A-Level results day 2026 falls on Thursday 13 August 20261. Whether you're heading to your first-choice university, exploring Clearing, or weighing up a resit, this guide walks you through everything that happens on the day — from when UCAS updates to how grade boundaries work and what your options are.
| Event | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| A-Level exams begin | 4 May 2026 | First written papers across all exam boards |
| A-Level exams end | 26 June 2026 | Final written papers for the June 2026 series |
| UCAS Clearing opens | Early July 2026 | Course search available; confirm exact date at ucas.com |
| SQA results day (Scotland) | 5 August 2026 | Scottish Higher and Advanced Higher results released |
| A-Level results day (England Wales & Northern Ireland) | 13 August 2026 | Results available from 8:00 am BST |
| UCAS Hub updates | 13 August 2026 | University offer statuses confirmed from 8:00 am BST |
| Clearing choices open in UCAS Hub | 13 August 2026 | Students can add a Clearing choice from 13:00 BST |
| UCAS Clearing closes | ~20 October 2026 | Final deadline to secure a place through Clearing |
📆 When Is A-Level Results Day 2026?
A-Level results day 2026 is Thursday 13 August 2026 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Students in Scotland will receive their SQA results on Tuesday 5 August 20264.
Results are available from schools, colleges and exam centres from 8:00 am (BST) onwards. Most students can collect in person or access them online — check your school's arrangements in advance so there are no surprises on the day.
England, Wales & Northern Ireland: Thursday 13 August 2026
Scotland (SQA): Tuesday 5 August 2026
Results available from: 8:00 am (BST)
UCAS Hub updates: from 8:00 am onwards
Clearing choices open: 13:00 on 13 August 2026
📕 What Happens On Results Day?
UCAS usually updates shortly after 8 AM on A Level results day.
Results day can be a whirlwind, so here’s a simple guide to how the day usually plays out:
6-8 AM:
Schools and colleges begin releasing exam results to students.
You’ll either collect them in person or access them online, depending on your institution.
From 8 AM:
UCAS updates your application status.
If you haven’t met the requirements for your chosen courses and don’t have an offer secured, you’ll be placed into Clearing automatically.
After 8 AM
Clearing officially opens.
This is when students who don’t have a confirmed place start contacting universities to check for available spots on alternative courses.
From 13:00
You can add a Clearing choice in your UCAS Hub.
This is when active Clearing decisions begin in earnest.
Throughout the day
You’ll speak to admissions teams, explore your choices, and decide which course and university to go for.
The day can be fast-paced and emotionally intense, but if you stay calm and have a clear plan, you'll be able to make confident choices. Consider having someone with you — like a parent, sibling, or friend — who can provide support, help with phone calls, and talk through your options.
On results day you'll be able to access your grades via your school, college, or exam board login; speak with teachers or careers advisers about your next steps; and begin exploring Clearing if you haven't met your offers or have changed your plans.
Consider having someone with you—like a parent, sibling, or friend—who can provide support, help with phone calls, and talk through your options. Having another perspective can make a big difference when decisions feel overwhelming.
On results day you'll be able to:
🎓 What If You Met Your Offers?
If your grades meet or exceed your firm offer:
❗ Missed Your Grades? Here’s What to Do
If you don’t get the grades you need:
💻 When Does UCAS Update on Results Day?
UCAS updates your application status from around 8:00 AM (BST) on 13 August 2026, once your results have been processed2. You won't be able to see university decisions before results are published.
UCAS can experience high traffic on results day, which may cause delays or website slowdowns. If the site freezes, try refreshing or logging back in after a short wait. Many schools and colleges also offer the option to collect results in person — check your school's arrangements and collection times beforehand.
For most students, confirming they've met university offers is the priority, even before checking detailed grades. Knowing the key times helps you plan what to do next if your results don't meet expectations or if you need to use Clearing. You can find further detail on key dates and how to plan around results day.
As many students access the UCAS website to learn their results early, the system may become overwhelmed and lock up.
⏲ What Time Does Clearing Open on Results Day?
Clearing opens well ahead of results day, giving students time to research their options before the day itself arrives. However, you can only add a Clearing choice to your UCAS Hub from 13:00 (BST) on results day2.
UCAS Clearing for 2026 opens in early July 2026 and runs until approximately 20 October 2026. Check the UCAS results day page for the confirmed opening date once it is published.
Clearing search opens: Early July 2026
A-Level results day: Thursday 13 August 2026
Add Clearing choice in UCAS Hub: from 13:00 on 13 August 2026
Clearing closes: approximately 20 October 2026
Always confirm exact dates at ucas.com
If you're applying through Clearing on results day, you can add a Clearing choice in your UCAS Hub from: 13:00 (UK time) on 13 August 2026 for A-Level results Day.
To use Clearing in 2026, you'll generally need to have applied after 30 June 2026, not received any offers (or declined your firm place), not met the conditions of your offers, and paid the application fee2. Check the current fee on the UCAS website, as it is subject to change.
