This week, teenagers around the country will be able to find out their GCSE results, after months of waiting since it was announced exams would be cancelled.
Since 2017, GCSE grades have changed from the old A*-G scale, and most subjects are now graded on a scale of 1-9 – with 9 being the equivalent of a high A*.
As students have not taken exams this year, their grades will be calculated by an algorithm using teacher predictions and school history. However, if their teacher-assessed grade is higher than the algorithm result, they will be given that mark instead, the government announced in a U-turn on Sunday.
Here's everything you need to know about GCSE Results Day 2020.
When is results day?
Results day falls this year on Thursday, August 20.
Schools and colleges will receive their results on Wednesday, August 19, so students can collect them the next day.
GCSE Results 2019-In Pictures
What time can I collect my results?
Students will be able to collect their results on the morning of Thursday, August 20. Timings may vary, so check with your school when results will be available.
You can find out your results by post, email, or by going to school. If you cannot go to school yourself, you can send a relative with a signed letter from you to collect your grades.
How are results graded this year?
Results were initially calculated by a controversial algorithm, which used a school’s exam history to determine pupil’s grades.
Teachers were asked to rank pupils in order of best to worst predicted exam performance. These rankings were then sent to exam regulator Ofqual, which moderated them, taking into account each school’s previous exam performance.
However, when A-level results, which were also calculated using this system, came out last week, as many as 40 percent of student’s grades seemed to have been unfairly downgraded.
After widespread backlash, the government u-turned on this policy, and now GCSE pupils will be given either their Ofqual-moderated grades or their original teacher-predicted grades, depending on which is higher.
GCSEs are graded on a scale of 1-9, with one being the lowest and 9 being the highest. This year, there are specific no grade boundaries, as pupils are not receiving marks for individual papers.
