Why do GCSE results come out in 2025?

[IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads]

We are planning a big holiday, likely to go next year, which will be the year DS takes his GCSEs. DD will be Y8, so we will need to go in the window between the end of term and GCSE results coming out (and be over jet lag!).

I know exam results always come out on a Thursday in the middle Thursday of August ? Would that be Thursday 14th Aug 2025? Or Thursday 21st? DS is my first child to take exams and it's been a long time since I took mine! (So long, they were O levels).

I’d say Thurs 14 Aug 2925 for A Level results, and Thurs 21 Aug for GCSE results (I work in this area in a school). However, the dates have not been officially published yet so you may need to wait in bit in order to be sure. A Level results are always a week before GCSE results.

GCSE are always a week later than A level results, so I’d put money on the 21st. It’s 22/8 this year. You don’t have to collect them in person these days, anyway.

You can log on and get them, no need to go into school.

Thank you.
I know you don't actually have to go and collect them in person anymore , but surely you need to be available for 6th form/college admissions etc? And to be a bit more reactive if they are not quite the grades required?

At our school, you collect results in August but don't register officially until early September. Up to then, you can express an interest in courses but can't commit until you have your results.

I think you mean "when" in your title? I was wondering why the results wouldn't come out next year . .

@AnnoyingPopUp

wow that's quite some time to predict , doubt they'll even exist by then!!

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

@IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads

it depends how long you want to go away for and where you're going/facilities etc.

if you have good access to wifi & good phone usage, it really doesn't matter where you are as you're not going to need to see anyone in person I wouldn't think.

so it depends whether your teens school allow digital or if they have to go in & if your teen is happy not to go in person with their friends.

my friend works in our local school & the kids HAVE to collect in person 💁🏻‍♀️

It's 22nd this year so I imagine it's 21st next year. Round here students need to register with the college the same day the results come out so check this aswell.

a lot of schools will only have staff there on the day of exam results anyway. They are on holiday themselves so they aren't there constantly

If DS hadn’t got the results he needed last summer he would have had to go into sixth form the following Tuesday to do a test to prove he could do it. I was relieved he did since we were on holiday then.

Do they not send them by post any more? I was away with my dad (he kept telling me I'd failed them all anyway and didn't want me to ring and ruin my holiday). I'm sure I found out I had all A*/As and Bs when I got back on a sheet the school had posted to our home address. Is that not normal practice?

Yes I did, but noticed too late to change it.
I was hoping people would be able to understand what I meant from the body of the message, which appears to be the case.

@IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads not sure people's comments needed that much a sharp response

My son was in Oz when his GCSE grades came out and just sorted 6th form collage stuff out when he got back and it was all fine

My DS had to go in to collect his results in person last year, and then had to go to college in person with the physical piece of paper to enrol the same day.

GCSE results are the Thursday before the Bank Holiday Monday. Make sure you ring up/email to get them and then have a decent WiFi connection to confirm his courses with school/college, and you should be fine.

Given all the possible variables, the best person to advise you is your school’s Exams Officer, who will have dealt with this situation before (and definitely won’t be on holiday in August!)

Sixth form colleges here absolutely required the student to register between the Friday after results and about the following Weds. I think you're wise to plan round it though it wouldn't have been a disaster here if you'd been away until the following Monday.