Guide to A Level Results Day 2026
A Level results day is an exciting and stressful time for students. This guide takes you through all of the essential details of the day and explains the various options available to your child once they have received their results.
When is A Level results day?
A Level Results are released on Thursday 13th August 2026 (England and Wales). Schools cannot reveal results ahead of 08.00 on this date.
Before results day
We advise parents and students to be prepared, focused and fast-moving. Thorough research into alternative courses and making sure that you have all of the necessary paperwork and contact details to hand will improve your chances of a successful experience at Clearing. Our article on preparing for UCAS Clearing contains useful tips for preparing for several results scenarios.
Receiving results
– Each school has different arrangements, but most schools welcome students to collect their results in person. The UCAS hub will only show whether your university offer(s) has changed to unconditional, not your grades so it’s important to collect them separately.
– Many schools will also publish the results on their online portal.
– Make sure you have your UCAS login details to hand, as well as a copy of your personal statement and GCSE grades in case you need to use Clearing.
– Enlist the help of friends and family to search courses and contact universities for you; the more hands on deck the easier it will be.
When will we find out if my child has got into their chosen university?
We suggest you check UCAS from 8am on results day morning to find out whether your child’s place has been accepted.
What happens if your child meets the results of their ‘firm’ university offer?
Congratulations! The hard work paid off. It’s time to celebrate! Don’t worry about contacting their first-choice university to confirm their grades, as UCAS will automatically update soon after results are released to show that they have been accepted onto their chosen course and their university will be in touch directly about the next steps. To confirm their preferred university accommodation and enrol, it is important to complete any administration requested by the university within good time. Students should keep an eye on their emails and check their junk boxes.
What happens if they don’t meet the results of their ‘firm’ university offer?
It is important for you all to remain positive, even if you are disappointed.
– Check if your child has received an ‘Unconditional Changed Course’ offer. Their first choice university might have offered them a place on a different course.
– If offered, you have the option of accepting a place with their ‘insurance’ university.
What happens if my child doesn’t meet the results for their ‘insurance’ choice?
If your child doesn’t achieve the grades required for their ‘insurance’ university offer, they may be able to find another place through UCAS Clearing. Our comprehensive guide to using UCAS Clearing is available here.
Appealing your grades
If you believe your grades are incorrect you should speak to your school as soon as possible to discuss a remark. This may come through in time for you to pick up a course through UCAS Clearing but it’s important to remember that course vacancies are continually changing and many fill quickly. As remarks typically take around two weeks, there is a possibility that courses currently available may no longer have places by the time your outcome is confirmed. Grades rarely change and they can go down as well as up.
A Level Retakes
If the ‘insurance’ or ‘clearing’ universities are not quite right for your son or daughter, they might consider retaking their A Levels and reapplying to university for the following year. There are plenty of ways to retake one, or several A Levels and we advise discussing this with your child’s school initially. Each year Simply Learning helps many families with A Level retakes taken at home. We can also help you find a place at a sixth form school, or independent college.
Please do get in touch if you are seeking advice on what to do if A Level results are lower than expected.
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A gap year will also allow your child to broaden their horizons, perhaps through travel, volunteering, work or other pursuits and projects. If your child decides to take a gap year, they will need to be ready to explain the value of doing so in their personal statements and interviews for university and future employment. We have prepared a helpful guide to how to get the most of a gap year here.
How can Simply Learning Tuition help on A Level Results Day?
Simply Learning’s education consultants help students every year to successfully plan for and navigate Clearing, A Level retakes or reapplying to university. There are many ways that we can help make a difference to your child’s post-results outcomes.
Personalised Support for UCAS Clearing
For even the most confident students, we recommend having a backup plan, just in case results are significantly better or worse than expected. By preparing thoroughly and acting quickly, our team has successfully placed students at Russell Group universities via Clearing – even when original offers were missed. Please call us to find out more about our UCAS Clearing package.
Getting a Head Start at University
If your child is about to start university, a few hours with one of our academic specialists can prevent a rocky first term. Subject specialist tutors can help with the following:
– Structuring essays, managing workloads, mastering referencing.
– Building confidence in the independent study expected at degree level.
– These sessions can be delivered in-person or online before term begins — often in a single, transformative day.