Hundreds of thousands of students across England, Wales and Northern Ireland are today waking up to their long-awaited A-level results to help them decide whether to progress to university, an apprenticeship or work.
More than a quarter of entries this summer are expected to score top grades but leaders have warned of ‘stark’ divides in results between different UK regions.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has said it is a ‘day of celebration’ for young people ahead of A-level results.
Speaking to Times Radio, she said:
I’ll just start by saying that this is a really exciting day for young people. They’ve worked really hard. They’ve had brilliant support from their teachers and parents. It’s a day for celebration for our young people and there are lots of great routes out there.
University is one of them, but for young people who are considering other routes there are apprenticeships and plenty of other opportunities available too, and lots of advice available if you haven’t quite got what you needed, through Ucas and clearing, and also through the National Career Service.
A-level results day: What you need to know this morning
As we await for the results to be released at 8am, here’s three key questions answered:
Who will receive their exam results?
Schools and college leavers will receive their A-level and AS grades, as well as results for vocational technical qualifications (VTQs) at Level 3, on Thursday. Students in England will also receive their results for T-levels – which were launched to provide high-quality technical alternatives to A-levels.
How can students access their grades?
While some students will receive their results via email, many will head into schools and colleges to collect them in person to say a final goodbye to teachers or receive some farewell advice. For those hoping to attend university, Ucas will receive the results directly and update applications in the Ucas Hub.
Last year, more than one in four (27.8%) of UK A-level entries were awarded an A or A* grade – up from 27.2% in 2023. It was the highest proportion of entries scoring top grades outside the pandemic-affected years of 2020-22. In 2019, the last year that summer exams were taken before the pandemic, 25.4% of entries were awarded A or A* grades. The Covid-19 pandemic led to an increase in top A-level and GCSE grades in 2020 and 2021, with results based on teacher assessments instead of exams.
Students to receive A-level results today
Good morning and welcome to MailOnline’s live coverage of A-level results day.
We are starting a live page today as hundreds of thousands of nervous teenagers across England, Wales and Northern Ireland await their exam grades before deciding to head off to university, apprenticeships and work.
We can expect a wide range of emotions as some experience the unbridled joy of achieving the results they set out to attain while lingering uncertainty will be felt by others.
Stick with us throughout the day as we bring you the latest news, pictures and reaction from throughout the day with reporting from the Daily Mail’s Education Editor Eleanor Harding and Jamie Bullen.
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A-level results day 2025: UK students to learn exam grades as scramble for university places get underway – live updates
