HUNDREDS of thousands of teenagers across the UK are bracing for a nerve-racking morning on A-level results day.

Here is all you need to know , and how to collect your grades.

Three girls reacting to their A-Level results, with one covering her mouth in surprise and the other two smiling.Some schools hand out printed slips on A-level results day while others use online portals or email Credit: Alamy

When do A-level results come out?

This year, falls on Thursday, August 13.

The Joint Council for Qualifications sets the date and it applies across every exam board, including AQA, Pearson Edexcel, OCR, WJEC and CCEA in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

This covers AS Levels, the Extended Project, free-standing maths qualifications, as well as Level 3 applied and vocational technical qualifications.

OCR’s Cambridge Technicals at Level 2 and Level 3 can be issued to students slightly earlier from Monday, August 10, but and colleges can choose to hold them back until the main results days.

Exams officers can see results on their systems from 12.01am, but they can only give results slips to students from 8am.

Bear in mind that 8am is the earliest permitted time results can be handed out – not a fixed release time.

Each school or college has its own specific policy on when and how students can collect their results.

How do I collect A-level results?

There are several options available for how you can collect your on the results day:

  • In person: Go to your school or college with your photo ID to collect a printed slip with your results. If you personally cannot attend, give your institution a written letter naming your proxy with their ID to collect your results for you.
  • Online: Log into your institution’s online portal to view your grades. Most results are sent to UCAS and your chosen universities or colleges automatically, so you can also use the UCAS Hub to see if your university place is confirmed, but this will not show raw grades.
  • Email or post: Check your email inbox, including the spam folder, if your institution sends digital copies. Some schools mail physical copies if arranged beforehand.

set their own arrangements, with some handing out printed slips in person while others use online portals or email, so it is worth checking your specific institution’s policy.

Can you challenge an A-Level grade?

The request to review marking must come from the school or college itself, so you will have to speak to your exams officer should you wish to challenge your grades.

If they refuse to ask for a review, you are entitled to use the school’s internal appeals procedure to challenge that refusal.

A review can push a mark down as well as up, which is why the student has to give written consent and the school has to keep it on file.

There may also be a fee if the grade does not change, so it is a good idea to check what it costs first.

If a university or further education place hangs on the outcome, the cut-off for a priority review is August 20, otherwise the standard deadline is September 24.

When the exam board sends out the result of your review, you have 30 days from that date to appeal it.

An appeal has two stages – if you are unhappy with the first answer, you have another 14 days to ask for a hearing.

If you have asked for a review that could change your grade, tell the university straight away.

The exam board does not tell or the university that a review is underway, but it will report any grade change that comes out of it, and the university is under no obligation to hold your place in the meantime.