After months of anxious waiting for students, A-level results day is nearly here - and with it the promise of exciting plans for the future. 

While most will receive the grades they require to gain places at their first choice universities, others will not be so lucky and will have to make important decisions about their next steps. 

To prepare parents and students for whatever happens on the day, we detail everything you need to know about examination results and University Clearing.

All pupils will be able to collect their results from 8am on August 17. A-level, AS-level and T-level results will all be available on this day. 

Results can be emailed or sent in the post, but most schools would advise going in to collect results, where students can access support from teachers.

You can also arrange for a relative or friend to pick up your results. They will need to take in a signed letter from you and a form of ID for themselves. 

Ofqual, the exam regulator for England, has told boards to aim for the proportion of top grades to be in line with levels seen in 2019, equivalent to an 11 percentage point drop in As and A*s.

Grade inflation occurred during the pandemic when exams were scrapped and results were based on generous teacher assessments.

This year’s A-level cohort in England was awarded the highest GCSE grades on record in 2021, and it will be the first Covid group to experience a return to pre-pandemic grading standards.

Last year, 36.4 per cent of UK entries were awarded A* or A, down from a record 44.8 per cent in 2021, but considerably higher than the 25.5 per cent seen in 2019.

Returning to 2019 levels in England this year would mean around 95,000 fewer top grades are awarded in the UK compared with last year.

If you meet your grades?

If you have met your grades, UCAS will update to tell you whether you have got into your firm or insurance university choice. Check for any emails from the universities on whether there is anything additional you need to do, which should be outlined within any conditions of the offer. If your student finances are sorted, it’s time to celebrate! 

If you narrowly miss your grades?

If you have just missed out on your grades, don’t panic. Universities do still accept students who have not quite met their offer - but any decisions are made at the discretion of individual course providers. Speak directly to the relevant person at the university or college to see what your options are.

However, this scenario is exactly what your insurance choice offers, and your grades might suit your second choice institution. 

Alternatively, your chosen university may offer you a slightly different course, which you’ll need to accept through Track. If this doesn’t happen, proceed to Clearing, where you can apply for other courses, either at the same university or at a different one. 

You can also look into appeals with the exam board - further detail below. 

If you completely miss your grades?

If you miss your grades by a significant margin, check to see if your insurance option will accept you onto a course. 

Otherwise, you will need to start ringing courses in Clearing that are on your contingency list, and within the relevant grade range. 

Most importantly, don’t worry. There are lots of different options available to you beyond your chosen course. You may want to consider taking a gap year or exploring apprenticeships if you decide not to change your plans. 

Speak to a trusted teacher or adult about what you might want to try next. 

If you scored higher than your predicted grades?

Congratulations - if your grades are far better than you predicted, you may wish to change your university options.

Unfortunately, Adjustment is no longer an option as of 2022, but you can still decline your place and release yourself into Clearing to choose alternative institutions.

It is also possible to apply or reapply to universities after receiving A-level results, and many students do this every year. Speak to your school or college to plan how you might manage your UCAS and personal statement applications. 

Speak to your teacher, exams officer, exam centre or the national careers service exam results helpline (0800 100 900) to request a review from the exam board. This should be done as soon as possible. 

Your school or college can do this before deciding whether to ask for a review to see if they think there was a mistake during the marking process. 

Talk to your chosen university and ask if they are willing to hold the place for you (if possible, get it in writing). It is important to check with your school or college about the internal deadline for stage one of the appeals process.

The deadline for a priority appeal (students who were not accepted by their firm choice university as a result of their grades) and for stage two of the appeals process is determined by your exam board. The latest information can be found below: 

England – read Ofqual’s guidance on this year’s exam arrangements and appeals.

Scotland – get the latest updates on the appeals process from SQA.

Wales – details of appeals will be on the Qualifications Wales website.

Northern Ireland – guidance on the appeals process will be on CCEA’s website.

If you have changed your mind about going to university or wish to take a gap year, you must call your university’s admissions team to find out if this is something they can offer. 

Clearing is the system of matching up students with spaces on university or college courses. You can enter Clearing to find a course if you have not met the grades outlined in your offers. 

You can also use the system if you are considering changing to a different course because your grades are better than predicted, after declining your original place. 

Clearing will be open from July 5 until October 17, but some courses will close before this deadline depending on their popularity.

More than 50,000 students find places through Clearing every year, according to Ucas. 

Each individual examination board draws up a system to determine what grade a pupil will receive in their A-level exams or coursework.

Grade boundaries are set for each exam after the marking has been completed so that no student is penalised if the year’s exams were particularly hard compared to previous years.

A-level exam pass grades are A*, A, B, C, D and E. Anyone who fails their exam will receive a U (standing for ‘ungraded’).

There are different examination boards with their own individual grade boundaries. They are as follows:

CCEA grade boundaries can be found here.

Pearson Edexcel grade boundaries can be found here.

OCR grade boundaries can be found here.

AQA grade boundaries can be found here.

Scottish Highers grade boundaries can be found here. 

No. A-level results will not be adjusted to take into account disruption caused by a series of teachers’ strikes between February and July this year. 

Ofqual is expecting an increase in the number of appeals this year because of the return to pre-pandemic grading standards, but any disruption caused by teacher walkouts will not be taken into account.

It depends on the university and will be decided on a case-by-case basis.

UCAS points are used by around a third of universities when making offers, so instead of asking for B, B, C grades for example, a university may ask for 112 points. 

However, not all universities use tariff points. The more traditional the university, the more likely they are to make an offer stipulating grades and not points. 

BTEC National results are usually released to students on or just before A-level results day. The exact date depends on your school or college.

Some individual unit grades will already be made known to BTEC students. It is the school or college’s responsibility to let pupils know how and when to pick up their remaining results.