What your results mean in practical terms
A set of GCSE results is a record of how one set of exams went on particular days. It is useful information about what to do next. It is not a verdict on you. What the results mean in practice depends on where you are heading: a sixth form or college course, an apprenticeship, or work with training. Each of those has its own entry requirements, and those requirements are set by the place offering the course, not by this pack.
So the first job on results day is a short one: compare your results with what your next step asks for. Look at the offer or conditions you were given, then see whether you meet them. If you do, you are largely done. If you are unsure, or you are a little short, you have options, and nobody expects you to sort them out in the first hour.
Your options, in plain terms
If your results match your plans
Confirm your place with the school, sixth form or college, and check what they want from you next (enrolment, subject changes, start dates). Ask what summer work, if any, they suggest.
If you are close to what you needed
Contact the place you hoped to join as soon as you can and ask whether anything is flexible. Some will talk to you about a different course or level; some will not. Asking, politely and early, is the only way to find out.
If something looks wrong
Results can sometimes feel out of line with how an exam went. Exam results can be queried, but there is a set route. According to the joint body for exam boards in the UK, if you took your exams through a school or college, requests for a review are made by that school or college, not by students or parents, and your written consent is needed for clerical re-checks and reviews of marking. Reviewers do not re-mark the script; they look for errors in the original marking. Fees are set by each exam board, and there are deadlines, so tell your school quickly. Our sources section links to the official page.
If you want to improve a result
Resitting a subject is a real choice for some people. Ask your next school or college how they handle it. A tutor can help you plan the work, but the entry arrangements are for the exam centre to explain.
If you would rather change direction
Qualifications sit at different levels, and there is more than one route through them. This government guide to qualification levels shows how GCSEs, apprenticeships and technical courses relate. There are also tools on the National Careers Service site for exploring courses and jobs.
Who to ask
- Your school's exams officer, for anything to do with queries about a result.
- Your school's careers adviser or head of sixth form, for next steps.
- Admissions office at the sixth form, college or training provider you applied to.
- A parent or carer, and a tutor if you have one, as a sounding board.
A simple timeline
- Before results day: write down your plan A, plan B and plan C, and find the contact details for each place.
- Results day: compare your results with your offers. Make one phone call or send one email, then stop for the day.
- In the days after: if you want a query raised, speak to your school's exams officer straight away, because deadlines apply. Talk to your parents and your next school or college.
- Before term starts: confirm your place, subjects and start date. If you are resitting, ask about dates.
Your decision worksheet
Fill this in by hand. Pencil is fine.
1. What I hoped for and what I got
| Subject | What I needed | What I got | Match? (yes / close / no) |
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2. My options
| Option | What it needs | Good about it | Worries |
|---|---|---|---|
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3. Who I will contact
| Person or place | Contact details | Question to ask | Date done |
|---|---|---|---|
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4. My decision
- My next step is: ______________________________________
- I will do this by: ______________________________________
- First thing I will do tomorrow: ______________________________________
- Person I will tell: ______________________________________
Whatever the results say, one tricky day does not decide the rest. If you are feeling low about them, talk to someone you trust.
Other editions of this pack: the A-level edition and the university edition.