What Will We See On GCSE Results Day 2023?
With GCSE results day just around the corner, learners and educators everywhere will be thinking about their grades and destinations. There's a lot of anxiety, but just as much excitement. But what can students expect to see on results day 2023?
This week, we’re walking you though the results process and what these grades mean for learners headed into college and careers.
When is GCSE results day 2023?
GCSE students will find out their results in just a few short weeks, on the 24th of August 2023. Students will receive their VTQ results around the same time, on or before the 17th of August for Level 3 VTQs, and Level 2 VTQs on or before the 24th of August.
A-Level results day 2023 is on the 17th of August 2023, a week earlier.
When do GCSE results 2023 come out?
Schools usually receive GCSE results the day before, but this isn’t the case for every year and every institution—things can be delayed by a few factors, and if past years are anything to go by, it’s probably best to factor in a couple of IT outages too.
Although schools receive GCSE results a day early, they’re not allowed to let you know your grades early—you’ll have to wait for the standard release on the 24th.
And how do I get my results?
Usually, students will be able to collect their GCSE results from their school or college at 8am. Again, this isn’t standard though—larger institutions might stagger exam results release times or allow students to book a slot to avoid being overwhelmed. You probably won’t need your ID, but this is dependent on your school or college.
It’s also becoming increasingly common for institutions to email out results as this became standard practice over the pandemic.
💡 Not going to be around on results day? You can potentially arrange for a member of staff to call you with results if you’ll be unable to attend collection or won’t have access to the internet—schools and colleges will appreciate that many learners may not want to collect results in front of their peers, so check what your options are.
What will we see on GCSE results day 2023?
There are a lot of possibilities. Here are 4 of the most talked-about:
A return to pre-pandemic national grade breakdowns? Dr. Jo Saxton, head of England’s exams regulator Ofqual outlines that GCSE results 2023 will be similar to pre-pandemic levels after being significantly higher in 2020 and 2021, due to pandemic changes.
Higher results in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland? Exam regulatory bodies in these countries have chosen to maintain ‘Covid-era’ modifications to exams, instead of removing the majority of them as England has done.
Less marks lost on incorrect formulae and equations than in England in 2019? England has opted to continue the practice of supplying certain relevant formulae and equations on maths, chemistry and physics papers.
More appeals and re-sits? As assessment criteria is pulled back in line with 2019 standards, we’ll be looking at a set of exam-takers who have suffered from the pandemic’s effects on learning but won’t be subject to anywhere near as many of the grade safeguards that have been in place during pervious assessment seasons.
💡 Find out more at the Scanning Pens Blog.
What happens if I don’t get the GCSE results I need?
GCSE results unlock access to college education, vocational qualifications, and careers. When grades haven’t been achieved, many opt to re-sit.
Learners may opt to re-sit any exam that they’ve taken if their GCSE results don’t line up with what they need. However, it’s a requirement for any student that receives a Grade 4 in English and in Maths to sit a retake, as this is a minimum criterion for unlocking student finance-based university funding.
English and Maths resits will take place in November 2023, but for other subjects, students will have to wait for the next summer exam sessions in 2024. There are also a series of alternatives to retaking English and Maths to be explored, too: there’s a full breakdown and list of options at the .GOV Exam Resits Portal.
How do I appeal GCSE results?
Quickly. After GCSE results are released, there is a limited window in which a grade might be appealed. The deadline requests for a priority review of marking falls on the 7th of September 2023, and the deadline for a standard priority review of marking is the 28th of August 2023, but if you’re resident in Wales, Northern Ireland or Scotland, it’s best to check the government guidance where you are.
For GCSE results 2023, all boards will follow the JCQ Guidance on Appeals.
In the event of an appeal, your school or college exams officer will request the exam paper. This allows the learner and their teachers to check that everything is as it should be. This may proceed into marking review procedure, which can result in a readjustment in the case of errors, or simply kick off the re-sit process where everything is as it should be. At this point, learners may also choose to appeal their grade on a number of counts.
Can I appeal my GCSE results?
When it comes to results appeals, there are 3 broad grounds to apply on.
Appeals against the outcomes of post-results services
Appeals against decisions made in cases of malpractice
Appeals relating to access arrangements, reasonable adjustments and special consideration
You can find out more about these criteria at the Times Educational Supplement Magazine.
And most importantly… where can I get free food on GCSE results day?
We haven’t heard any official announcements yet, but here’s a run-down of places offering free food on GCSE results day 2022, in case you wanted to start a list to keep an eye on.
To everybody receiving their GCSE results in 2023, we want to say a huge well done— learning conditions were far from ideal in 2020 and 2021, it makes these achievements just a few short years later even more amazing testaments to how dedicated you’ve had to be.
Best of luck! 🍀