As I’m sure you’re all aware, results day this year is likely to be very different compared to previous years.
Some of the options that are usually available to people on results day won’t be in place, and there’s also new things to think about, like the autumn exam series.
The purpose of this thread is to try and put as much information as possible about results day 2020 in one place, so that everyone’s ready for the big day!
This thread will hopefully give you some more information about how results day will work this year, and what your options are if things haven't quite gone to plan.
Please feel free to ask any questions you might have in the thread!
If you haven't done as well as you would have hoped, you may also be interested in clearing. You can find our clearing FAQ here:
https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=6552572There's also a guide to clearing plus here:
https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=6552678Remote Results DaysMost schools and colleges won’t be running results day as usual. They’ll instead be running things remotely- so that all students get their results emailed or via online portal in the morning, and then students that need it can access extra support.
Before results day, make sure you know how your school is running results day this year! Also, make sure you have any log ins you may need, as well as any important email addresses or phone numbers for your school.
If you don’t know what’s going on, find out before results day! Don’t assume everything will be as normal. However, a significant minority of schools are doing results in person, so don't assume it's online either!
Some schools are also offering appointments on the day for students who feel like they might need some extra support. If you’re worried about meeting your offer, or are planning on using clearing, then it might be a good idea to sign up for an appointment like this. Talk to your school and find out what support will be available on the day, and how to access it!
You can let us know what your school is doing in the TSR poll here:
https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=6612418 Currently, about 2/3 of students won't be picking their results up in person.
AppealsThere has been lots of talk about appeals if your results don’t go to plan. However, Ofqual are only going to allow appeals in very limited circumstances, and all appeals must go via your school. Appeals aren't like reviews of marking, so they aren't considered on a case by case basis. You can only appeal if there is evidence a mistake has been made. You can't appeal your CAG (center assessed grade) or your rank order.
If you/your school believe a mistake has been made, either by the school or the exam board, your school can appeal your result. This must go via your exams officer at school. It’s very likely that if you’re in this situation, your school will contact you. However, if you’re really surprised by a result, it is worth speaking to your school about this.
If you are in this situation, and you have been rejected from your firm or insurance university, you should contact them ASAP. They should hold your offer until at least 31
st August so that you can get the situation rectified.
If you think you've been treated unfairly by your school, your only option is a malpractice appeal to the exam board. Unless you are a private candidate, this must go via your school.
There’s guidance on how to do this for:
AQA:
https://www.aqa.org.uk/exams-administration/after-results/post-results/appealsOCR:
https://www.ocr.org.uk/administration/other-vocational-qualifications/post-results/appeals/Pearson-Edexcel:
https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/support/support-topics/results-certification/post-results-services.htmlThe fees for this are pretty high (over £100 for the initial investigation, with an additional fee for any subsequent hearings) and it’s likely to be a long and involved process. You will get your money back if the appeal is upheld, though.
Realistically, for an appeal of this kind to be successful, you will need to have evidence of malpractice of some kind. You won't get anywhere just doing it on the off chance that there has been some malpractice!
If you’re appealing in this way, and you’ve not got into university, you should let your firm/insurance know, and ask how long they would be willing to hold your place for. It’s unlikely an appeal would be processed before the 31
st August cut off, but some unis may be willing to be flexible on this.
RetakesThere’s going to be an extra-ordinary series of exams in the autumn to allow students an additional chance to retake. The current expected date for these is October, and it’s likely exams will take a different format to usual with shorter papers or less papers in each subject. For most subjects NEAs won’t be involved in the retakes.
Results for these won’t come out until December, which will be too late for most unis next year. However, if you plan to retake, it’s worth speaking to your firm/insurance uni about the possibility of a deferred place for 2021.
If you retake in October and improve your grade, it will be possible to have new exam certificates printed with just your Autumn grade, and your grade won’t be treated as a retake.
If you want to retake in October, you should discuss this with your school. Fees will be charged for these exams, and your school may pass this fee on to you.
One advantage of autumn retakes is that results will come out before Jan 15
th 2021, so you can apply to uni with known grades.
There’s also the option to retake next summer, like there would be in a normal year. However, it's worth bearing in mind that we don't know exactly what Summer 2021 exams will look like yet, or when they will take place. These retakes will be treated like normal for the purposes of uni entry, and both results will be listed on exam certificates.