Thursday marks the day hundreds of thousands of teenagers across the world receive their GCSE and vocational and technical qualification (VTQ) results.
Depending on the grades they have achieved, they will progress to sixth form, college or training to continue their education.
How do GCSE grades differ across the UK?
In England, GCSEs are graded using a numerical system from 9 to 1 rather than from A* to G – with 9 being the highest grade.
A grade 7 and above is roughly equal to an A and above, while a grade 4 and above – which is considered a “standard pass” – is about equal to a C and above.
But UK government performance data highlights the percentage of pupils in a school who achieved a grade 5 or above in both English and maths – which is about equal to a high grade C or low grade B.
The introduction of the numerical grading system began in 2017 in England, and by 2020, all subjects were graded in numbers.
In Northern Ireland, the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment uses a nine-category grade scale, A*-G – which includes a C*.
In Wales, the traditional eight-category grade scale A*- G has been retained.
Scotland has a different qualification system and pupils received their results for National 5 exams on August 6.
UK students receive GCSE results - in pictures
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Khadija Senesie celebrates with a friend as she receives her GCSE results at the City of London Academy. Getty Images -
Annabel Bolton receives her GCSE results with her mother Helen at Portsmouth Grammar School. PA -
Eve Moore and Chloe Lyons, pupils at Sullivan Upper School Grammar School, Belfast, receive their GCSE results. PA -
Seb Murphy receives his GCSE results with his parents Helen and Ben in Bradford. The inspirational teenager achieved nine GCSEs despite battling severe health problems since he was diagnosed with cancer aged three. PA -
Lara Georgescu receives her GCSE results at Ark Greenwich Free School, London. PA -
Nada Tazouti celebrates her GCSE results at the City of London Academy. Getty Images -
Pupils at Sullivan Upper School Grammar School, Belfast, receive their GCSE results. PA
How do approaches to grading differ?
In England, Ofqual has said it expects this year’s GCSE results to be “broadly similar” to last year, when grades were restored to pre-coronavirus levels.
In Wales and Northern Ireland, exam regulators have said they aim to return to pre-pandemic grading levels this summer – a year later than in England.
It comes after Covid-19 led to an increase in top GCSE grades in 2020 and 2021, with results based on teacher assessments instead of exams.
But last week, the proportion of A-level entries in England, Wales and Northern Ireland awarded top grades passed pre-pandemic highs.
Ofqual’s chief regulator Sir Ian Bauckham said standards had been maintained, adding that any change was “largely due to the ability of the cohort”.
Was anything done this summer to support pupils taking GCSE exams?
Most pupils who took their GCSE exams this summer were in Year 7 when schools closed after the national lockdown in 2020.
In England, pupils were given formula and equation sheets in GCSE mathematics, physics and combined science exams to recognise the pandemic disruption to their secondary education.
The exam aids were also given to pupils last year, but they are not expected to be in place in 2025.
In Wales, the maths and science GCSE exams sat by pupils included relevant formulae in the papers, but these were already there before the pandemic.
Last summer, many GCSE students in Wales and Northern Ireland were given advance information about topics to expect in their exam papers, but this was not in place this year.
UAE pupils receive their GCSE results - in pictures
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Sara Atif Adlan, a pupil at Gems Founders School - Al Mizhar, opens her GCSE results. Antonie Robertson/The National -
Ashwati Palanivel, also of Gems Founders School - Al Mizhar, reads her result slip. Antonie Robertson/The National -
Celebration time for Lauren Georgia Newell, a pupil at the same school. Antonie Robertson / The National -
Pupil Hanin Ehab Mustafa is all smiles. Antonie Robertson / The National -
Another pupil, Naisha Argawal, celebrates. Antonie Robertson / The National -
Collecting GCSE results at Gems Founders School - Al Mizhar. Antonie Robertson / The National -
Tears of joy from the mother of Arshiya Kabir after getting perfect 9's for her GCSE. Victor Besa / The National -
Ghazal Khzouz and parents celebrate after getting her GCSE results at Repton Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National -
From left, Adam Ouali, Omar Atiyeh and Ahmed Al Qemzi celebrate after getting their GCSE results. Victor Besa / The National -
Jud Khoury and mother, Rula, after getting her GCSE results at Repton Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National -
Smyan Aggarwal reviews his GCSE results at Repton Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National -
Latifa Al Mansoori opens her GCSE results at Repton Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National -
Happy pupils receive their GCSE results at Gems Cambridge International Private School in Sharjah on Thursday. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
More than 3,600 students from 23 Gems schools in the UAE and Qatar sat GCSE/iGCSE exams this year. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Nishat Rahmay Ullah is given her results at Cambridge International Private School in Sharjah. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Emotions were running high as the marking scheme returned to pre-pandemic rules. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Seven per cent of all students in the Gems network of schools obtained the highest mark possible. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Emma Malkhasian opens her results with her parents on Thursday. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Praanav Unny was another hopeful pupil receiving his grades on Thursday. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Teachers were present on results day to provide support for all pupils. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Snehal Thakkar celebrated her results with confetti. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Snehal is overjoyed after receiving her results. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Hiral Chaudhary and her family find out how she performed in her GCSEs this year. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Megan Silvius and Kyle Bannerman receive their GCSE results on Thursday morning. Photo: Brighton College Dubai
What can students do if they are not happy with their results?
Pupils are advised to speak to their preferred school or university to see if they can be flexible on entry requirements if they have just missed the grades.
In England, if a student is unhappy with their grade they can also ask their school or college to request that the exam board reviews the marking.
If there are still concerns after the review, the student can ask their school or college to appeal against the result.
Students can also choose to resit any GCSE exam in the summer of the following academic year if they are unhappy with their results.
But students can retake English language and maths GCSEs from this autumn.
In England, it is a requirement for students who do not secure at least a grade 4 in English language and/or maths GCSE to retake the subjects during post-16 education.
Students are funded to retake maths and/or English until they achieve a GCSE grade 9 to 4.
For students with a grade 2 or below, they can either study towards a pass in functional skills level 2 or towards a GCSE grade 9 to 4.
Were pupils in schools affected by crumbling concrete given extra help?
Department for Education figures show 234 education settings in England have been identified as having Raac in their buildings. Of these, 94 are listed as secondary or all-through state schools.
The Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) said “special consideration” – which is given to a candidate who has temporarily experienced illness, injury or some other event outside their control at the time of their assessment – would not be granted for disruption to teaching and learning over the year due to Raac.
But this year, exam boards have offered extended coursework deadlines to schools and colleges which have struggled to access specialist facilities for non-examination assessments due to Raac.
Schools and colleges are also able to apply under the established “special consideration” process – where marks can be adjusted to take into account unforeseen circumstances – if they feel their results have been affected by Raac disruption during exams – such as a “noisy environment” in the exam hall.
