Hundreds of thousands of students across England, Wales and Northern Ireland received their A-level results appeals resits guidance on Thursday 13 August, as results were released at 08:00 BST and university application statuses updated simultaneously through the Ucas Hub. The cycle comes against a backdrop of record demand: Times Higher Education reports an 8.5 per cent increase in Ucas applications in 2021, the highest on record.
Grade boundaries and how they work
A-level, T-level and BTec results are graded on a scale from A* to E. Grade boundaries set the minimum number of marks required for each grade. Assessment specialists at each exam board determine boundaries annually, and they are published only on results day.
Exam boards including AQA publish boundaries from previous years on their websites, giving students some indication of how thresholds have shifted over time. The 2026 boundaries follow the same process.
A-level results appeals resits: your options if grades disappoint
Students who believe their grade is wrong should speak to their school or college first. The institution contacts the exam board on the student’s behalf and requests a mark review. If that review still leaves the student unsatisfied, the school or college can lodge a formal appeal with the exam board.
Should the appeal not resolve the matter, students can request a further review from Ofqual, the exams regulator. The same route applies for T-level and BTec results: students cannot approach the exam board directly and must go through their school or college.
For those looking to resit A-level exams, the next opportunity will be May or June 2027. Schools and colleges can advise on whether a resit is the right course of action for individual students.
University clearing and what happens if you miss your offer
Students who narrowly miss the grades required for a conditional university offer have several routes available. The admissions office may accept them regardless, or offer a place on a different course. Many students also use the Ucas clearing process.
The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service runs clearing to match students with courses that still have available places. Students can use it if they fail to achieve the grades needed for their conditional offer, do not receive any offers they wish to accept, decide after 30 June to apply for university, or achieve better grades than expected and wish to change course.
Clearing opened on 2 July and closes on 19 October. Universities make offers based on qualifications, grades or the Ucas tariff points system. Each A-level grade carries a set points value: an A* is worth 56 points and a D is worth 24 points.
Not every student who misses their offer chooses to go through clearing. Some opt for an apprenticeship or move directly into work. Others take a gap year to allow more time to consider their options.
Scotland results and the different system
Scotland operates a separate qualification system. Students sit Highers rather than A-levels. Scotland’s results day this year fell on Tuesday 4 August, when pass rates for National 5, Highers and Advanced Highers all increased.
With record Ucas application numbers putting pressure on places across the UK, students who find themselves in clearing this cycle face a competitive but active market, with universities still moving to fill remaining spaces before the 19 October deadline.
