GCSE results will be released on Thursday, 21 August 2025, starting at 08:00 BST in England. This year, an additional 95,000 students in Manchester and the West Midlands will have access to a new app. It allows them to get their grades right on their phone. The app will deliver results to students at 11:00 BST on results day, marking a significant shift in how students access their academic achievements.
In England, the grading system for the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSEs) uses numbers from 9-1. Under this new system, students need to get a 4 or above to receive a “standard pass.” To earn a “strong pass,” they must earn a grade of 5 or above. This new grading system was implemented instead of the prior A-E scale, an objective to have a more precise scoring representation of what students know exactly.
While most other OECD countries use a number scale, Wales and Northern Ireland remain on a letter-based grading system. This only varies when English exam boards set the papers. This discrepancy in grading methodologies is just one example of the many differences in educational frameworks throughout the United Kingdom.
Students in Scotland have been using a new online digital app to see their results since 2019. This new digital app is supporting students in Manchester and the West Midlands to refresh their approaches to receiving their results. It makes the process convenient and accessible to all learners. After the first deployment, the app will eventually be expanded to a wider audience in future years.
On results day, students in Wales and Northern Ireland often receive their grades directly from their schools/colleges. This approach makes it easy to avoid rocking the boat when it comes to results sharing.
If students believe that their grades have been distorted and no longer reflect their learning, they should speak up. We advise them to check with their school or university before anything else. This part of the process is incredibly important because it offers the opportunity to clarify and perhaps correct any inconsistencies.
GCSE results day is just around the corner, an important rite of passage for students. It represents an important starting point for the future development of edtech in the UK. The launch of the app is an indication of the greater effort to improve the student experience and engagement in the campus community through creative solutions.
