A-level results day 2024: everything you need to know

A-level results day this year is on Thursday 15 August 2024. Here are all the essential details you need to be aware of

26th June 2024, 1:00pm

This August, schools and colleges will be supporting their students as they collect their results and prepare to make the transition into further study or employment.

We have the latest news, key dates and important information that schools need to know in order to help their young people as they take their next steps.

When is A-level results day?

A-level results day 2024 is on Thursday 15 August. Both A-level and T-level results will be released to schools on Wednesday 14 August and will be made available to students the following day.

What time are A-level results released?

Students should be able to collect their results online or in person from their school or college from 8am, however it is best to check exact times and procedures in advance.

What should students do if they don’t get the A-level grades they need for university?

On A-level results day, many students will discover they have not obtained the grades they need to go on to study at their planned institution.

Schools may assist these students by advising them to contact the university from which they had accepted a firm offer and/or an insurance offer.

What should students do if they want to appeal a grade?

If students believe there has been a mistake in the marking or administration process, they have the right to appeal against the grade they’ve received.

The first step in this process is to request to see the marked paper, then they can request the marking to be reviewed. A review of marking will involve the paper being re-marked by a second examiner.

There are three key dates for A-level grade appeals: the deadline to request a priority copy of the marked paper - one date for those with a university place pending and the second for those who are deciding on next steps - and then the deadline to request a review of marking.

Check these deadlines with the relevant exam board: this year, for example, AQA’s review deadlines are Thursday 22 August, Thursday 29 August and Thursday 26 September respectively.

Find out more on the appeals process

How do missed grades affect university offers?

Students who have applied to university courses through the Ucas admissions service will have usually already accepted one firm and one insurance offer.

Students who have failed to secure the grades they hoped for will need to first establish whether they will still be accepted onto their chosen course with their current grades or if moving to an alternative course at the same institution would be possible.

Sometimes the university may still be able to offer the student a place on the course. In some cases, it may be appropriate for the school to update the university with extenuating circumstances to explain the lower grade. It is also possible that they may require the student to appeal an A-level grade.

How does the university clearing process work?

In a situation where a student has their firm and insurance offers withdrawn owing to failure to secure the entry grades required, the school may assist the student in going through the Ucas clearing process.

For questions on how clearing works, see our guide to clearing, which explains what students need to do in order to secure a place using the service.

Will students receive their A-level certificates on results day?

Students won’t receive their A-level certificates on results day. Instead, they receive a Candidate Statement of Provisional Results.

It is only once re-marks and appeals have been processed that certificates are awarded. This will happen in the autumn, often once students have already taken up their university or further education course or employment.

The certificates will then either be sent out to students or the school or college may hold a presentation evening where A-level certificates and other awards are given to students.

Candidate Statements of Provisional Results are slips of paper that contain the A-level grades that have been awarded, and the individual mark per paper. Each exam board that a student has taken an exam with will provide one.

Students can use these statements as proof of qualifications in the interim period between results day and their certificates being awarded.

When are exam results released in Scotland?

Scottish exam results are released on Tuesday 6 August 2024. Students finishing college in Scotland sit the Scottish Highers, which are broadly considered to be the same as A levels.

Learn more about SQA results day