Preparing for Results Day 2024

Waiting for your A Level results can be a stressful time. Making the most of your summer and keeping busy will help minimise any anxiety you may feel. Another way to distract yourself is to plan ahead. Even if you’re feeling confident about your results, it doesn’t hurt to have a back-up plan.

Preparing for the best possible outcome and the worst-case scenario by looking at all your options and talking them through with a parent/carer or somebody who has been through this experience themselves may help you to avoid panic and rash decisions on the day. At the University of Chester, our A-Z Clearing Course Listing is available to view now. Make a list of alternative courses and relevant telephone numbers and make sure your mobile is fully charged for results day. Being prepared will give you the confidence to deal with whatever comes your way.

Thinking about the day itself, it may be a comfort to you knowing that you have someone to go with you to collect your results; this might be a parent, guardian, sibling or a friend.

Here’s some more advice on how to manage on results day.

Make sure you’re available

On results day, it’s important to make sure you’re available. UCAS will only be able to discuss your application with you. You can nominate someone (such as a parent/carer) to speak to UCAS on your behalf. However, if you decide to enter Clearing you will need to speak to the universities yourself so it’s best to keep your day free.

Still waiting for a decision?

If it reaches mid-morning and the UCAS Hub has not updated, don’t panic. Keep calm and contact the university directly to check your status.

You’ve got your expected grades

If you’ve got your expected grades, the UCAS Hub will be updated over the course of the day to reflect the fact that you have met your firm offer. You will then receive details from either UCAS or your firm choice university with details of next steps.

All that is left to do is celebrate!

You didn’t get the results you’d hoped for

If you don’t quite get the grades you’d hoped for, don’t be too disheartened. Contact your firm choice university to see whether they are still prepared to accept you. If not, they may offer you a place on a similar course with lower entry requirements or a place on a Foundation Year course. A Foundation Year involves an extra year at the beginning of a university course, which then typically leads straight on to a degree course at the same university.

If neither of these options are available, it’s time to look at entering Clearing. Many universities will still have places on a variety of courses, so do some research and start making calls to your preferred universities. If you’ve planned ahead and prepared for the worst-case scenario, you may already have an idea of the university/course(s) you’re interested in as your plan B. Lots of students who go through Clearing report that, whilst it can be a little daunting, they end up having a positive experience and making the right decision for their future; hear from students who have gone through the process in our Clearing Student Stories.

You’ve got better grades than expected

If you achieve better grades than expected and you’re happy to accept your firm offer, you will just need to wait for the UCAS Hub to update during the day. Details of next steps will follow from UCAS or your firm choice university in due course.

However, if you’d like to explore other courses/universities with higher entry requirements, you will need to decline your place and enter Clearing. If you managed to prepare in advance for the best possible outcome, as mentioned above, you may already know which course/university you’d like to apply to through Clearing.

Finally…

No matter what happens on results day, you deserve to go and enjoy yourself for all your hard work and effort. Even if your plans change after results day, embrace these changes and make the most of every opportunity that comes your way.

Good luck on results day!