Have you lost your GCSE certificates? Don't panic. You can request a replacement exam certificate or certified statement of results from the exam board(s) with which you took your GCSE. Just fill out a form, provide proof of identity, pay a small fee, and you can get your results back.
Key Takeaways
- You can replace lost GCSE certificates.
- Contact your old school or college or ask peers who took the same exams to find your exam board.
- Universities and employers can request confirmation of your results directly from the exam board if you're in a rush and can't wait for official documents.
- You may be able to access your GCSE results online if your school uses an online portal.
How to Find My GCSE Results from Years Ago
If you've lost your GCSE certificate, the best solution would be to request a replacement exam certificate or a certified statement of results certificate from the relevant exam board.
To obtain either a replacement exam certificate or a certified statement of results with your GCSE results, you’ll need to send an email to the exam board - or more than one if you took exams with various exam boards - asking for this ´certified statement of results´ certificate.
A replacement exam certificate is a document that can be used in place of an original certificate as proof of your GCSE marks.
A certified statement of results is an official document listing the subjects you took, the year and your grades. It is generally issued when a replacement exam certificate cannot be issued. You can use this document in place of your exam certificate, and you’ll be able to proceed as you would have done with your university application without worrying about not having proof of your marks.
Here's the process for obtaining your exam certificate:
Process for Applying For A Replacement Certificate
- Find out which exam board issued your exams. To request a certified statement of results, you'll need to state which exams you took, the exam board, and the year that you took the exams. If you don't know which exam board, you can contact the school or college where you took the exams, or ask a friend who took the same exams and might still have their certificates
- Apply for a replacement certificate from the relevant exam board. Once you know the exam board, subjects and year you took your exams, you can apply online to obtain your past exam results. You must provide a photocopy or scan of your proof of identity (passport, residency card). If your name has changed since you took your exams, you must also provide a birth or marriage certificate.
- Pay for your certificate. The cost for the replacement will depend on the exam board, so you'll need to check the details on their website.
In England and Wales, these are the exam boards that offer GCSE certificates:
- AQA
- Pearson
- Edexcel
- OCR
- WJEC
We will explore why losing your GCSE certificates doesn’t have to be the end of the world, and what you can do to save face in the eyes of your prospective universities. Mind you, it’s also possible to get into university with no GCSEs, too.
| Situation | Action to Take | Document You’ll Receive | Where to Go |
|---|---|---|---|
| You’ve lost your original GCSE certificates | Apply to the exam board(s) for a replacement | Replacement Certificate or Certified Statement of Results | Exam board website |
| You don’t know your exam board | Contact your old school or classmates | N/A | School, college, or exam records |
| You need urgent proof for uni/job | Ask the university/employer to request a confirmation letter | Confirmation/Verification Letter | Employer/university contacts exam board |
| Your certificate is damaged/defaced (post-2001) | Return the damaged copy to the exam board | Replacement Certificate | Exam board website |
| You want to check results from years ago | Request a Certified Statement of Results | Statement of Results | Exam board(s) |
| You're retaking A-levels in 2025 | Register by Feb 15 and sit exams in June | A-level Results | School, exam centre |
| You’re applying to university without GCSEs | Explore alternative qualifications or foundation courses | N/A | UCAS or individual institutions |
How Much Does It Cost to Get a Replacement Exam Certificate?
The cost of replacing certificates ranges from £10 to £69, depending on the exam board.
Below are some approximate figures:
While prices vary from area to area, it is useful to research suppliers' websites to determine whether you have the correct board.
If, for some reason, you are unlucky enough to want a certificate from an exam board that no longer exists, check on this government page about which current exam board you should contact.
How Long Does It Take to Get a Replacement Exam Certificate?
In general, obtaining a replacement exam certificate will take a minimum of 20 working days.
For AQA and Edexcel (Pearson) certificates, their websites state that it can take up to 20 working days to process your application, and once it is processed, it can take up to 5 working days to be delivered by post.
For OCR, 90% of applications are completed within 20 working days. For WJEC, their website advises allowing 6 weeks to process an application.
