on hand to talk through results with learners and their families. As always, this may vary depending on individual school – so it’s worth checking in with them for their exact results day plans.
Once they have their envelopes in hand, young people can choose whether to open them then and there (with classmates, on their own, or with a trusted teacher), or save them to open with friends or family.
But there will also be a slightly different way about 100,000 candidates across Greater Manchester and the West Midlands can get their GCSE results this year. The Government is trialling a new app called Education Record, which it eventually hopes to roll out nationwide.
While those taking part in the trial will still be able to go the traditional route of picking their results up from school in person, the app will also publish their results digitally. These will go live at around 11am, alongside a virtual copy of their exam certificate.
What are the different grades I can get – and what do they mean?
Just like A Levels, GCSEs used to be graded using a letter system. But over the last few years, this has transitioned to a new, numerical grading system that now applies across all subjects.
The grade scale now runs from 9 to 1, with 9 being the highest grade. Fewer pupils are typically awarded 9s than the former top mark (an A*), qualifications regulator Ofqual says, as the new grading system is more detailed and better reflects the depth of each candidate’s knowledge.
Generally, a grade of 4 is considered a standard pass, similar to the old C grade, while a 5 is considered a strong pass. A score of 7 or up roughly aligns with getting the old A grade. A score below 4 is not necessarily something to worry about, as this doesn’t mean that your child hasn’t achieved that GCSE.
The only real failing grade, per se, is a ‘U’ – which stands for ‘ungraded’. This means that the pupil did not achieve enough marks to earn a number grade.
What are my options if my grades aren’t what I had hoped?
For some learners, results day will unfortunately not yield the outcomes they might have hoped for. Even if you have a disappointing grade or two, there’s no reason to panic – it’s nothing that your school hasn’t seen or helped guide pupils through before. Once they’ve taken a moment to process this, there are a few steps you can take.
Most GCSE candidates will have taken mathematics and English language (as well as English literature, in many cases), which are required subjects in England. If on results day they haven’t managed to achieve a passing grade of 4 or higher, they will need to continue studying those subjects until they either pass a resit exam or turn 18. Your child’s school should be able to give you more information about this, as well as what extra support is available to help them meet these literacy and numeracy requirements.
If something seems wrong or you think there might have been a mistake with how an exam was marked, students also have a right to appeal their grades with whichever exam board their school uses – it will be either AQA, OCR, Pearson Edexcel, or Eduqas for most.
Schools usually need to do this on their pupils’ behalf, so if it’s an option you’re exploring be sure to set up a meeting with school staff to discuss this. There are usually firm deadlines on this, so it’s important to take action as soon as possible. The school can then ask for the relevant paper’s marking to be reviewed, and the board will have someone check over the exam for any mistakes or issues with how it was graded.
The outcome will be sent back to your school, who will pass it on to you. Grades may go up or down as a result, and if no mistakes are found, you may have to pay a fee.
If you’re still unhappy, you can make a second appeal, and the exam board will look through your work again and make a final decision. If you still have concerns you can then request a review from Ofqual, which will check to make sure the exam board has been following proper marking practice. While Ofqual can’t change your grades, they can make recommendations to the exam board if they find any issues.
The Department for Education has written a blog post with advice for parents and carers supporting students who are receiving their exam results – including what to do if things don’t go as expected. You can check it out online here.