Yahoo News A Level Results Day 2020: From how to appeal to UCAS clearing, here's everything you need to know
All school exams have been cancelled this year as schools have partially closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Sixth formers who would normally have taken their A Level exams in May and June have had their results worked out by a new system.
Their results are based on teachers' assessments and rankings, to see if they have the necessarily grades for their chosen university or next step.
On Tuesday ministers granted England pupils the right to use mock exam results if they are unhappy with their grades calculated by moderators.
There have also been warnings that next summer's exams will be delayed so students can catch up on lost revision time.
Here's everything you need to know about A Level Results Day...
When is A Level Results Day 2020?
A Level and AS Level results will be announced TODAY (Thursday, August 13).
This was the original date planned before exams were disrupted by Covid-19.
The Government says: "This will enable progression to higher and further education to take place in the normal way.
"It will also allow students time to decide whether they wish to sit exams in the autumn, and to prepare for those exams if necessary."
Results for vocational and technical qualifications used to progress to further or higher education will also be available on the same day as A Level results, and GCSEs on August 20.
How do I get my results?
All pupils should have been told what to do today, but check with your school if you are unsure.
You will either go into school from 8am, receive an email or log into an online portal to receive your results.
Due to social distancing rules, however, the usual results day celebrations are likely to be off the cards this year.
How are grades decided this year?
Students will be awarded a formal calculated grade for each exam they would have taken.
Grades are calculated by assessments and rankings from teachers.
However, if students are unhappy with their grades, they can appeal against them, and consider sitting an exam in the autumn or in summer 2021 to aim to get better results.
The Government has advised students that their grades decided by exam boards this year may be different to the predicted grades they used to apply for universities.
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson announced on Tuesday that A Level students can use their mock exam results instead of moderated final exam grades if they are higher. This decision came after Scotland scrapped moderated exam grades to revert the downgrading of some 125,000 pupils' marks.
Can I appeal my A Level grades?
Mr Williamson has revealed a "triple lock" for A Level students, meaning you can choose the grade that is highest from:
Your moderated teachers' estimate grade
Sitting an optional exam in the autumn
If your final moderated teachers' estimate grade is lower than their mock grade, the school can appeal for the mock grade to be used instead.
Ofqual, the exams regulator, has ruled students cannot appeal themselves - it has to be done directly to exam boards by your school.
The main exam boards - AQA, Edexcel, OCR and WJEC-Eduqas have all said they're still charging fees for unsuccessful appeals, but it is likely schools will pay these as opposed to charging students themselves.
How does clearing work?
Check on UCAS' Clearing service to see what courses still have vacancies. UCAS, the university admissions body, is running "Clearing Plus" this year, which means the service will personally match you to courses that could suit you.
Experts have said clearing is a "buyer's market" this year, with nearly 25,000 courses listing vacancies at universities in the UK and Northern Ireland.
But the head of UCAS has suggested it will be a “good year” for youngsters in Britain who want to attend university in the autumn as institutions will be competing to fill courses at a time of uncertainty.
A potential fall in overseas students amid Covid-19 – alongside a drop in 18-year-olds in the population – could help school leavers in the UK secure a place, Clare Marchant, Ucas’ chief executive, has suggested.
Rachel Hewitt, director of policy and advocacy at the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI), believes university admissions officers and UCAS will receive more calls from students “than ever before” following the last-minute decision to allow English students to use mock grades if they appeal.
She told PA: “It may well be that this change pushes more students to seek to appeal their grades, leaving universities to consider how to manage their places between those who achieve the grades, clearing and those seeking to appeal.
“The reintroduction of the numbers cap for this year has further complicated this by restricting the places that universities have to give.”
Professor Julia Buckingham, president of Universities UK (UUK), which represents institutions across the country, told students that universities will be as flexible as they can and urged students to look at the courses available in clearing.
"Our advice to students is to carry on as planned, which means if you miss out on the grades for your offer don’t panic," she said.
“Speak to your teachers for their advice and get in touch with your first-choice university as soon as possible – universities will be as flexible as they can in these unusual circumstances – and look at the courses available through clearing.”
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