Yahoo News A-level results day 2018: A step-by-step guide on what to do today
A-Level Results Day has arrived, after months of anxious waiting.
For those of you collecting results today, it will be the most nerve wracking day of your academic career; the culmination of 14 years of study, and three years of seemingly endless exams.
After the rigid and timetabled nature of exams, the focus on collecting that all-important envelope means little thought is given to what happens afterwards.
Do you need to confirm your place at university if you get your grades? What about if you miss out by a few points? And what about accommodation and student finance?
To help you plan your day, the Telegraph have put together a guide to A-Level Results Day, including guides for Clearing and Adjustment.
Read on to make sure you are fully prepared.
Results Day: Check list
Ucas Track login details
Mobile phone
Contact details for your university
Pen and paper
Camera (to take your Results Day selfie)
Step-by-step guide
8am – Track goes live
You’ll be able to see your university confirmation. Your marks won’t show on Ucas, so, if you haven’t already, you will need to pick these up at your school or college. Ucas' social media team will be around from 6am and the contact centre opens at 7.30am for enquiries.
Morning onwards – Pick up your results
You will have to check with your school to find out what time they open to collect your grades. Many schools will have this listed on their websites. If you got your grades, go and celebrate; if you didn’t, don’t panic, there are other options.
Met your grades?
Track will update to say you have been accepted into either your firm or insurance choice university and you will be able to view your confirmation letter in Track. Make sure you read this, as it may contain information from your university about what to do next. Also, remember to double check all your contact details, so any information the university sends you will go to the right place.
If you have your student finance in place, there is now nothing left to do except celebrate and prepare for the big move.
Narrowly missed your grades?
Speak to your university — they may still accept you. You might even be offered an alternative course by the university, which you will need to accept or decline in Ucas Track. If not, check your status on Track to find out if you are eligible for Clearing. If you are, check out our Guide to Clearing for more details.
Done better than expected?
You may consider applying through Adjustment, which gives you the opportunity to ‘trade up’ to a better university or course without losing your current offer. Check out our Guide to Adjustment for more details.
Don’t want to accept the place you have been offered?
You will have to call the university who made you the offer and ask to be ‘released’. This can take up to ten days and there is no going back, so make sure you are 100 per cent sure before making the call.
Want to defer your offer until next year?
Again, you will have to call the university and ask if this is possible. Some universities will agree and some won’t. It is worth having a good reason in place to support your decision. Maybe you plan to take a gap year that will support your studies, or maybe you plan to get work experience in your chosen field. Either way, call the admissions office to talk it through - they won't retract their offer to you simply for enquiring.
A-Level results day Q&A
Got a question about A Levels or what to do next? Today, the Telegraph is hosting a special results day Q&A. Education expert and Good Schools Guide consultant Elizabeth Coatman will be on hand to offer advice on everything from clearing and adjustment to gap years and student finance, between 12pm and 2pm.
If you've got a question, you can either leave a comment ahead of time on the Q&A article page, join us today for the live session, or email your question to editorialcommunities@telegraph.co.uk.
