Exam Results Day – A Parents’ Guide - BBC Parents' Toolkit

Two girls stand holding their GCSE results to the camera, smiling.

When your child is waiting for GCSE or National results, they can feel like their whole future depends on what grades they get.

It’s a stressful time for the whole family, and it can be hard to know what to say to help them cope with an unknown outcome.

But there are always lots of options, and help is available no matter what results day brings.

“The main thing is to stay calm and don’t panic,” - National Careers Service

Clare Martin, who is Regional Manager for the National Careers Service in the Southwest also says; “It’s important for parents and young people to understand that it’s not the end of the story when you get your GCSE or National results. There are so many forms of study and training post-16 that young people can consider – there is always a path to suit everyone.”

1. Before results day

It’s likely that as results day gets closer, your child will experience a variety of emotions as they play out the various possible outcomes in their minds. Look out for:

Mood swings
Disturbed sleep or nightmares
Sadness and deciding they’ve ‘definitely’ failed
Avoiding the subject completely

All of these reactions are understandable and normal. They’ve probably put a lot of work into these exams and the school will have stressed the importance of public exams over the past year to encourage them to work hard.

If your child is willing to talk, try to discuss some of the alternative outcomes over the summer, so they can have a Plan B in place, or even multiple plans. If they’ve already thought about what will happen if the results are unexpected, they may not feel as overwhelmed on the day if they’ve either got higher or lower grades than were predicted.

“Ask them about other options…There are so many pathways" - the National Careers Service

“Start with the careers advisor at your own school or college – either where you’ve taken your GCSEs or where you hope to go to study after results,” advises Clare. “Ask them about other options – you don’t have to move from GCSEs to A levels or Nationals to Highers. There are so many pathways, like T-levels, apprenticeships or Vocational Technical Qualifications (VTQ) such as BTEC or Cambridge technical.”

In Scotland there are similar pathways and the Scottish Careers Service has its own dedicated website for parents and young people with a helpline that opens on results day – that’s 5th August in 2025.

Often, you can collect your results in person at the place where you took the exam, like your school, or you can access the results online. It might be helpful if your child thinks about whether they’d rather find out at home in privacy, or with the support of their friends at school.

2. On results day

I got what I needed!

If they’ve got exactly what was required to move on to their next course of study, congratulations!

If they’ve actually got higher than they were expecting, it could be that other options are now open to them. Encourage them to get some advice and see if perhaps they want to do further study at a higher level.

Two girls with their GCSE results stand in the foreground with their mothers taking photos of them together on their phone.

I’ve passed but I’m still disappointed in my grade

It’s possible that your child has got the passes they need but they’re still disappointed in their performance. This might just be a disappointment that they can move on from with a bit of support from you. But if they want to, explore the possibility of remarking or resitting with your school or college.

“Some university courses like medicine may require a higher grade like a 6 or 7 in maths GCSE for example, so if it’s realistic for you to achieve that, ask if you can retake alongside your A-levels,” says Clare.

I dropped a grade or two

“Don’t assume that because you’ve dropped a grade or two you can’t go on to further study,” says Clare. “Speak to your own school first: they might think it’s worth getting the paper remarked. The school can arrange this, and some schools will cover the cost of remarking if they think it’s likely there was a mistake.” (Remarks cost around £40 – £50 depending on the board.)

“But also speak to the sixth-form or college you want to go to next,” says Clare. “Often colleges accept students onto the higher level qualification while allowing the student to resit the exam they have got a lower grade in – it’s always worth asking.”

It’s really common for students to need to resit their maths or English GCSEs at the same time as moving onto A levels or T-levels and there are systems to support this. Some colleges, for example, run their higher level qualifications Monday to Thursday, and maths and English resits on a Friday.

If you don’t achieve a Grade 4 in either maths or English and you want to go on to further study aged 16-19, you are now required to continue to study that subject. You can retake the GCSE in the autumn and/or in the summer. But if you don’t feel ready to resit, you don’t have to.

I really didn’t get what I needed

If the results aren’t close to what you needed, it’s not a disaster. “Stay calm, take some time to work out what to do and get some specialist careers advice,” says Clare. “If your school or college careers advisor can’t help you, there are lots of resources on the National Careers Service website and we have a helpline and a webchat that’s open to both students and parents.”

“It could be that you decide to repeat the year, take your exams again, and continue with the training or further education you had hoped for,” suggests Clare. “Maths and English resits are free if you’re trying to bring your grade up to a 4. You can retake any other subject but there could be a fee, though there are bursaries available."

“But also, this experience could make you realise that you’re better suited to a different kind of career, and you might find a trainer who can help you to develop your skills in a new area.”

3. In the days after

Whatever has happened, encourage your young person to take a few days to explore their options. They might want to jump at the first course they’re offered but there’s usually a couple of weeks between results day and the start of college, so get the advice and then let them sleep on it and really choose a next step that they think they will enjoy.

“Results day is never the end of the road,” Clare explains. “It could be the start of some golden opportunities on a new pathway. The main thing is to get some specialist advice and be open to possibilities.”