Students across the United Kingdom will be anxiously awaiting their A-Level results this week - hoping for top marks to land them their sought after space at a chosen university.
Things will in-turn be very different this year, as exams were cancelled for the second time in 2021 due to the global coronavirus pandemic. Last year, the UK recorded its most successful A-Level results day for England, Wales and Northern Ireland - with some 44.4 per cent of students receiving an A or A* for their endeavours.
The uplift in grades occurred with students being graded on their teacher's markings of mocks, coursework, essays and in-class results during the pandemic's shake-up to formal education.
Read more: A-level results 2022: How students' grades are assessed this year after exams return
The Mirror reports that traditional exams were also cancelled in 2020 due to them not being able to be safely conducted, but exams finally formally returned in 2022. Academics, teachers, students and parents all await in eager anticipation to see how well exams went this year - but when exactly is A-Level results day, and what time are grades traditionally released?
When is A-Level results day in the UK?
A-Level results will be available for students across England, Wales and Northern Ireland this Thursday (August 18) - with students in Scotland already receiving theirs on Tuesday, August 9.
With it being the results of the first A-Level exams to take place since the beginning of the Covid-19 outbreak, it is thought that grade boundaries may be lower than pre-pandemic standards - to help account for a loss of in-lesson learning. Ofqual chief regulator Dr Jo Saxton said this would provide a 'safety net' for students.
What time are A-level results released?
Results are usually available to collect in person from schools and colleges from around 8am, but this may vary from school to school so it's important to check with yours beforehand. In previous years, some exam boards have even released grades from 6am.
To confirm your results times, confirm with your school or speak to your teacher.
Meanwhile, those receiving grades digitally should check their emails around 8am also.
What to do on A-level results day
UCAS have listed some advice to make things less stressful for students on their big day:
If you've applied for a university course, the UCAS systems should start updating from 8.15am on the same day. However, updates can take several hours. Have your sign in application details handy and update your contact details if you need to.
Students must be sure to be available on results day, as UCAS can't speak to anyone else about university application details unless nominated access is given.
UCAS have also explained that plenty of outcomes can happen on the day.
Even if student's don't get the desired results universities can still accept applications, whether it's for the same course or a 'changed course offer'. Check UCAS for more information on university applications.
The A-level grades are decided through exams, but the grade boundaries are more lenient this year. That means students may need fewer marks to reach a particular grade. If they were close to a boundary for a higher grade, it may be that they will reach that grade more easily than previous years.
Some part of the curriculum were cut this year, and students were given more advance knowledge before exams to help them revise.
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