A Level results day 2027 is Thursday 12 August 2027, according to the JCQ key dates. Schools and exam centres receive results under embargo the day before and release them to students on the Thursday morning, when your UCAS Hub also updates to show whether your firm or insurance place is confirmed. If it is not, Clearing is open that day; if you want to improve a grade, you can ask for a review of marking or resit the A Level in summer 2028. GCSE results follow a week later, on Thursday 19 August 2027. If you need to retake, Lift College's online A Levels start at £49.99 a month after a 7-day free trial.
Didn't get the grades you hoped for? Our online A-level courses let you resit or start fresh, on your timetable.
When is A-Level Results Day 2027?
A-Level Results Day 2027 is confirmed as Thursday 12 August 2027. Results are released from 08:00 across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Most schools and colleges open early so students can collect paper statements in person. Online portals typically update at the same time.
Students who sat exams as private candidates receive results by post or through their exam centre. Check with your centre in advance to confirm collection arrangements. Some centres require ID and may charge an admin fee for posting results.
Scotland operates a separate system. Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) results for Highers and Advanced Highers are usually released earlier in August, though the exact 2027 date will be confirmed by SQA closer to the time.
For what each grade means and its UCAS points, see A Level grades explained and what are UCAS points.
What happens on the day
Most students collect results in person from their school or college from 08:00. Bring ID if you are collecting on behalf of someone else. If you cannot attend in person, arrange for results to be posted or emailed. Check your institution's policy on this before Results Day.
Your UCAS Hub updates at the same time. Log in to see whether your firm and insurance choices have confirmed your place. If your grades meet the offer conditions, your place is confirmed automatically. If not, you enter Clearing or can contact universities to discuss your options.
Teachers and support staff are usually available on site to discuss results, appeals, and next steps. If you are unsure what to do, speak to someone before leaving. Many schools also run phone lines for students who cannot attend in person.
Private candidates should confirm collection details with their exam centre at least two weeks before Results Day. Centres vary in how they handle private candidate results, so do not assume postal delivery unless confirmed.
Check how close you were against the A-level grade boundaries before deciding.
UCAS Clearing 2027: who it is for and when to act
UCAS Clearing is the process that matches students without a confirmed university place to courses that still have vacancies. You enter Clearing if your grades do not meet your firm or insurance offer, if you decline your offers, or if you apply after the main deadline.
Clearing runs around Results Day. Check the UCAS website for the exact 2027 Clearing window. Universities publish available courses on UCAS and their own websites. You can contact universities directly to discuss whether they will accept you.
Act quickly if you need Clearing. Popular courses fill within hours on Results Day. Have your UCAS ID, grades, and personal statement ready when you call. Be realistic about entry requirements. Universities may accept students slightly below the published grades, but significant gaps are unlikely to succeed.
If you hold an offer and your grades are close but not quite there, contact the university before assuming you are rejected. Many institutions use flexibility on Results Day, especially if you missed by one grade. Universities decide this on results day, and practice varies by university.
Clearing is not a failure. Thousands of students find suitable courses this way every year. Focus on finding the right course rather than rushing into the first available place.
If grades are lower than expected
If your grades are lower than expected, you have several options. First, check whether your firm or insurance choice will still accept you. Many universities show flexibility, particularly if you missed by a small margin. Contact admissions directly and explain your situation. Be polite and factual.
If your offers are withdrawn, enter Clearing immediately. Prepare a list of courses you are interested in and start calling universities. Have your UCAS ID and results to hand. Some students find better-fit courses through Clearing than their original choices.
Consider whether an appeal is appropriate. If you think a paper was marked wrongly, your school or exam centre can ask the exam board for a review of marking; the grade can go up, go down or stay the same. Your predicted grade is not grounds for a review or an appeal. A standard review takes several weeks; if a university place depends on it, ask your centre for a priority review.
If you are unhappy with your grades and believe you can improve with more study, a resit may be the better option. A Level resits mean sitting all of that A Level's exam papers again in the same series, usually the following summer, which gives a full academic year to prepare.
