A-Level results day 2026 is Thursday 13 August. Whether you are feeling confident, anxious or somewhere in between, this guide covers everything you need to know before that morning arrives: when and how results are released, what to do if you meet your offer, what to do if you do not, how Clearing works, how to request a review of marking and what your options are if you want to retake.
A-Level, AS Level and T Level results are released on Thursday 13 August 2026, confirmed directly by Ofqual in their official student guide to exams and assessments in 2026. Level 3 VTQ results for students progressing to higher education are also available on or before this date. GCSE results follow one week later on Thursday 20 August.
When and how will you receive your results?
Most schools and sixth forms open from 8am on results morning. Your institution sets the exact time, so if you are not certain, contact them before the day rather than turning up and finding out on arrival. Results are typically available to collect in person at your school or sixth form. Many institutions also release them simultaneously through a student online portal, so you may be able to check before you get there.
If you cannot attend in person, contact your school or sixth form before results day to arrange how your results will be sent to you. Most can email or provide access online, but this needs to be sorted in advance. Do not leave it until the morning of the 13th.
UCAS typically updates your Track account with your results information on the morning of results day. If you have a university offer, you will be able to see whether your place has been confirmed through Track. Your university may also contact you directly.
If you have met your offer
If you have achieved the grades your firm choice university requires, your place will typically be confirmed automatically through UCAS. You should see this reflected in your UCAS Track account and may receive a confirmation email from the university directly. Check Track as soon as results are available so you know where you stand.
Once confirmed, your university will send further information about enrolment, accommodation and what to do before you arrive in September. If you have not already sorted accommodation, do so as soon as possible. University accommodation tends to fill up quickly and the timeline between results day and the start of term is shorter than it feels.
If you have exceeded your offer
If your results are significantly better than expected, you may want to consider whether your insurance or firm choice is still the right fit. UCAS has a process called Adjustment, which allows students who have exceeded the conditions of their firm offer to apply to an alternative university or course without giving up their existing place.
Adjustment is time-limited and not available to everyone, but if you have done considerably better than anticipated and want to explore more competitive options, it is worth checking whether you qualify through your UCAS Track account on results day. Act quickly if so, as the window is short.
If you have missed your offer
This is where preparation in advance makes the most difference. The first thing to do is not panic and not make irreversible decisions in the first hour. Get the full picture of your grades, then start making calls.
Contact your firm choice university directly as soon as possible. Do not assume that missing a grade automatically means your place is gone. Many universities have some flexibility, particularly if you have narrowly missed one subject while meeting the requirement in others, or if your Personal Statement and reference are strong. Ask specifically whether they are able to honour your offer given the grades you have received. The admissions team will be handling many calls on the day, so be patient but persistent.
If your firm choice cannot accommodate you, contact your insurance choice next and ask the same question. Insurance choices exist for exactly this situation and they may be able to confirm your place.
If neither option works, Clearing is the next step.
Knowing what you will do if grades do not go to plan is not pessimism. It is preparation. Before results day, identify two or three alternative courses or universities you would be genuinely happy attending. Check their entry requirements and note their admissions contact numbers. Having this information ready means you spend results morning acting rather than researching from scratch.
How Clearing works
UCAS Clearing opens on results day and lists university courses across the UK that still have places available. It is designed for students who do not have a confirmed university place, whether because they missed their offer, did not apply earlier in the year, or chose to decline all their offers.
To use Clearing, you need to be eligible, which means you do not currently hold a confirmed university place. Once eligible, you can search available courses through the UCAS website, contact universities directly using the Clearing phone number listed for each course, and if a university wants to make you an offer, you add them as a Clearing choice in your UCAS Track account. The university then confirms whether to accept you.
Clearing can feel chaotic but it produces good outcomes for a significant number of students each year. Some excellent universities and courses appear in Clearing, particularly for students with strong grades who are flexible about subject or location. The important things are to have a clear sense of what you are looking for, to be organised about who you are calling and what you are asking, and to make decisions carefully rather than accepting the first offer that comes through.
