Results day 2027: GCSE and A-Level dates and what to do

Key takeaways

• →A-Level results day 2027 is Thursday 12 August and GCSE results day 2027 is Thursday 19 August. AQA, Pearson Edexcel and WJEC Eduqas all list these days.
• →Your school or college gives you your results, and it decides how and when. Ask early how it will work, especially if you will be away.
• →A-Level students can see their university decision in the UCAS Hub. Clearing opens on 2 July 2027, and UCAS says Adjustment is no longer available.
• →If a result looks wrong, speak to the school quickly. Only the school can ask for a review, marks can go up or down, and deadlines are short.

1. Results day 2027: the dates

A-Level results day 2027 is Thursday 12 August, according to AQA’s A-Level timetable. Schools and colleges get results the day before.^[1]

AQA’s GCSE timetable gives Thursday 19 August 2027 for GCSE results day. Schools and colleges get those results on Wednesday 18 August.^[2]

Pearson Edexcel’s key dates for 2026 to 2027 give the same four days for A-Level and GCSE.^[3]

WJEC Eduqas’s guide to results for 2026 to 2027 gives the same two results days.^[4]

JCQ, the joint body for the main exam boards, lists these days in its June 2027 key dates only for the Extended Project and the GCSE project qualifications. It has no row for ordinary A-Level or GCSE subjects.^[5]

We could not find OCR’s own 2027 results days. If your child sits OCR papers, ask the school to confirm.

UCAS, the university admissions service, lists Clearing opening on 2 July 2027, and 18 October 2027 as the last date to add a 2027 Clearing choice.^[7]

2. How results day works

Your school or college gives you your results, and it decides how and when. WJEC Eduqas says students get results from 08:00 on results day, issued by the school or college that entered them.^[4]

JCQ’s notice to schools for 2026 said students must not receive results by email, post or any other route before 08:00. We have not seen the 2027 notice, so check your school’s plan.^[6]

UCAS tells families to check whether results are online or in person, what the collection times are, and whether students must attend.^[11]

If results are online, have your login details ready. Bring anything else your school asks for, and keep your phone charged.^[11]

If you will be away, tell the school early. UCAS advises explaining the situation, confirming exactly how and when you will get your results, and saving any logins you need.^[11]

Do not assume results can be emailed. Ask your school what it can offer.

3. A-Level results and university

Your university decision appears in the UCAS Hub, the online account where you track your application. It shows whether your place has been confirmed.^[9]

In 2026 the Hub updated from 08:00 UK time on results day. It does not show your grades, which come from your school or college. Exam results are usually sent to your university choices automatically.^[10]

UCAS’s 2026 guide said to ring the university if a decision is still pending by mid-morning. It suggests having your Hub sign-in details, a shortlist of universities with their phone numbers, and a charged phone ready the night before.^[11]

Before the day, UCAS suggests exploring Clearing vacancies and saving courses in the Hub.^[10]

Clearing is how students find courses that still have places. UCAS shows vacancies in its search tool from 2 July 2027.^[8]

Students can only join Clearing once they have their grades, or if they hold no offers. UCAS says Clearing is not a sign that something has gone wrong.^[11]

In 2026, students could add a Clearing choice from 13:00 UK time on results day. Check UCAS for the 2027 time.^[10]

Adjustment was the old route for changing university after doing better than expected. UCAS says it has not been available since 2022 entry. If you do better than expected, UCAS says to speak to your university and a school adviser first. You can then release yourself into Clearing with the “decline your place” button, but only if you no longer want your place.^[12]

Talk to the university first: If you narrowly miss your offer, ring the university before you do anything else. Ask whether they will hold your place, and for how long.

4. If results are not what you hoped

The first step is to talk to your school or college. Ofqual, the exams regulator, says most exam boards do not take review requests from students directly. The school asks for you, with your permission.^[13]

JCQ says only school staff can send these requests for their own students. Parents and carers cannot. Students must give written consent before a clerical re-check or review of marking, because marks and grades could go down.^[14]

5. Marks, fees and deadlines

A review is not a guarantee. If no mistake is found, your mark and grade stay the same. If one is found, the mark could go up or down. A board cannot add marks because you were close to a grade boundary or missed your predicted grade.^[13]

Exam boards may charge for a review if your grade does not change, and Ofqual says there are no fees if it does. Your school or college can tell you about any charges.^[13]

JCQ says each exam board sets its own fees, so we have not given amounts. We have not found the 2027 review deadlines. In 2026, the deadline for priority reviews of marking was 20 August 2026, and the last date for other reviews was 24 September 2026. JCQ’s 2026 turnaround for a priority review was up to 15 days.^[14]

Ofqual says boards aim to finish priority reviews by the date UCAS advises universities to hold places, which was 3 September in 2026. If you still disagree after a review, your school or college can appeal.^[13]

UCAS warns that grades can go down as well as up, and that universities do not have to hold places while a review takes place.^[11]

The first step is to talk to your school or college.

6. GCSE results: what happens next

The National Careers Service says young people must stay in education or training until they turn 18. Its three main routes are full-time education (A-Levels, vocational qualifications such as BTECs, and T Levels), an apprenticeship, or working or volunteering for 20 hours or more a week alongside part-time education or training.^[15]

Under Department for Education guidance for 16 to 19 study programmes, students who do not have a grade 4 or above in GCSE English or maths must keep studying that subject. Our GCSE resits guide and our GCSE grades explained guide cover this in more detail.^[16]

If a GCSE result puts a sixth form or college place at risk, speak to the school straight away about review options and deadlines.

7. What to do on the day: a calm checklist

The night before, agree who will be with you, and where and when you will collect results. Find any logins.

In the morning, collect or open your results the way your school has said. Read the whole slip before you react.

If you are applying to university, check your UCAS Hub. If your place is still pending after mid-morning, ring the university.^[11]

If something looks wrong, ask a teacher or the exams office what happens next, and how long you have to decide.

If you are disappointed, take a breath, eat something and talk it through. You do not need to decide everything in the first hour, but do ask about deadlines before you leave.

Write down the deadlines: Before you leave school, ask for the date it needs a decision on any review, and put it on the family calendar.

8. How Brainhub can help

We teach one-to-one, live online across the UK. Online GCSE lessons start from £30 an hour and A-Level lessons from £40 an hour.

Every family starts with a free 45-minute assessment. If results day shows topics that need more work, it is a calm place to start and to plan what comes next.

1. 1. When are A-Level and GCSE results days in 2027?

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2. 2. Who can ask an exam board for a review of marking?

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3. 3. Is UCAS Adjustment still available?

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Your next steps

• Put 12 August and 19 August 2027 on the family calendar.
• Ask school how results will be collected, and what happens if you are away.
• Book a free 45-minute assessment to plan next steps.

Subject guides to go with this

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