GCSE results day 2022: key dates and information

When is GCSE results day and what happens if your students don’t achieve the grades they wanted? We round up the key information

29th July 2022, 8:00am

Tes Editorial

Gcse Results Day 2021: All You Need To Know

When is GCSE results day 2022?

GCSE results day will be Thursday 25 August 2022 in England, Northern Ireland and Wales.

In Scotland, National 5 exams results day will be Tuesday 9 August 2022. You can find out more about the SQA National 5 courses by visiting the SQA website.

Find out about GCSE results day 2023

What time are the GCSE results released?

Usually, students will be able to collect their results from their school or college in the morning from 8am. Some schools may stagger this time or email out results instead.

How will the 2022 GCSEs be calculated?

This is the first time that exams have taken place since 2019, following two years of cancellations as part of the measures to control the spread of coronavirus.

In 2020, exams were replaced with centre-assessed grades (CAGs). Then, in 2021, teacher-assessed grades (TAGs) were used.

As a consequence of using a different method of assessment, grades were much higher than normal, with two in five grades awarded either an A or A*, meaning inflation and grade reliability were called into question.

This year, GCSE grades will be calculated by using boundaries set at around a midway point between the distributions seen in 2021 and 2019, the last year when public exams were sat.

Ofqual has said this is to reflect how 2022 is a “transition” year during which students have still suffered disruption as a result of Covid-19.

You can read more about the grading and how it will work in our interview with Jo Saxton, Ofqual’s chief regulator, who sat down with Tes to exclusively review this year’s exams details.

Understanding 9-1 GCSE grades

GCSEs are graded from 1 to 9 rather than A* to G. Although it’s difficult to map the two grading structures exactly, the Department for Education issued the following table:

Find out more about the new grading system.

The way schools are judged has also changed to rely less on the number of children reaching grade C or above.

Schools will use a system called Progress 8 to measure how much progress a student has made during their time at the school.

Find out more on the Progress 8 system.

Collecting GCSE results

Students are normally able to collect their results from their school or college in the morning, usually from 8am.

It is advisable for students to bring with them any acceptance letters and the relevant contact details for any sixth form or college that they’re interested in attending, along with identification.

Those who are unable to collect their results in person can request in advance to receive them via email. These will be available from 8am. To receive your results via email, speak to your school or college.

What happens if a student needs to retake an exam?

Students who are unhappy with their English language and mathematics results will be able to resit in November.

All other subjects may be entered again in the summer 2023 examination series.

What if students miss out on the grades they need for their next step?

If a student has missed out on the grades that they needed to enrol on to the next course they had planned to do, the best way forward is to get in contact with the education provider (be that college or sixth form, etc) and inform them of what grades have been achieved, and, if applicable, update them with the extenuating circumstances.

If the student has their offer withdrawn due to failure to secure their entry grades, then the student should contact other providers to see if they have spaces.

Often, it is easier for the student to physically visit the sixth form or college they wish to apply to rather than calling or emailing due to the fact that, during the holidays, many education establishments will not be fully staffed.

Can students appeal GCSE grades?

As usual, students will be able to appeal their grades. Schools can use our guide to appeals to help decide whether to appeal and how to start the process.