If you are using Clearing, have your UCAS personal ID number, your results and your Personal Statement to hand. Many universities will ask you questions about yourself and your motivation for the course before making a decision.
Requesting a review of marking
If you believe a paper has been marked incorrectly, you can request a review of marking through your school or sixth form. This is a formal process with a deadline, so if you are considering it, do not delay.
A review means a senior examiner looks at your paper again. If a marking error is found and your grade would be higher as a result, you receive the higher grade. If no error is found, your original grade stands. In most cases, if no change is made, the review fee is refunded.
Before requesting a review, speak to your subject teacher. They can look at the grade in the context of your performance and give you a view on whether a review is likely to be productive. Reviews are most likely to result in a grade change where there are clear, identifiable errors such as missed questions or incorrect mark totals, rather than where the issue is a marker's subjective judgement on an extended answer.
Bear in mind that if your university place depends on a particular grade, the timeline for a review may not be fast enough to affect your university offer before institutions need to make decisions. Discuss this with your school and contact your university to ask whether they would be willing to hold your place while a review is pending.
Retaking A-Level subjects
If you are not satisfied with a grade after a review, retaking is an option. Most A-Level subjects are available to retake in the following summer series. Some subjects may have earlier sittings. Check with your exam board and school for the specific subjects you are considering.
Retaking while at university is possible but uncommon and logistically complicated. The more typical route is to take a gap year, retake one or two subjects over the following year and reapply to university through UCAS for the year after. Many students who do this end up with a stronger application as well as a better grade, particularly if the gap year is used productively.
If you are considering this route, speak to your school or sixth form as soon as possible about how to re-register for the subjects you want to retake and what support is available. You may also want to look at independent sixth form colleges that specifically support resit students.
How grade boundaries are set
Grade boundaries vary from year to year based on how difficult each paper was. This is not arbitrary. The standard of work required to achieve a particular grade stays consistent from one year to the next. If the raw mark needed to achieve a grade A changes compared to the previous year, it is because that year's paper was slightly harder or easier, not because the standard itself has shifted. Achieving a grade A in 2026 represents the same level of achievement as a grade A in any other year.
There are no quotas for how many students can achieve each grade. The proportion of students achieving each grade does shift slightly from year to year, but there is no cap preventing a larger number of students from reaching a particular grade if the work merits it.
Practical preparation before 13 August
Confirm your school or sixth form's opening time and location for results collection. Save the contact numbers for your firm and insurance choice universities. Identify two or three Clearing alternatives and note their contact details. Make sure you can log into your UCAS Track account and that your login details work. Check that your email address on UCAS is current, as university communications will come there.
If you are collecting results in person, plan how you are getting there. If you want family with you on the day, coordinate that in advance. Having a plan for the practical logistics means that on the morning itself, your attention is on the results and next steps rather than on arrangements.
Frequently asked questions
When is A-Level results day 2026?
Thursday 13 August 2026, confirmed by Ofqual. AS Level and T Level results are released on the same date.
What time are results available?
Most schools and sixth forms open from 8am. Confirm the exact time with your institution before the day.
What if I cannot collect results in person?
Contact your school or sixth form before results day to arrange an alternative. Online portals typically make results available at the same time as in-person collection.
What if I miss my university offer?
Contact your firm choice university directly on results morning. Many have flexibility. If they cannot accommodate you, contact your insurance choice. If neither works, Clearing opens on results day and lists available courses across the UK.
What is UCAS Adjustment?
Adjustment allows students who have exceeded their firm offer conditions to apply to an alternative university without losing their current place. It is time-limited and not available in all circumstances. Check your UCAS Track account on results day to see if you are eligible.
How do I request a review of marking?
Through your school or sixth form. There is a deadline so act quickly. Speak to your subject teacher first for their view on whether a review is likely to change anything.
Can I retake A-Level subjects?
Yes, most subjects are available in the following summer series. Speak to your school or sixth form about re-registration and check with the relevant exam board for your specific subjects.