To use Clearing, you'll need to have:
Although Clearing officially opens on August 13th, 2026, you should be prepared before that.
Students wanting to keep their options open often leave their university selections blank when they register with UCAS. This might be a risky move, as it could leave you with unappealing selections once everyone has their course assignments.
On the other hand, you might not be sure which direction you want your uni studies to take. In that case, waiting for Clearing is a sound strategy.
Just remember that some schools don't list any courses in Clearing. Top-name universities like Cambridge and Oxford typically don't list any Clearing places. Furthermore, you might miss out on high-value degree programs like medicine, law, and engineering.
This guide to your A-Levels results doesn't mean to influence you in any way. After all, higher education is not for everyone. Indeed, many students report feeling pressured into moving in that direction.
If you've no firm learning goals set, you might decide to take a gap year. You may spend this time volunteering on a project you're passionate about, or trying out different jobs.
The months between the end of your college studies and your university start is the perfect time to learn more about yourself. You can build life experiences before settling back into your academic routine.
📝 How to prepare for A Level Results Day
Preparing ahead of results day can make a genuine difference. The key is to have a plan for every likely outcome — not just the one you're hoping for.
- Research Clearing courses in advance. Browse UCAS Clearing listings before the day so you already know which courses interest you if your results come in below expectations.
- Know how to access your results. Confirm with your school whether you're collecting in person or viewing online — and note the time results are released at your institution.
- Have your UCAS ID and login ready. You'll need these to check your UCAS Hub and add a Clearing choice if necessary.
- Keep a list of universities to call. If you plan to contact admissions teams directly, prepare a shortlist and note their phone numbers in advance.
- Consider a resit if you're close to a grade boundary. If your results leave you just below your offer, it may be worth speaking to your school about retaking your A-Levels. This option suits students who want time to raise their grades while reconsidering their university options.
You might also consider whether higher education is the right path for you right now. Many students feel pressure to go directly to university — but a gap year.
🔍 Understanding Your Results: A-Level Grade Boundaries
When you receive your A-Level results, two sets of numbers matter: your letter grades (AAB, BBB, and so on) — the ones universities care about — and your raw exam scores, which are the actual marks you earned on your papers. Grade boundaries are what connect the two.
What Are Grade Boundaries for A-Level?
Grade boundaries are the minimum raw marks needed to achieve each letter grade. They are set by exam boards after each sitting, not before, and they vary by subject and by year.
For example, in a hypothetical A-Level paper marked out of 180:
- Grade A: 150–180 marks
- Grade B: 120–149 marks
- Grade C: 90–119 marks
Exact score ranges change every year and vary by subject — always check the official exam board website for the figures that apply to your specific papers.
Why Do Grade Boundaries Change Each Year?
Boundaries are adjusted each year based on the difficulty of that year's exam papers, the overall performance of the student cohort, and differences between subjects. This process — known as grade standardisation — is overseen by Ofqual and is designed to ensure that a grade A in one year is comparable to a grade A in another, regardless of how hard the paper was.
Why Does This Matter for Your Results?
Knowing where you sit relative to a grade boundary can help you decide whether a resit is worthwhile. If you scored near the top of a lower grade's boundary, a small improvement in a resit could push you into the grade above. If you scored near the bottom, the gap is likely too large for a resit to bridge reliably.
Scored near the top of a lower grade (e.g. high B): ✅ A resit may push you into the grade above.
Scored near the bottom of a grade (e.g. low B): ❌ A resit is less likely to change your grade boundary outcome.
Speak to your teacher or tutor about your specific paper before deciding.
If you believe your marks deserve a second look, you can ask your school to request a grade review. You'll need to give reasons why your marks merit reconsideration, and a fee may apply if the school doesn't cover it.
When you get your A-Level results, two things matter:
- UCAS Grades: These are letter grades like AAB or BBB — the ones universities care about.
- Exam Scores: These are your actual marks (raw scores) from the exams.
To connect the two, exam boards use grade boundaries.
What Are Grade Boundaries for A Level?
Grade boundaries convert your raw score into a letter grade. For example:
Grade A
Score Range: 150-180 marks
Grade B
Score Range: 120-149 marks
Grade C
Score Range: 90-119 Marks
📌 Exact score ranges change each year and by subject.
Why Do Grade Boundaries Change?
They’re adjusted each year based on:
- Difficulty of the exam
- Student performance overall
- Subject differences (e.g. Maths vs English)
This keeps results fair across years and subjects.
Why This Matters For Your Results?
Grade boundaries affect:
- Whether you meet a university offer (e.g. did your B almost become an A?)
- Whether a resit is worth it
Example Situation:
| Situation | Resit Recommended? |
|---|---|
| Scored at top of B boundary (e.g. 147 points) | ✅ Might push into A |
| Scored at bottom of B boundary (e.g. 121) | ❌ Likely still a B even if improved |
📈 A-Level Grade Boundaries 2026: When Are They Published?
