When is GCSE results day 2019? Dates, times and how to resit your exams
STUDENTS across the country received the results of their GCSE exams this week.
Here's what you need to know about what happens now and what to do if you aren't satisfied with your grades.
When was results day 2019?
GCSE results day for England and Wales was August 22, 2019.
More than 700,000 students flocked to their schools or waited nervously in front of their laptops to receive their results.
The year saw a slight increase in the pass rate as well as top grades awarded.
It was also the first year that a new grading system had been used in schools in England.
How does the numerical grading system work?
The government grading system altered students' grades from A* to G to a numerical system from 9 (the highest) to 1.
It is designed to give more differentiation at the top end of the scale, with a grade 9 pitched above an A* in the old system – relatively few students will achieve these.
A grade 4 is similar to an old grade C, representing the basic pass grade, while schools will also be measured on the proportion of pupils achieving a “strong pass” of five or above.
If you have a grade 3 or below in exams like English and Maths, you will be expected to resit these GCSEs until you pass them in order to study at school or college.
A grade 7 is roughly the same as an A grade, with universities and employers considering these to be very good grades, reported .
What if my results aren't what I'd hoped for?
If a child has a sixth-form or college place pending, the exam board can re-mark papers as a priority.
Those not waiting to move into further education can request a copy of the marked paper, or have a clerical check or review of the marking.
English language and maths retakes will be held in November 2019.
For other subjects the earliest available time to resit would be June 2020, but check with the school as this varies.
You can't just retake the exam that you didn't do well in - you have to retake all the exams that are part of that specific subject.
When will the GCSE grade boundaries be released?
These were released at 6am on results day.
The boundaries are published separately by individual exam boards, and will be found on their websites below:
More on GCSEs
Do I have to pay to retake my GCSEs?
Parents will most likely have to fork out for their child to take the test again.
The cost depends on the exam board but they are usually around £35 per GCSE and it will be more expensive for those who require extra resources.
However, some schools will pay for a teen to retake an exam.
The Exam Results Helpline, delivered by the National Careers Service will be available from August 14 to provide additional support to students (and their parents) as they receive their exam results.
The helpline will be available on 0800 100 900 from 8am to 10pm, 7 days a week. Calls are free from landlines and most mobile numbers.
Click here to read our GCSE results day 2019 live blog for all the latest news and updates.