The GCSE results day is memorable for you because the GCSE grades determine the next steps you should take in the course of your education and future career. I remember having mixed feelings on the results day. It was stressful and, at the same time, thrilling. In this article, I want to go through this special day and tell you what to expect on the GCSE results day.
- Try to enjoy the suspense before getting the results.
- Check how you can collect the results with the exam board (online or in person).
- Prepare the identification you need to collect the exam results.
- Be prepared for both good and bad news.
- Celebrate if the results are satisfactory and take the next step.
- Reflect on what might have caused the poor performance.
- Talk to an educational counsellor or career advisor before making a decision.
GCSE Results Day 2024
The results of the GCSE exams will be available on Thursday, 22 August 2024. Depending on the exam board, you can collect the results by going to the school or checking them online.
The results are usually accessible from 8 AM, but again, it can be different. So you should check the announcement specifications with your individual school. You can click here to find more details on GCSE results day 2024.
Why Is the Results Day Important?
Results day is a pivotal day in students’ lives in the UK. The results day marks the end of the secondary school year and is a milestone in the student’s personal growth and development. Many post-16 education providers require GCSE qualifications, and if students aim to proceed to further education, they should get good GCSE grades.
Plus, if the students desire to enter the workforce directly, most industries demand high GCSE grades as entry requirements. In summary, the student’s future depends on the GCSE results. That is the reason why this day is very important for the students and parents.
What Happens on Results Day GCSE
Let’s start from the night before. You might experience some restlessness and excitement about what is to come tomorrow morning. Then the morning comes, you have a thoughtful breakfast or not breakfast at all, and wait for the clock to strike 8.
Next, depending on how the results will be released, you head to the school or sit behind your desk, open up your laptop and log into the exam board’s website. If you have to collect the results in person, check the timing with the school because they might have a specific timetable to avoid overcrowding.
When you see the results, you either need celebration or consolation (I will get back to this point in a bit). If you achieve the required entry grades, you can confirm your place in the desired sixth form or college.
If your GCSE grades do not meet the entry requirements for college or university, you can consult your teachers or career advisors (who are present at the school on the results day) and discuss further education options (e.g., GCSE resits) and career choices (joining the workforce).
In the afternoon of the results day, you can expect some informal gatherings with family and friends. Reflecting on the exam and planning for the future are the hot topics of these gatherings. Do not forget to take some selfies with your friends and classmates; these photos will bring a smile to your face later.
How to Prepare For the Results Day?
In order to prepare for the results day, you first need to find out the date and the place where you can receive the results. If you need to go to the school to collect the results, do not forget to take a form of identification with you. If the results will be released online, make sure you have the login information to check the grades.
Prepare Yourself for Good NEWS and Bad
The GCSE results either meet, go beyond, or fall short of your expectations. In the first scenario, everything is under control, and you are happy with what you got. In the second case, which is the happiest scenario, the results surprise you as you have achieved higher grades than expected.
In the last scenario, which is the saddest one, you will feel disappointed with the results. Let us elaborate more on the second and third scenarios.
Grading GCSEs involves a meticulous process but it is not flawless. If you are not satisfied with the GCSE results and you are confident that you have done better than what the results say, you can appeal against a GCSE. But before that I suggest you read one of our other articles on “GCSE Score Calculator: How to Calculate Accurately.”
- Good GCSE Exam Results
This calls for a celebration! Treat yourself to an activity you enjoy. Good GCSE results are the green light to higher education, and you deserve to have some fun before taking the next step and applying for college or sixth form. This is a moment of appreciation and thankfulness to yourself for the hardships you endured to achieve these results. This is also a good opportunity to thank your supporters, especially your parents and teachers, who played a significant role in your success.
- Bad GCSE Exam Results
When you see unfavourable results, the first thing you need to do is keep your composure. You should make every effort to focus on the future rather than get stuck in the past. It is OK to feel sad and disappointed, but these feelings must not linger.
You should reflect on what might have caused the poor exam performance and try to make up for it. You can also ask a counsellor to provide advice on the exam paper. Remember, you can retake the GCSE exam next time. So, do not beat yourself up.
I have expanded on the causes of “bad GCSE grades” and the steps to take afterwards. Click on the link to learn more
Succeeding in the GCSEs requires meticulous and long-term planning. You need to start revising for the exam at least six months before the exams to be able to cover all the subjects covered in the exam.
Get Help from a Professional Tutor
The planning of the revision process is a lot of work and takes too much of your time but it may not even work out. That is why you should get help from a professional educator to make the revision process effective.
Ostado is a leading tutoring platform in Britain. You can get great advice on GCSE revision from Ostado’s GCSE tutors. You can find your preferred GCSE tutors for the challenging subjects of the GCSE exams like Maths and Physics. We will be proud to be part of your success story.
Practise Some Stress-relief Techniques
We often take simple things for granted. For instance, a deep breath or a sip of water is sometimes the only thing standing between you and your emotional breakdown. Progressive muscle relaxation is another technique you can use to release stress. It involves tensing and relaxing different muscles in your body to reduce stress levels. There is also another technique which I personally recommend.
In the visualisation technique, you imagine your utopia and allow your best personality to come to the surface. I usually do this with the help of music, and frankly, sometimes, I cannot get enough of this imaginary perfect world. So be careful not to get too attached to this technique.
Write Down Your Experience in Your Journal
There is a voice inside of us that sometimes taunts us and sometimes encourages us. Although this is acrimonious and exhausting, we need to listen to this critical and scolding voice.
One of the ways to let this harassing voice express itself is through keeping a journal. As a writer, I guarantee that you will be surprised by the calming effect of pouring your thoughts as they are on a piece of paper.
“When you were a teenager, you might have kept a diary hidden under your mattress. It was a place to confess your struggles and fears without judgement or punishment. It likely felt good to get all of those thoughts and feelings out of your head and down on paper. The world seemed clearer.
Get Social Support
Most of you are blessed to have that one friend with whom you share everything. If I were you, I would ask that friend to accompany me in collecting the results. If the results are satisfactory, you deserve a hug, and if everything goes down the hill, you can use a pat on the shoulder. Overall, this is an emotional day, and you need your loved ones to be around.
FAQs - GCSE Results Day
- Do parents go to GCSE results day?Parents can accompany their children on the results day, but it is not mandatory for parents to be present at the school to get the results.
- What to do if you are away on results day?If the results are accessible online, being away on the results day is not a problem, given that you have access to the internet. But if you have to get the results in person, you must authorise someone, prepare a permission letter, and give them the necessary documents to get the results on your behalf.
- Is grade 3 GCSE a pass?The lowest passing grade in the GCSE grading system is 4, so 1, 2, and 3 are failing grades.