The 2026 A-Level grade boundaries will be published on Thursday 13 August 2026 — results day itself. Exam boards including AQA, Edexcel (Pearson), OCR, and Cambridge International publish their full grade boundary tables from around 8:00 AM on the day results are released.
You'll find the official tables on the websites of each individual exam board. They include raw-mark thresholds for each grade (A*, A, B, C, D, E) and component-level details for each paper.
AQA:aqa.org.uk/exams-administration/results-days
Edexcel (Pearson): qualifications.pearson.com
OCR: ocr.org.uk
Cambridge International: cambridgeinternational.org
All publish from approximately 8:00 AM (BST) on 13 August 2026.
When Do A-Level Grade Boundaries Come Out?
A-Level grade boundaries are published on results day — Thursday 13 August 2026 — at the same time as results are released. You do not need to wait for a separate announcement; the moment your grades are available, the boundaries that produced them are published too.
This means that on the morning of results day, if you want to understand exactly where your mark sat relative to the grade above or below, you can look it up immediately on your exam board's website.
Grade boundaries are typically published from 8:00 am (BST) on results day, in line with when schools and colleges begin releasing results to students. In practice, exact upload times can vary slightly between exam boards, and high traffic on results day can occasionally cause delays on their websites.
If you cannot access the boundaries immediately at 8:00 am, try again after a short wait. The tables will not be removed — they remain on each exam board's website permanently, so there is no urgency beyond satisfying your curiosity on the day itself.
📘 A-Level Grade Boundaries 2025 Example
To give you a sense of what published grade boundaries look like, here is an example from the Edexcel Economics A (Paper 1) grade boundaries published on 14 August 2025:
- A: 74 marks
- B: 66 marks
- C: 58 marks
- D: 50 marks
- E: 42 marks
These boundaries are based on raw m
📘 A Level Grade Boundaries 2024 Example
Edexcel publishes grade boundaries for modular AS and A-Level qualifications. For instance, in Economics A, the grade boundaries for Paper 1 were:
- A: 74 marks
- B: 66 marks
- C: 58 marks
- D: 50 marks
- E: 42 marks
These boundaries are based on raw marks and may vary by paper and subject.
Of course, you're close to a higher boundary, you might petition your teacher to revise your grade. You will have to give reasons why your marks deserve review, and you may have to pay a fee if the school doesn't cover it.
🎓 A-Level Grades and UCAS Points: What You Need to Know
Universities use UCAS Tariff points to translate your A-Level grades into a numerical score for admissions purposes. Understanding your UCAS points helps you identify which university courses you're eligible for — both before results day and when exploring Clearing options.
The UCAS Tariff points for A-Level grades are as follows8:
- A* = 56 points
- A = 48 points
- B = 40 points
- C = 32 points
- D = 24 points
- E = 16 points
So a student achieving AAB at A-Level would have 48 + 48 + 40 = 136 UCAS Tariff points. Many universities express their entry requirements as a combination of specific grades (e.g. AAB) and total Tariff points. Always check the specific entry requirements for your chosen course, as requirements vary significantly between institutions and subjects.
Helpful Resources
- "Results days," AQA, 2026. Available at: https://www.aqa.org.uk/exams-administration/results-days. Accessed 16 July 2026.
- "A level results day," UCAS, 2026. Available at: https://www.ucas.com/applying/after-you-apply/clearing-and-results-day/results-day. Accessed 16 July 2026.
- "What happens after you have taken your exams or assessments," GOV.UK, January 2026. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ofqual-student-guide-to-exams-and-assessments-in-2026/what-happens-after-you-have-taken-your-exams-or-assessments. Accessed 16 July 2026.
- "A-level results day 2026: what to expect," The Uni Guide, 2026. Available at: https://www.theuniguide.co.uk/advice/clearing-results-day/a-level-results-day-grades-what-to-expect. Accessed 16 July 2026.
- "A Level and T Level results day 2026," T Levels, 2026. Available at: https://support.tlevels.gov.uk/hc/en-gb/articles/11169480327314-A-Level-and-T-level-results-day-2026. Accessed 16 July 2026.
- "Exam results day 2026: key dates and what to do next," University of Brighton, 2026. Available at: https://www.brighton.ac.uk/clearing/how-to-apply-through-clearing/exam-results-day-2026/index.aspx. Accessed 16 July 2026.
- "About the Ofqual Qualifications and Examination Regulation," Ofqual, 2026. Available at: https://www.ofqual.gov.uk. Accessed 16 July 2026.
- "UCAS Tariff points," UCAS, 2026. Available at: https://www.ucas.com/ucas/tariff-points. Accessed 16 July 2026.
Summarise with AI:
Did you like this article? Leave a rating!
Loading...
