GCSE results day guide
August 20, 2018
Read our guide about GCSE results day ahead of Thursday 24th August.
GCSE results day can be a stressful experience – children head to school in masses to collect their results together, most of them have probably worked harder than they ever have before to get these results, and futures will be decided by a slip of paper. However, if students and parents consider the advice given in this guide, GCSE results day can be a considerably less stressful experience.
Before results day:
- Find out when students can go into school to collect their results (this will usually be in the morning, so students should try to get a good night’s sleep).
- It may also be helpful for students to decide how they will get to school on results day.
- Once a student has arrived at school, they will receive an envelope containing their results. Before results day, it is important for a student to decide whether they want to open this envelope at school or at home. There are merits to both of these options and students should consider which option feels best for them.
- If a student cannot go into school to collect their results they can make alternative arrangements with the school before results day, such as receiving the results via email or through the post, or by sending a nominated individual to collect results on the student’s behalf.
- Finally, don’t panic, most students will achieve their expected grades.
On results day:
- Students should make sure to take their phone to school with them, this will allow them to contact their parents/guardians about their results.
- In 2018, students will receive some of their grades on the new mark scheme (1-9) and some on the old mark scheme (G-A*). See our article on GCSE results for an explanation of what these results and mark schemes mean.
- Students should also check whether their grades are sufficient for them to confirm a place on the courses they have chosen at the next level of their education.
- If a student does not achieve the sufficient grades, there are a number of actions which can be taken.
What do a student does not achieve their desired grades:
- For each subject, a student will receive a grade and a UMS score
- The UMS (Uniform Mark Scale) is used to convert ‘raw’ exam marks (i.e. the mark which a student achieved in their exam) to a scale. The scale allows for comparisons to be made across different years. This ensures that a student’s grade will reflect the difficulty of the exam papers they took.
- Students should check their UMS scores against the UMS grade boundaries online
- A student should consider asking for a re-mark if their grade is much lower than expected or if they have missed a grade by a few UMS points. It should always be remembered that a re-mark can result in a lower grade, so requesting a re-mark should be a careful decision.
- Re-marks can be arranged through school/college
- If the student has not achieved passes in English and Maths it is likely that they will need to re-sit these exams before they can move onto their next stage of education. These re-sits can be arranged for November.
- If the student has not achieved their desired grades in other subjects, they can re-sit these the next summer alongside the next stage of their education
- If a student does not achieve the grades they need for their chosen A-Level courses, they can find out whether their grades are sufficient for them to find a place on other A-Level courses
- A-Levels are not the only available option for a child once they have finished their GCSEs. There are other options too, many of which require lower grades than A-Levels. Read our breakdown on last year’s A Level results day.
Sources:
https://university.which.co.uk/advice/gcse-choices-university/gcse-results-day-2015-what-to-expect
https://www.getreading.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/survival-guide-gcse-results-day-13518167
https://www.simplylearningtuition.co.uk/private-tutors/gcse-tuition-london/gcse-results-day-a-parents-guide/
http://www.aqa.org.uk/student-support/for-students/results-day
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/gcse-results-day-2017-when-is-it-how-to-collect-grades-everything-need-know-guide-school-college-a7868861.html
https://www.tes.com/news/gcse-results-day-2018-all-you-need-know
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