What time are GCSE results out?

Pupils worldwide will this week receive the grades that will shape their future

A-Level and GCSE pupils are hoping their teacher-graded results will warrant celebration. AFP

Pupils in the UK and abroad are awaiting their grades in what is a different A-Level and GCSE exam results week this year.

A-Level results were released at 8.30am BST on Tuesday, August 10 with students able to access results from then. GCSE results will be available from around 8am BST on Thursday, August 12.

Why are A-Level and GCSE results days different this year?

The coronavirus pandemic has changed the face of education and posed problems for educators worldwide, with the fairest assessment of pupils proving especially problematic.

In June, the UK government took the decision to cancel exams for the second year in a row in recognition of the hours of lost learning for pupils.

After last year's unsuccessful dalliance with AI to allocate grades, pupils will instead be assessed solely by teachers, a change which also applies to British schools in the UAE.

Despite these differences, one aspect remains the same: the butterflies in the stomachs of pupils across the world as they await their results.

What time are GCSE results out in 2021?

Pupils will be able to access their GCSE results from around 8am on Thursday, August 12.

A-Level results were released on Tuesday for pupils in the UK, UAE and globally and GCSE results will be released on Thursday.

The two-day interval is shorter than the customary week gap to allow pupils longer to appeal their teacher-assessed results.

How are A-Level and GCSE results being calculated in 2021?

Teacher assessments are based on several pieces of marked work and previous exams. Pupils must be made aware of the work and exams being assessed before their grades are finalised.

All work assessed is based on this year's teaching, making allowances for teaching hours curtailed by Covid restrictions.

All grades will be double-checked by other teachers before being signed off by the head teacher.

Exam boards have a modified role this year. Instead of marking exams, they will monitor the process to avert any abuse and judge if the evidence teachers use to grade pupils is fair.

Will A-Levels and GCSE exams return in 2022?

UK Education Secretary Gavin Williamson hopes exams will return in 2022, although he told the House of Commons' education select committee in June that to “immediately switch back to the situation as it was back in 2019" was not possible.

Adjustments lined up for next year include slimming down some of the subject areas to be tested and pushing back the dates of exams to increase lesson time.

One innovation that looks unlikely to get off the ground is leaving certificates. Earlier this year, Britain's qualifications regulator Ofqual revealed its proposal to scrap A-Levels in 2020 and offer “non-qualification” certificates in their place was rejected by the UK government.

How do I apply for clearing for A-Levels?

If students don't get the grades they had hoped for or have failed to meet their conditional offers, they can apply for places through the clearing process instead.

The UCAS clearing system allows students who have missed their grades to find places on university courses which still have vacancies available.

Clearing is open from July 5 to October 19, and students can find places on the UCAS website.