I/GCSE & A Levels 2023: A Need to Know

The wait is nearly over. I/GCSE and A Level students receive their results next month. But when and how do you access your results? Can you appeal the grades you’ve received? Or resit exams later in the year? 

In this guide we look what all I/GCSE and A Level students need to know, about grading, offer advice for UK university hopefuls, and explain what you can do if things do not go exactly to plan...

Check whichschooladvisor.com from August 17 for a comprehensive round-up of A Level and I/GCSE results.

When and how will I get my A Level results?

A Level results will be published from 8am (GMT) on Thursday, August 17. 

When and how will I get my I/GCSE results?

I/GCSE results will be published from 8am (GMT) on Thursday, August 24. 

What do I need on A Level Results Day?

Be organised, and make sure you have the following close at hand:

• your UCAS Track number, details of conditional offers, university contact numbers, and universities' UCAS and Clearing numbers
• notes from your researched universities and courses, with a list of questions to ask course tutors if needed
• your personal statement and GCSE results

How will I/GCSEs and A Levels be graded?

Ofqual has confirmed a return to pre-pandemic grading as the next step in getting back to normal, while also "recognising the disruption that students have faced."

Senior examiners will set grade boundaries based on the grades achieved by previous cohorts of students in the pre-pandemic years, along with prior attainment data.

Dr Jo Saxton, Chief Regulator of Ofqual, says:

"We expect that overall results in 2023 will be much closer to pre-pandemic years than results since 2020. This decision means that results in 2023 will be lower than in 2022."

Rachel Taylor, Associate Director, Standards & Technical Issues for Ofqual, says:

"The return to pre-pandemic grading means that national results will be lower than last summer. It will be most meaningful to compare this year’s results with 2019, the last year that summer exams were taken before the pandemic. "

Grade boundaries are set after students have taken the assessments and marking is nearly complete and "they might be higher or lower than in 2019".

Commenting on university admission, Ms Taylor adds:

"Universities are aware of the approach to grading in 2023 and took this into account when making offers. And don’t forget, the overall number of university places available is not governed by the number of top grades."

What happens if my results meet the requirements for my university offer?

In most countries, your chosen university will be notified of your results automatically. In this case you don’t need to do anything. If you have at least one conditional place and you've met the requirements, then the offer will change to 'unconditional'.

If applying to a UK university, this firm acceptance will be confirmed in Track and by a confirmation letter from UCAS.

Some universities will require further action on your part. The letter will explain any further instructions, such as providing evidence of your qualifications. If you've used UCAS Extra to add another choice - and have been offered a place - you'll just need to accept it by the date displayed in Track. There's also the option of adding another choice, should you wish to decline the offer.

What happens if I have applied to a UK university?

If you're going to university in the UK, UCAS receives your results directly and will update 'Track' – this is normally about 8am GMT. While Track will tell you whether your chosen university has accepted you, it won't detail your grades. You may well be accepted for your firm choice even if you haven't achieved the exact requirements of your offer.

The Track system will be very busy, so you will need to be patient to find out whether you’ve been successful. Try not to stress too much – although doing so is of course totally understandable. Universities may also take a while to make their decision and for this to show on Track. If Track is not updating, you can always contact them directly over the phone.

When Track updates to show your place is confirmed, UCAS will email an AS12 letter. Follow the instructions as to what your university requires you to do. Some don't need you to do anything else to confirm your place, but others do. Store the email. You'll need it as proof to open a student bank account and other official requirements.

What happens if I do not get the results I want?

University offers are often dependent different factors, so, it’s important to read your original offer requirements carefully so you know where you stand. Seek advice from your chosen university, and in many cases, they can decide to accept you anyway. Alternatively, the university may let you know that they will not be holding your place. If so, you need to speak to your second-choice university if you have met their requirements.

If you are not offered the university place you want, you can consider getting your exams remarked. However, remember that your results can go down as well as up. You may prefer to retake some of your exams or, if applying to a UK university, you can enter the Clearing process.

Can I retake my A Levels or GCSEs?

You can’t appeal your grade because you think you would have done better in your exams. But, if you feel that your grades don't accurately reflect your performance, you can choose to sit exams in the autumn series or in 2024.

You can choose to take as many subjects in the autumn as you want to. But if you want to take a particular subject, you will need to take all the exam papers in that subject.

OFQUAL says: “If you choose to take exams in the autumn or next summer and achieve a different grade from the grade you received this summer, you will be able to use the higher of the two grades to show to universities, colleges and employers in future.”

How do I get a UK University place through Clearing?

If you do not get the grades you need for your original university course, and you still want to go to university in the UK, then you need to go through Clearing. UCAS Clearing is for anyone who didn't meet the conditions of their university offer, did better than they expected and wants to see if they can find a 'better' course, didn't receive any offers - or anyone that accepted no offers.

You can apply for a place through Clearing until October 20, providing you are not already holding an offer from a university or college, and the course you're applying to still has space. If you decide that the firm offer choice is perhaps not the right one after all, you will need to ask the university to withdraw the offer in order to enable you to go through Clearing.

More than 60,000 applicants obtained places through Clearing last year. These include places at top universities and on sought after courses, for a whole number of reasons – not least because of students failing to get their grades, or last-minute switches from students who perhaps did better than expected.

Details of available places through to how to accept your place on Track (your online UCAS application) can be found on the UCAS site. Alternatively, you can log onto the online versions of The Telegraph newspaper, which is UCAS’s official partner for Clearing, to search for available places (searchable by university or subject preference.