Note that exam boards don't offer a fast-track service, and your application may be subject to delays. For this reason, you must submit a request as soon as you realise that you no longer have the original certificate, as otherwise it could prove detrimental to your university applications.
How to Check GCSE Results Online
Whether or not you can access your GCSE results online will depend on your school and the exam board responsible for your GCSE results.
If you're wondering how to check GCSE results online, you should be aware that you won't be able to access your results by phone or email for data protection and confidentiality purposes. While the traditional method of receiving GCSE results is by going to the school in person to get your certificate, it’s becoming more common for schools to release the results in their online portal platform.
Even if the option was available once the results were first made available, there is no guarantee that they will still be accessible if a lot of time has passed since they were first published.
Short On Time? Ask for a Confirmation Letter
Another option for those who lost their GCSE certificate is meant for occasions in which you are short on time but need to show proof of your GCSE grades to a university, for example.
Getting a confirmation or verification letter from the relevant exam board in times of need is possible.
This can be a great lifeline if you need quick proof of your GCSEs to show to a university or employer, and you don't have time to wait for a ´certified statement of results´ certificate.
The major downside to this option is that it will be up to your university or employer to get the ball rolling and request the verification. If you need to prove your GCSE results quickly, you’ll have to hope the university sees you as a promising candidate; otherwise, their incentive to verify your results may be low. This process will cost the institution a flat fee, require some important paperwork on your part, and a lot of goodwill on the part of the university helping you out!
Don't panic. Here's a quick video on getting your results.
Why Do You Need an Exam Certificate?
A GCSE certificate is proof that the recipient has completed the qualification. The certificate, which the relevant exam board will issue, will include a list of the exams the student has taken at the GCSE level and their corresponding marks.
The GCSE certificate, as well as giving the recipient a visual reminder of their marks and a way of keeping records, serves a useful purpose. The purpose is to prove to potential employers and universities that you have the GCSE grades that you claim to have.
University entry requirements usually dictate that you have your original certificate to show as proof of your GCSE results, since GCSEs are important to them, and also because this is the only way for them to know how likely you are to succeed in further education. It’s a big deal!
Check for tutoring classes in the UK here.
Damaged or Defaced Original GCSE Certificate
If you are in the unusual position of having an original certificate damaged or defaced to the point that it is illegible, there’s another option.
Provided you can return the original certificate in its damaged state, you will be given a copy to use in its place.
This only applies to exams taken in or after 2001, though, which I would hazard a guess applies to most people reading this article!
How Long Do Schools Keep GCSE Certificates?
Exam boards typically maintain results records indefinitely, while schools retain certificates for at least one year (often longer) after receiving them from the exam boards on Results Day in August. As a result, your certificate remains valid for your entire lifetime.
Why Your GCSE Certificate Matters
🎓 University
Entry requirements
💼 Employer
Proof of qualifications
📁 Personal
Record of achievement
Can You Apply to Uni without GCSES?
Most universities state in their entry requirements that you need to pass at least your Maths and English GCSE exams. They also look at your UCAS points tally which is unrelated to GCSE exam results.
However, say you lose your GCSE certificate and are in a desperate situation, or you have no GCSEs but want to go to university, there is still a chance you can get accepted.
While going to university without GCSEs isn’t exactly recommended, it is possible due to the stock they put into them for determining future academic success.
Important A Level Retake Dates for 2025
15 February 2025
A Level Resit Entry Deadline
Check with your school or college to confirm
Monday 2 June – Friday 27 June 2025
Summer A Level Resit Exam Period
These resits follow the same format, exam papers, and grading criteria as first-time exams.
Thursday 14 August 2025
Results Day (A Level Resits)
If you plan to apply to university in 2025 and rely on retake results, be sure to notify UCAS and your target institutions, as some may allow conditional offers based on resits.
It’s surprising what you can do with no GCSEs since society places so much emphasis on them as formative exams. However, if this is the case, you will have to work hard to stand out from your peers, so it’s best to do well the first time of asking.
