GCSE results day 2026: The facts, the myths, and the freebies

It’s the moment thousands of students have been anticipating for months. Exam results.

Qualifications Scotland results were released in Scotland earlier in August and now thousands of students across the rest of the UK are set to receive their GCSE results.

You'll see a lot of posts on social media about exam grades, so you might be wondering which ones to believe. Other Side of the Story has been checking some of the claims you may have heard about results day.

Pupils in Scotland received their grades on Tuesday 4 August. GCSE results are released on Thursday 20 August. You may see some comments on social media which dispute the days - such as people being convinced National 5s were set to be released in Scotland on 3 August but this isn't true.

It can be a challenging wait if you need specific grades for a certain course, but results are not released to anyone ahead of these official dates - we just have to be patient!

This is possibly one of the top perks of patiently waiting for those results. Some major restaurant chains will have offers in place on GCSE results day, as well as A-Level results day, but not all of them. Do your research first to make sure they have deals in place. Remember, if you see something online that looks too good to be true, it probably is.

Restaurants may also have conditions, such as minimum spend and the need for you to provide ID and evidence of your results. Some restaurants may also require you to book ahead or register for a voucher to secure a spot.

Keep an eye on the official social media accounts of the big high street chains, as they may advertise these deals in the run-up to results day itself - then reward your hard work with a bit of a treat!

Top tip: If you are taking your paper results to restaurants, make sure they are in a secure envelope or a plastic wallet - you don't want to drop your pizza or spill drinks all over them!

If you have read somewhere that you can't get your results if you're away, it’s an example of misinformation. Whether you are receiving Qualifications Scotland or GCSE results, there is a process in place where results can be sent to you via email.

Scotland also has a system where pupils can get their grades by text. This process has to be set up a few weeks before results day itself so check in with your school or exam centre's exams office as soon as you can to arrange this.

Outside of Scotland, if you don’t attend in school to get your results, you can apply for results to be sent by post or by email. In Scotland, it is standard for results to be posted out to pupil’s homes on results day; in other parts of the UK, postal results can arrive after the date.

Traditionally, most students go into school to collect GCSE results by hand. Most schools will open around 08:00 on results days.

This year, pupils in England are now able to access GCSE results on a new app from the Department of Education called the 'Education Record'. There's a bit of a wait though as the app doesn't update until 11:00.

You may still want to go into school to collect your results if possible. You'll be able to celebrate with your friends in person and ask your teachers for help or advice if you need it.

If you go into school to open your results, it’s likely that your teachers will find out your grades at the same time as you.

Some school staff will be aware of your results the day before, depending on the exam board. The AQA board in England allows those who work in the school’s exams office and the headteacher access to everyone’s grades the day before they are released. This information can also be shared with senior staff, such as heads of department, if necessary. It also helps the school prepare any information about results for journalists and to help students who have not been successful.

A representative from Qualifications Scotland also confirmed to Other Side of the Story that only senior staff know the results before learners receive them, to help with any enquiries they may receive, such as an appeal over a certain grade.

Other than those select staff, the vast majority of teachers do not know the results far ahead of the students.

Results day can bring up many emotions such as happiness and excitement or even feelings of worry and anxiousness.

It's important to remember that these are your results, and nobody else's. You might want some time to yourself to process them before sharing them with family or friends and that's ok. You might eventually want to share your results with your family or close friends as you think about your next steps.

Parents and carers might be excited to know what grades you've achieved and may want to share the news. But if you don't want a lot of people to know, you can have an honest conversation about keeping your grades private.

If things didn’t go to plan, don’t let it define you - there are plenty more opportunities ahead of you. On a practical level, these are some of the things you can do if you didn’t get the grades you wanted.

Broadcaster Dr Radha says: “Your self-worth and value are not related to what grades you get – it’s about who you are and you don’t have to ‘achieve’ anything to be loved and to be amazing.”

This article was updated in August 2026.

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