Lift College offers A-Level courses for students who need to resit or improve grades. Study online with a named UK tutor from £49.99 a month, and on the +Exams plan Lift College enters you and books your seat at a Tutors & Exams centre. See A Level Maths or any subject on the A Level courses page.
Some students take a gap year to resit, work, or travel before reapplying to university. This is a valid choice if you need time to improve grades or clarify your goals. Universities do not penalise gap years if you use the time productively.
Read more in our guide to what happens if you fail A Levels.
If grades are higher than expected
If your grades are higher than your firm choice requires, you can keep your confirmed place or look for another course. UCAS Adjustment no longer runs: to move, you use "decline my place" in UCAS Hub, which releases you into Clearing.
Contact the universities you are interested in before you decline anything. Once you decline your place you cannot simply go back to it, so only release yourself when another university has agreed to offer you a place.
Places for higher achievers are limited and not every course has vacancies. Have a clear idea of which universities and courses you want before you start. Contact admissions offices directly rather than waiting for them to find you.
If you are happy with your firm choice, you do not need to do anything. Securing your preferred course is the goal, regardless of whether you exceeded the grades. Many students find that their firm choice remains the best fit even when higher options become available.
Higher grades also strengthen your position if you decide to reapply in a future cycle. Some students use a gap year to apply to more competitive courses, particularly for medicine, dentistry, or veterinary science where work experience and interviews matter as much as grades.
Resits and retakes: next steps
You can resit A-Level exams if you want to improve your grades. Resits are available in most subjects, though some exam boards have restrictions on coursework-heavy qualifications. Check with your intended exam board before committing to a resit.
Most students resit in the summer exam series, giving a full academic year to prepare. You sit all of the A Level's papers again in that series, because A Levels are linear and every paper is taken at the end of the course. Universities may see both results, so check how your target universities treat resits.
Some universities accept resit grades without penalty. Others, particularly the most competitive institutions, prefer first-sitting grades. Check the admissions policies of your target universities before deciding to resit. For most courses, a strong resit grade is better than a weak first attempt.
You can study for resits independently, at a sixth form or college, or through an online provider. Independent study suits motivated students who need to improve by one or two grades. Structured courses work better if you need significant grade improvement or if you struggled with the content first time.
Lift College supports students resitting A Levels with online courses and a named UK tutor, and on the +Exams plan it enters you for the exams. You study at your own pace. See our A-Level courses page for subject availability and enrolment details.
Private candidates must arrange their own exam centre. On the +Exams plan, Lift College enters you and books your seat at a Tutors & Exams centre, so you do not have to find a centre yourself. Read more about private candidate registration.
Retaking an entire year is different from resitting exams. A retake means studying the full course again, usually because you did not complete the exams or because you need to rebuild understanding from the start. Retakes take longer but give you a stronger foundation if your original grades were significantly below target.
If you are considering resits or retakes, act quickly after Results Day. Enrolment deadlines for September courses fall in late August or early September. Waiting until later in the year limits your options and may mean deferring until the following academic year.
For more guidance on choosing the right A-Level course, read our article on the best online A-Level courses in the UK.
Resit or clearing: which is right for you?
A resit is the better fit when you want a stronger grade and can give the subject more time. Clearing is the better fit when a university place this year still matches what you want to study. Neither is a failure, and you do not have to decide in the first hour of Results Day. Our guide to A level retakes online explains how a later sitting works, including exam entry as a private candidate.
How the decision changes by subject:
- Resit or clearing for law: most law degrees ask for high grades; if you missed by one grade, clearing places exist but resitting often keeps Russell Group options open.
- Resit or clearing for nursing: nursing has strong clearing availability most years; clearing is usually faster than resitting unless you missed the required science grade.
- Resit or clearing for engineering: maths grade is the gatekeeper; a maths resit is often worth more than a clearing place on a less specialised course.
- Resit or clearing for psychology: psychology is widely available in clearing; resit only if you are set on a specific BPS-accredited course that was close.