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Please help me I have lost my General Certificate Examination certificate (GCE) and would like a replacement but is unable to find information where this can be done. Any information of how I can achieve this would be highly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Please help me I have lost my General Certificate Examination certificate (GCE) and would like a replacement but is unable to find information where this can be done. Any information of how I can achieve this would be highly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
This is all based on you actually having certificates in the first place. I have recently joined a masters degree course for which we are all required to have a C in GCSE Maths and English. Over 50% of us never received a certificate when we did exams or did a different qualification (which happens not to be on their list) and so have been told we have to do a remedial course instead. Amongst those of us that persevered are a journalist and a maths teacher, but we are all now sitting through a course which is similar to SPAG at primary school, paid for by tax payers’ money. Therefore, the consequences are:
1. Capable and qualified students do not enrol on courses, depriving the universities of fees and society of the skills they would acquire.
2. Students have to undertake superfluous courses at tax payers’ expense, which leads to lower overall motivation and a general waste of resources.
3. We have more bureaucracy, therefore reducing national productivity.
How do i research for a gcse certificate for 1979
Did you get this sorted out? Thanks
Gcse didnt start until after this
Can anyone advise me who I can ring for old a levels . My school has gone now thanks
Hi,
I have finished year 11 and took my GCSEs , however I need my gcse certificates for my college but I haven’t received them yet? How can I get them given to me? Or how do I go about this situation?
I’m in the same situation I did my GCSEs in 2021 so I think we will have to get in contact with our schools and hope we can get them
I never attended to collect my results could you send me a copy via email thanks
Carl Mumford
Hartshill high school
Cv10 0na
Hey I would like to know if possible I can get my gcse results on the behalf of my self if some one could help with that I would love to hear back about getting them acceptable for my self
Appreciate any response back on my behalf
Took my gcse in 2021, have misplaced my grades certificate. Can you please advise how to get a replacement as I’m hoping to join metropolitan police on an apprenticeship,and I need proof of grades.
Thank you.
Stephen.
I’m trying to find out my exams results from 1979
Im 60 years old can’t even remember if I took any GCSEs but if I did it would have been at,
Bell Vue Girls Grammer School, as it was then in Bradford, around the 1990s.
How do I find out please ?
Regards.
If you’re 60 years old you wouldn’t have taken GCSEs as they didn’t exist until the 1980s. Prior to that it was GCEs & prior to that it was O Levels
I have lost my plumbing certificates can you please help me at Aberdeen technical college
Hi ,
I have lost my gcse exam . I did my gcse in 1999. I need proof for my work.
i completed my GCSE in 2022, have lost my certificate and need my results to enrol in further education . please could you help me find them
Thanks for reaching out! To obtain your GCSE results from 2022, follow these steps:
Contact Your School: Reach out to the school where you completed your GCSEs. They often keep records and can provide you with a copy of your results or a statement of results.
Contact the Exam Board: Identify the exam board that administered your GCSEs (e.g., AQA, OCR, Pearson Edexcel) and request your results from them. They usually have a process for requesting duplicate certificates.
Check Online: Some exam boards offer online services where you can request and download your results.
If you need further assistance, feel free to ask!
I have lost my gcse results I would like a new copy please
Hi Callum! Thanks for getting in touch! Do you know what exam board you did your GCSEs for? If so you can contact them directly to ask for a replacement certificate. If you’re not sure which exam board, you can get in touch with your school or college who should be able to help you out. Best of luck!
I am trying to get my English teacher certificate so I can start my qtls. I left riddlesdown school in purley 32 years ago please help.
Hi Joanne! Thanks for getting in touch! Have you tried to contact your school to ask which exam board to contact about your exams?
I have lost my GCSE Urdu Certificate in Howden Clough High School, and I had Grade (D) in Urdu Examination, so please tell me how to get my replacement Certificate? And also send me free in post to my Address please. How much is it for my replacement of my URDU Certificate in UK. Please reply ASAP about this immediately.
Hi Saikah. Thanks for reaching out. Please get in touch directly with your high school regarding which exam board to contact to get a replacement GCSE exam certificate. Best of luck!
