Author
Mhairi Sim
Published
December 2025
Author
Mhairi Sim
Published
December 2025
Author
Mhairi Sim
Published
December 2025
Key takeaways
The GCSE exams 2026 take place between 4th May and 26th June, and while this exam period is long, it is nothing compared to how long it feels that there is to wait for results day! After months (or sometimes years!) of revising and sitting exams, students, parents, and teachers are keen to mark the end of this chapter and move on to whatever is next.
Looking ahead to GCSE results day 2026, we have put together this helpful guide with everything you need to know. We’ll cover when to expect your GCSE results in 2026, how to collect them, and shed some light on what your grades mean.
The official GCSE results day 2026 is Thursday, 20 August 2026. Schools are usually open from as early as 8 am for students to collect their results slip.
There are a few different ways your results may be delivered. This often depends on the specific school or college where the exam was taken.
Check the school’s communications about the GCSE exam results day 2026 for information on how exactly students should expect to receive their results!
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Ahead of the nerve-wracking GCSE results day 2026, there are some steps you can take to reduce anxiety and set yourself up for whatever outcome awaits.
Mark Thursday, 20 August, on your calendar as the GCSE results day 2026 so that you remember the date and can make arrangements ahead of this important day!
Check communications from your school on how and when exactly results will be made available. If results are to be collected in person, do you need to bring anything with you? How will you get to the school that day?
If the results are coming via email or post, ensure the email or postal address the school has on record are correct. There’s nothing worse than waiting all day for results that have been sent to the wrong place!
Some students prefer to open their results alone, while others like to have friends or family there for support. Discuss with your family what feels right for you so that you can feel supported, no matter the grades on the results slip.
Whatever the outcome of the GCSE exams, it’s important to stay positive. Reinforcing that unexpected results, while disappointing, don’t determine your potential, and they may just require you to take a different path towards your dream career.
Regardless of your results, the time and effort that you put into achieving them are certainly worth celebrating! Make plans after picking up your results to mark the end of a stressful and nerve-wracking experience and celebrate your hard work! Going for a meal, going out with friends, or simply heading home for a movie night – whatever you decide to do, make it fun!
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If you are collecting your results in person, your school or college may ask you to bring a form of ID: a passport, provisional driver’s license, bank statement, or a National Insurance letter. Often, it will be a teacher you know handing you the results, but it’s good to take some ID along just in case.
A fully charged phone is also good to take with you so that you can call family or friends to share your results!
On your GCSE exam result slips, you will see the individual marks you achieved for each component or paper you sat, as well as an overall grade. The key thing to note is that a passing grade is Grade 4 and above.
You will have a grade between 1 and 9, where Grade 9 is the highest possible. These grades replaced the older letter grades, but you can see how they are equivalent in the table below:
| Current number grades | Old letter grades |
|---|---|
| 9 | A* |
| 8 | A* |
| 7 | A |
| 6 | B |
| 5 | C |
| 4 | C |
| 3 | D |
| 2 | E |
| 1 | F |
| U | U |
GCSE Grade scale explained gov.uk
Another aspect of GCSE grading that it is helpful to understand is GCSE grade boundaries. These are the threshold scores that determine grade cut-offs. These can be useful in making sense of your grades and seeing where exactly you fell in each grade you received. Learn more in our guide to GCSE grade boundaries.
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Mhairi Sim
Mhairi is an experienced teacher, freelance writer and parent. After completing her bachelor's degree in Psychology, she graduated as a teacher from the University of Strathclyde. She then built experience teaching across KS1 and KS2 throughout the UK. In addition to working in mainstream education, Mhairi specialised in the additional support needs sector, including social, emotional, and behavioural support.
Mhairi
Mhairi is an experienced teacher, freelance writer and parent. After completing her bachelor's degree in Psychology, she graduated as a teacher from the University of Strathclyde. She then built experience teaching across KS1 and KS2 throughout the UK. In addition to working in mainstream education, Mhairi specialised in the additional support needs sector, including social, emotional, and behavioural support.
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