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Original poster

Countdown to A level results day - 2023

967 replies

HereWeGo2023 · 14/06/2023 07:10

Following on from the A level support thread I thought I would create one for results day.
Hopefully you will all join me for the long nail biting wait and the big day at the end of it!

OP posts:
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12
Trumporange · 31/07/2023 11:40

One thing that does feel unfair is that when applying for jobs in future, this year's cohort will have worse A level grades compared to the last few years but I doubt most recruiters will consider that.

feelforyou2 · 31/07/2023 12:08

Trumporange · 31/07/2023 11:40

One thing that does feel unfair is that when applying for jobs in future, this year's cohort will have worse A level grades compared to the last few years but I doubt most recruiters will consider that.

Yes, I fear this too and although usually only relevant for getting your foot in the door for your first job, it does seem unfair. But perhaps applicants should asterix their grades and explain?
Also, read that unis are expecting there to be a lot fewer places for clearing going forward, at least for the next lot (think I read that in the Times today).

Trumporange · 31/07/2023 12:46

Not sure it would come across well to asterisk the grades on a CV or application. I think it would look a bit defensive, like an excuse.
We can only hope that recruiters will look at the year exams were taken but I don't find that likely outside of very mass-scale recruiters.

PettsWoodParadise · 02/08/2023 18:39

My countdown clock to 8am on 17th August is showing 14 days, 13 hours, 20 minutes…

lastdayatschool · 02/08/2023 20:09

Isn't it 8.15 that the UCAS tracks get updated this year @PettsWoodParadise 😬 ?

AfingeroffudgeisNOTenough · 02/08/2023 20:17

DD got some good news today - her first choice Uni randomised accommodation applications yesterday and she is number 148 on the list. Hopefully this means as long as she gets a Round 1 offer, she’ll get her first choice accommodation. No idea how many people apply for accommodation, but anyone who has UCD anywhere at all on their CAO form can apply so I’d imagine it’s well into the thousands. Having been rejected for accomodation from her second choice (Trinity) this has given her a real boost today

PettsWoodParadise · 02/08/2023 20:20

lastdayatschool · 02/08/2023 20:09

Isn't it 8.15 that the UCAS tracks get updated this year @PettsWoodParadise 😬 ?

According to DD's school and UCAS it is 8am https://www.ucas.com/advisers/managing-applications/supporting-you-through-confirmation-and-clearing/confirmation-and-clearing-2023-key-dates

I do howwever hear that it can be challenging to log in in the fitrst 15 mins so many are saying try later, from 8.15 onwards

lastdayatschool · 02/08/2023 20:25

My apologies @PettsWoodParadise - that will teach me to blindly repeat what one of the so called top-contributors has been parroting on WIWIKAU for the last week, without checking myself.

KittyMcKitty · 02/08/2023 20:30

A word of warning re UCAS when my ds’s results were released 2 years ago UCAS crashed just after 8 and many people couldn’t get on for ages.

HappySonHappyMum · 02/08/2023 21:14

My anxiety about this whole process and the long wait for results is through the roof right now. My DD got allocated her room in halls yesterday - room number 106 - the number of her GreatGrandmas house. I am taking this as a 'sign'. Literally wishing the days away right now.

SertralineAndTherapy · 02/08/2023 21:15

UCAS predictably crashes most years. You'd think that they would know exactly how many people are likely to log on, and rent extra capacity for that...

Hellohah · 02/08/2023 21:24

We won't be logging on to UCAS as DS hasn't applied this year, so one not clogging up the system!

Not so nervous because he'll make a decision about what his future holds based on his results. He could come out with anything 🤦🏻‍♀️

I really feel for you all, it's such a period of uncertainty. I'll try and come on to celebrate with you (hopefully) and handhold if necessary (hopefully nobody will need this) in 2 weeks.