Hi, I really think I need a new copy of all my gcses. As I don’t have the original copy anymore they’ve been lost or stolen 😕 how do I go about applying for another copy of all my gcses if I don’t know the exam board that processed them. I have city and guilds in my head but not 100% sure. Will u please email me more information please
Many thanks
Hazel Taylor 💕
Hi Hazel! Thanks for getting in touch! You can reach out to the school or college where you wrote your GCSE’s who should be able to tell you which exam board to contact to obtain your GCSE’s. Best of luck :)
Please can I request my English and maths GCSE I sat these in 1996. I am unsure where to even start?!
Many thanks
Hi Neressa. To request your 1996 English and Maths GCSE results, you’ll need to contact the exam board that issued them. If you’re unsure of the board, try reaching out to your former school for guidance. The exam board’s website should have a process for obtaining past results. If you need more help, feel free to ask!
Hi, I lost my GCSE certs that were issued in 1996 & my secondary school no longer exists. To add to this my certificates were in a different surname (this was due to my mothers married name and was never legally mine) I therefore am unable to provide documentation to prove my previous surname.. I hope someone can advise
Hi Jodie! I’d encourage you to get in touch with your secondary school to advise you what would be the best course of action in this case. If your surname is different, this shouldn’t be an issue, you may just need to provide justification of your change of name. Best of luck!
How do I get my maths GCSE certificate from 2017
How do I get my GCSE grade back if I don’t know the grade system they were under?
Great question! 😊 If you’re unsure about the grading system used when you took your GCSEs, don’t worry—when you contact the exam boards for a replacement certificate, they should be able to help you determine your grade. Just provide as much information as you can, and they’ll guide you from there! 📜✨
Hi, I’m desperately trying to get hold of my GCSE results from around 2006 but my school ( Lubavitch Senior Girls School) is absolutely useless and refuses to assist me. I don’t know what to do because I can’t progress in my academic or work career. Please can you assist me.
Hi Chaya! I’m sorry to hear you’re having trouble retrieving your GCSE results. If your school isn’t able to help, you can contact the exam boards directly. Since you took your exams around 2006, your results would likely be with one of the main UK exam boards: AQA, Edexcel (Pearson), OCR, or WJEC.
You can apply for a certified statement of results from the relevant exam board by providing details like your name, date of birth, school, and the year you sat the exams. If you’re unsure which board you used, try checking old school records or contacting past classmates.
Here’s a helpful guide with links to each exam board’s process: https://www.gov.uk/replacement-exam-certificate
Hope this helps, and best of luck with your academic and career goals! 😊
Hi it’s Hristiyan miroslavov emilov I’ve lost my gcse results and diplomas
From my 11th year unit
May i get help
Hi Hristiyan. Thanks for getting in touch! If you’ve lost your gcse results and diplomas, the first step would be to get in touch with your school or college to request if they have them on file or if they can let you know which exam board you wrote for each subject. Then you’d need to contact the exam board to request your diplomas and results. Best of luck to you!
Help me I’ve misplaced my exam results from Northampton school for girls and I need them as soon as possible
Hi Lynette! Thanks for getting in touch. The best thing to do in this case, would be to contact Northampton School for Girls to ask if they have your certificates and if they can share the exam boards with you. Thank you!
M very stressed i hv lost my gcse olevel certificate last month about this… Could u pls gv any online form so that i would get my certificate.. Pls its verry serious
Hi Ima,
Very sorry to hear that you’ve lost your certificate! The first thing you would need to do in this case, is to contact your secondary school where you wrote your gcse exams to ask which exam board you wrote your exams under. You can then contact the exam board directly to obtain your certificate.
Best of luck!
hi i need to find my exam results from 1981 my school has be renamed as another school now I don’t know how to get them ?
Hi! If your school has been renamed or merged, you can usually still access your exam results by contacting the local education authority or the exam board that issued the results at the time. Try reaching out to:
The exam board for your qualification (e.g., GCSE, O-Level, A-Level)
The local council or education department where your school was located
Any alumni or records office connected to the current school
They should be able to guide you on how to request a copy of your results. Make sure to have your full name, date of birth, and the year you sat the exams ready, as this will speed up the process.