Oxford Cambridge and RSA - Results Day Guide for Students, Parents and Carers - GCSE - Next Steps

Sep 5, 2026

Results day guidance from Oxford Cambridge and RSA for GCSE students, parents and carers. Explains how final grades are calculated using centre assessment grades, rank orders, and a statistical standardising process across schools and colleges. Provides clear steps for handling questions about results, considering next options, and understanding the autumn exam series. Includes deadlines for entering exams, exam dates, results release dates, and information on costs and differences for non-exam assessment components.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages4

Reading Time10 min

AccessFree to download

How we calculated your final grades

Step 1: Centre assessment grades and rank orders

Step 2: Standardising your grades

What to do if you have any questions

Speak to your teachers

Next steps - GCSE

The autumn exam series

Deadlines, exam dates, and results release

Oxford Cambridge and RSA Results day guide for students, parents and carers GCSE WELL DONE on getting your GCSE results! We wish you every success in moving ahead to the next stage. We know this has been a difficult year for all of you and we have been working hard to try and make sure you get the results you deserve. This guide will help you understand your grades, how they were awarded, and what your next steps are. WE WILL COVER: • How we calculated your final grades • What to do if you have any questions about your results • Questions to help you consider your next steps • Information about the autumn exam series. WHAT TO DO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR FINAL GRADES If you have any questions or concerns about your final grades, please speak to your teachers. They will be able to give you more information on the process for awarding grades this summer. HOW WE CALCULATED YOUR FINAL GRADES The grades you receive this year carry the same value as any other year. We’ve standardised the grades your school or college sent to us to make sure that results for each GCSE subject are fair across all schools and colleges. STEP 1 We used the centre assessment grades and rank orders your school or college gave us to calculate your final grade for each GCSE subject. | CENTRE ASSESSMENT GRADES
This is the grade your school or college thought you would have most likely achieved in a subject if you had sat exams this summer and completed any non-exam assessment.
They looked at a full range of evidence to decide your centre assessment grade for each subject. | | | --- | --- | |

PREVIOUS GRADES |

NON-EXAM ASSESSMENT | | | | | |

CLASSWORK/ WORKBOOKS | SENT TOOCR | RANK ORDER
Your school or college also gave us a rank order of students within each grade for each subject for example, all students at grade 5 in GCSE Maths, based on performance from highest to lowest.
GRADE NUMBER OF PUPILS
9
8
7
6 | | | --- | --- | | 5
4
3
2
1
GRADE
5 |

| | Highest attaining Lowest attaining | | Once we had all of the centre assessment grades and rank orders, we used a statistical process to make sure that, as far as possible, results for each GCSE subject are fair across all schools and colleges. STATISTICAL PROCESS We looked at previous national results for each subject, your school or college’s results in recent years and compared this year’s students to students in previous years. This process was used in the same way by all exam boards. STEP 2 | STANDARDISING YOUR GRADES
If the judgements made in some schools or colleges for a subject were more generous than others, we adjusted the final grades of students downwards to bring them into line.
If the judgements made in some schools or colleges for a subject were more severe than others, we adjusted the final grades of students upwards to bring them into line. |
If the centre assessment grades were HIGH, we adjusted down.

Calculated grade 5 5 5 5 4 4 4 4 4

If the centre assessment grades were LOW, we adjusted up.

Calculated grade 5 5 5 5 5 5 4 4 4 | | --- | --- | This may mean that your final grade for a subject may be different to the centre assessment grade submitted by your school or college. FINAL GRADE If you are unhappy with your results and want to know what your options are, take a look at the ‘next steps’ section below. NEXT STEPS – GCSE The process for awarding your final grades this summer has been designed to be as fair as possible, so that you can quickly progress to your next planned step. If you are unhappy with your results, the questions below will help you understand what your options are and decide whether to take any further action. If you’re feeling particularly anxious, talk to your teacher. We would encourage you to consider whether or not your final grades let you progress to your next planned step

FAQs

How are GCSE final grades calculated?

Final grades are calculated using centre assessment grades and rank orders from schools or colleges, then standardised with a statistical process to help make results fair across institutions.

What should I do if I have questions about my final grades?

Speak to your teachers, who can explain the grade-awarding process and provide more information about how grades were produced.

How does the autumn exam series help students?

If results aren’t as hoped or if a summer centre assessment grade wasn’t available, the autumn series can provide another opportunity to improve and progress to college, university, an apprenticeship, or employment.

Sep 5, 2026

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