Just when students had started to forget about school entirely and enjoy the sweltering summer, GCSE results day appears looming on the horizon.
For many Year 11s, the contents of the dreaded envelopes will decide whether they stay on for Sixth Form to do their A-levels or leave to enter the world of work.
Here’s our step-by-step guide for students (and parents) to make sure it passes seamlessly.
When is it?
GCSE results day falls on Thursday 23 August in 2018.
Pupils can collect their grades in person from their school or college that morning and are advised to check with the institution in question as to precisely what time they should arrive.
What if I can’t collect my results?
If you are unable to collect your envelope on the day, you can either arrange to collect it at a later date or have it posted to you.
What if I don’t get the results I want?
If you are disappointed with the outcome, you should consult a teacher as soon as possible. They can talk you through your options for resitting an exam or the appeal process if you believe the mark you’ve received is actually incorrect.
Exam papers sent off by schools for re-marking are checked to make sure every answer has indeed received a mark and that nothing has been missed, then a review of the original marker’s response is reviewed by a senior examiner. They will make amendments as they see fit.
The standard for reviewing coursework marking is that it be “fair and appropriate” in the view of the adjudicator.
The admin cost of re-marking varies depending on the exam board, with prices listed on the relevant authority’s website. Some may refund your money if the grading in question is found to be at fault.
And you may have to be patient: re-marking can take as many as 20 days.
What do the new number grades mean?
As of last year, GCSE grades now follow a numerical format as opposed to letters.
An idea introduced by former education secretary Michael Gove, the number grading system has led to confusion among prospective employers unaware of the change when ploughing through a stack of CVs and expecting to see the alphabet.
The new system is as follows:
- A 9, 8 or 7 is now equivalent to an A* or A grade
- A 6, 5 or 4 is equivalent to a B or C grade
- A 3, 2 or 1 is equivalent to a D, E or F grade
- A U mark is judged as ungraded
This applies to all of the following GCSE subjects: English, maths, biology, chemistry, physics, combined science, computer science, geography, history, art and design, French, German, Latin, Spanish, classical Greek, dance, drama, music, food preparation and nutrition, PE, religious studies and citizenship studies.
When are resits for English and Maths?
If you’re unhappy with your grade in English and Maths, resits take place in November. The current education secretary, Damian Hinds, has confirmed he has no plans to make changes to resits this year.
For other subjects, the earliest opportunity you will have to resit will be June 2019.
