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How have my exam results been decided this year? GCSEs: How will this year's results day work?
(2 days later)
Hundreds of thousands of 18-year-olds in England, Wales and Northern Ireland have received their A-level and vocational qualification results. GCSE results for pupils in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will be published on Thursday morning.
This year's results are very different, because coronavirus meant that students did not sit exams, and it's all about estimates.This year's results are very different, because coronavirus meant that students did not sit exams, and it's all about estimates.
When will I get my results? What are GCSEs and how are they graded?
Results come out at different times throughout the summer. GCSEs are the qualification taken by 15 and 16-year-olds to graduate from the Key Stage 4 phase of secondary education in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The grading system in England was changed in 2018 from letters to numbers. The old A* was replaced by grades 9 and 8, with 7 replacing A.
The updated grades were part of a new curriculum introduced in England's schools in 2014 by the then education secretary, Michael Gove, putting far more emphasis on exams rather than coursework.
Wales kept its letter-based grading structure, while Northern Ireland opted for a mixture of letters and numbers for its grades.
Students in Scotland sit different exams and have already had their results.
How do I get my results?
Schools have been agonising for weeks over the best way to give students their results.
All pupils have been told what to do on Thursday, but you should check if you are unsure. From 08:00 BST, you will either go into school, receive an email or log into an online portal.
How have the results been decided?How have the results been decided?
The methods of deciding the results are broadly similar across all four nations and for qualifications including A-levels, GCSE's, Scottish Nationals and Highers. Pupils will now be given GCSE grades estimated by their teachers, rather than ones decided by an algorithm.
Schools and colleges were asked to assess the grades pupils would have achieved in each subject if they had sat the exams. The U-turn came after uproar when about 40% of last week's A-level results were downgraded by exam regulator Ofqual.
These estimates were sent to the exam boards along with the order of who teachers thought would do best. Teacher estimates will be used, unless the algorithm awarded a student a higher grade.
The exam boards put together the information, taking into account data for previous years, to make adjustments. Ofqual chair Roger Taylor told the BBC the regulator decided to "change course" after seeing the "anxiety" it had caused to young people.
The aim was to make sure the final results were fair and consistent and in line with results from previous years. What other results are coming out?
England's regulator Ofqual said the idea was to ensure confidence in the results, to give them the same value as grades from any other year. A range of vocational results, such as Level 1 and 2 BTecs, were due to be published on Thursday. Level 3 BTec results were issued last week.
Vocational and technical qualifications come in many shapes and sizes and some of the awarding bodies lack the wealth of data available to major exam boards. However, Pearson, the company which runs BTecs, has asked schools and colleges not to issue any Level 1 and 2 results yet because they are being "reviewed and where appropriate, regraded".
However, the majority of vocational and technical students will receive grades calculated in a similar way to A-levels, with awarding bodies carrying out quality assurance in line with national regulations. It is acting because of what it calls "impact on BTec students" after Ofqual's decision to award centre assessment grades to GCSE students.
Students are not allowed to know the grade their school or college estimated for them until results day. Unlike GCSEs and A-levels, BTecs are formally assessed throughout the academic year meaning that there is more information on which to base final grades.
However, once they have their final results, students can ask for this information. How much learning was missed?
Can I appeal against my exam results? Schools were closed across the UK in the middle of March - just before the coronavirus lockdown was imposed - meaning pupils missed the end of the spring term and all of the summer term.
The Department for Education has announced a "triple lock" - so results will be the highest out of the grade students received from the exam board on results day in August, a mock exam and an optional written exam in the autumn. Some first-year GCSE students, who take their exams next summer, were invited into schools from June to do some studying, but the amount of support varied from school to school.
The change means that if pupils' results day grades are lower than their mock exams they can appeal - but this will have to be through their school, with the terms for approving appeals to be decided by Ofqual. How will colleges be affected by the redefined GCSE results?
You must ask your school or college to enter you if you want to take an exam, and take all the papers in your chosen subjects. It will be business as usual.
If you achieve a different grade, you can use whichever is highest when applying for university or jobs. Colleges will try to be flexible in order to accommodate all students who need or want a place. If students don't have a confirmed place, colleges will be able to advise on the most suitable course in a wide range of subjects.
In Scotland, teachers' predicted grades will now be used after anger that the adjusted grades unfairly hit disadvantaged students. They will be open on Thursday to give information, advice and guidance in person or online/by phone. Students need to follow college guidance on submitting their results to the college.
In Wales, the final A-Level results will be no lower than grades earned at AS-Levels, which are done in Year 12 and count towards 40% of the final grade. They do not count towards final grades in England.
In Northern Ireland, the system is similar to England, with grades based on teacher estimates and adjusted by their exams board.
Amid uncertainty about grades in England, universities have been urged to be as "flexible as possible" and keep places open for students if they need to appeal.
Students who are unhappy with their grades are advised to speak first to their school or college.
How will Ucas schemes work this year?
The good news for this year's university applicants is that there are fewer 18-year-olds than in some years.
This means it could be easier to secure a university place that you want. Last year 70,000 students got places through the university admission service Ucas's clearing system.
The advice is not to rush into anything. Discuss what you're being offered with your school or college and don't be afraid to question university admissions teams.
If you have better grades than you expected, look at Ucas's adjustment scheme to see if you can trade up to courses or universities that suit your career plans best.
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