Is so fast approaching, I can't believe it.

tribpot · 02/08/2023 21:24

Yep it has the most predictable peaks in demand you can imagine. I would guess they just don't care enough to fix it - no skin off their noses either way.

lastdayatschool · 02/08/2023 21:39

Yes, some of the UCAS IT estate and processes are well and truly stuck in the 20th century.

They run on the public cloud (AWS), where one of the main value propositions is to be able to scale elastically to respond to increased demand - either they're not paying enough for this service to satisfy results day demand, or they don't know how to configure it correctly.

Taking your entire website down for 24-48 hours, as they regularly do, for maintenance is also another well outdated practice.

kackle · 02/08/2023 21:46

Last year we were told ucas went live at 0800.

I did a sneaky logon at 0740 to check my eldest’s track update. System was up and running then.

Had time to calm down, quick shower and a cuppa before he woke up and logged on himself at 0810 ish

toomuchlaundry · 02/08/2023 21:50

@kackle I thought there was an embargo and universities could be in trouble if they breached it

kackle · 02/08/2023 22:05

toomuchlaundry · 02/08/2023 21:50

@kackle I thought there was an embargo and universities could be in trouble if they breached it

Theres a results embargo till 0800 which means schools can’t divulge results till then.

Ucas track just tells you if you are into your uni. They don't tell you your grades

toomuchlaundry · 02/08/2023 22:17

@kackle the embargo relates to universities too

NotDonna · 02/08/2023 22:25

@kackle so you could see Ucas was working as opposed to seeing your DS’s Uni allocation/confirmed etc. Or do you mean you could see uni confirmation? At 7.40?
Im guessing the universities send it to Ucas well before 8am ready for Ucas to ‘display’ @toomuchlaundry

kackle · 02/08/2023 22:52

Yes. You are correct- Universities cannot tell you your grades. The embargo is on grades not decisions.

Universities receive grades on Friday 11th Aug at about 1900hrs. Ucas is then frozen to allow them to process results and comes back on line by 0800 Thurs 17th

Remember - the embargo is on results, not decisions by the uni. Universities cannot disclose grades to you , their job is to make a decision.

Last year, ucas was up at 0740 ish. Ucas doesnt tell you your grades. Its not breaking the embargo as you cannot find grades out till 0800

NotDonna · 02/08/2023 22:54

Understood! Thank you for clarifying!

kackle · 02/08/2023 22:58

NotDonna · 02/08/2023 22:25

@kackle so you could see Ucas was working as opposed to seeing your DS’s Uni allocation/confirmed etc. Or do you mean you could see uni confirmation? At 7.40?
Im guessing the universities send it to Ucas well before 8am ready for Ucas to ‘display’ @toomuchlaundry

So last year - grades sent to uni the Friday before results day. Uni make a decision. In my son’s case decision was made Saturday 15th. Decision was transmitted to ucas about 0930 on the Saturday.

Ucas then comes back online by 0800 on Results day. Last year it was 0740.

Ucas doesnt tell you your grades. It tells you if you have been accepted. You find out grades from your school / college after 0800

tribpot · 03/08/2023 07:40

That's some useful intel, @kackle . I had assumed that even if the UCAS site was up before 8 it wouldn't publish the status of offers til then. This way we can maybe get the offer status before going up to school at 8 for the results.

SertralineAndTherapy · 03/08/2023 08:12

It's always worth checking. In the past I've even had students getting confirmation emails from unis the day before results day, but that was very rare (and probably frowned-upon). Once UCAS updated at around midnight. (It's not called "Track" any more since the various systems have been combined into one.)

As a teacher and UCAS advisor I find results day one of the most stressful days of the year, you have to switch from happy congratulations to dealing with people in shock almost instantly. Last year my own DD got into uni and I was stuck helping students all day.

ZittiEBuoni · 03/08/2023 09:19

We're not looking at UCAS! Getting the results from school in the old-fashioned way. DD loves high stakes drama, obviously.

Poor thing has had the summer cold that won't quit for about 3 weeks now. I nag her to rest but it ain't happening.