GCSE results day: what to expect and what to do

Results day can feel nerve-racking. Here is what happens, what you can do if your grades are not what you hoped for, and how resits work. Dates and deadlines change every year, so always check with your school or college.

When is results day?

Summer 2026 GCSE results were released on Thursday 20 August 2026. [1]
For summer 2027, the JCQ key dates list GCSE Level 1 and 2 Project results being released to candidates on Thursday 19 August 2027 (schools get them the day before). Independent revision sites report Thursday 19 August 2027 as GCSE results day. Check with your school to confirm. [3]
Cognito reports GCSE results day 2027 as Thursday 19 August, citing the JCQ key dates for the June 2027 series. [5]

On the day

Your school or college tells you how they will give you your results. If you were a private candidate, contact the school or college where you sat your exams. [6]
Results slips are provisional until you get your certificate, which arrives about 10 weeks after results day. [6]
Think ahead about who you want with you on the day. Being with friends helps some people but makes others more anxious. [12]
Have a plan B ready before the day, and try not to compare yourself with others. [12]

If your grades are lower than expected

If your results are not what you expected, you still have options for your next steps, including resits and, if you think a grade is wrong, asking for a review. [10]
Take time before deciding anything. Talk to someone you trust and speak to a teacher or careers adviser about your options. It is their job to help you plan what to do next. [11]
Look at what you did well, and remember that exams are only a small part of who you are. You can talk to a Childline counsellor about how you are feeling. [11]

Reviews and copies of your paper

A clerical re-check checks that every part of your paper was marked and that the marks were added up and recorded correctly. [1]
A review of marking checks that the mark scheme was applied correctly. It is not a full re-mark, and it includes the clerical re-check. [1]
Your school or college can also ask for a copy of your marked exam paper (access to scripts) to help you decide what to do. [2]
You cannot request a review yourself. Talk to your school or college and they contact the exam board. Pearson does not accept these requests from students or parents. Private candidates are the exception. [7]
Your school needs your written consent, given after results come out, before asking for a re-check or review. You must be told that your mark and grade could go down as well as up. [1]
A review can make your grade go up, go down or stay the same. Fees may apply, and your school or college decides whether you pay. [6]
For summer 2026, the last date for review requests was 24 September 2026. These deadlines change every year, and schools often set an earlier internal deadline, so ask quickly. [1]

Resitting English and maths

GCSE English Language and GCSE Maths can be resat in the November exam series. Your school or college can talk you through your options. [6]
To sit the November exams you must have been at least 16 on 31 August of that year. [8]
English Literature cannot be resat in November. It can only be resat in the June exam series. [8]
For the November 2026 series, exams ran from 2 to 11 November 2026 and results are released to candidates on 13 January 2027. [4]

If you do not get a grade 4 in English or maths

In England, 16 to 19 year olds on a study programme who do not have a grade 4 or above in GCSE English and maths keep studying them after 16. [9]
If you got a grade 3, you must study towards the GCSE again. If you got a grade 2 or below, you may study either the GCSE or Functional Skills level 2. [9]

Sources

Checked 23 October 2026. Rules and dates change each year, so check with your school too. GCSE-ready is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by Pearson, JCQ, Ofqual or the Department for Education.