GCSE results 2026: A more complicated picture than you may expectpublished at 18:05 BST 20 August

18:05 BST 20 August

Hazel Shearing
Education correspondent

You might be forgiven for glancing at this year's GCSE results and thinking, well, not much has changed.

And sure, if you're just looking at the pass rate across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, that would be more or less correct.

But, when you dig into the detail, you'll find a more complicated picture, where some issues from last year have become even more stark.

You'll see the grades of students resitting their English and maths GCSEs in England are dragging down the overall results in those subjects - all part of a system the government itself says is "demoralising" and needs fixing.

You'll see that boys' and girls' grades are looking more similar - though that's more to do with girls slipping than boys improving.

And you'll see that, despite the government's pledges to "tackle entrenched inequality", the regional divide in England has actually grown, and remains stubbornly higher than it was before Covid.

I've taken a closer look at the five key takeaways from this year's results.

We're now bringing our live coverage to an end - thank you for joining us.

Madeleine Lake
Live reporter

Image source, PA Media

For the hundreds of thousands of students who opened their GCSE, BTec and Cambridge Nationals results today, the wait is over.

The nerves may have turned to excitement, relief or disappointment.

Regardless of the outcome our team of experts have been providing advice on what comes next, such as: what to do if you didn't get the results you wanted, how to celebrate your own results if your friends are disappointed with theirs, what the next steps are after completing GCSEs and why it's ok not to have a plan in place.

The bigger picture showed a year of a little change - pass rates fell but remained stable, top grades notched up a little bit and the gap between girls' and boys' performance shrunk slightly.

For the first time, pupils could receive their results via an app. About 750 secondary schools - roughly one in five - took part in the government's pilot scheme.

Some teachers worry the app will rob students of the experience of coming into schools to collect their results. Deputy headteacher Luke Kilvert says: "It’s a chance to celebrate with staff and parents but, most importantly, they can get the support they need if they don’t get the grades."

We also have a round up of what we've heard today, from quadruplets who are ready to get to separate colleges, a grandmother who has got her maths GCSE and a student who has passed his exams after fleeing the war in Sudan.

A final message from me: whatever your next steps are, good luck and enjoy every moment. If you didn't get the results you'd hoped for, keep working hard and following your dreams.

We'll shortly be ending our live coverage, but before we do our education correspondent will dig into the details of this year's GCSE results day in our next post.

As is always the case with GCSE results, the day is not just about the numbers and letters on a piece of paper.

It's also about the people opening the envelopes and their journeys leading up to the results.

We're putting a spotlight on some of those we've heard from today:

Image source, Suffolk Refugee Support/PA Wire

A student who fled the war in Sudan has said passing his maths and English GCSEs is "one of the proudest moments in my life".

Twenty-year-old Nasser Hamid, who aspires to be a football referee, said that "with discipline and hard work, you can achieve your goals".

Quadruplets Rose, Ellen, Layla and Eric were happy when they collected their GCSES together at Aureus School in Didcot this morning.

The four siblings are all heading to separate colleges, Rose told the BBC: "Good. I need a break from them."

Image source, .

In Rochdale, Year 11 pupil Isla collected her results while wearing a sash that read: "I smashed my GCSEs, I’m going to Ibiza."

Her parents surprised her with the trip after she opened her results and the family will be heading to the airport this evening.

Charlie, a patient at Great Ormond Street Hospital, in central London, has passed 11 GCSEs despite being diagnosed with a rare and incurable heart condition as a baby.

"It’s quite emotional because I didn’t think he’d be here to do his GCSEs," says his mother Helen.

Image source, Eastern Education group/PA Wire

It's not just 15 and 16-year-olds who have found out their results today. Wynne Hindle, a 52-year-old grandmother, has passed her maths GCSE exam on her fifth time trying.

"I just wanted to achieve something and I’m a resilient person. I find it hard to quit so I just kept going," she said.

Eleven-year-old Kabir Chauhan, from Milton Keynes, secured a top grade of 9 in his maths GCSE after scoring 222 out of 240 in his exams.

"I am super proud of his achievements," his mother Ruchi told the BBC.

Gyasi B-Hibbert
Live reporter

"It has definitely been a very stressful morning, especially being away from home and relying completely on the app to access my daughter's results," Carla, from Portsmouth area, says.

Today marks the first time that some Year 11s across England can view their grades on an app, after a pilot last year involving thousands of students across Greater Manchester and the West Midlands.

As Carla is on holiday and couldn't collect them in person, she was relying entirely on the Education Record app to receive her daughter's GCSE results,

"We thought this would be the easiest option," she says, but adds it became increasingly stressful when she became aware other students had already seen their results on the app but her daughter's weren't yet available.

Although results were expected to be available from 11:00 BST, Carla says nothing appeared on the app until around 13:00.

The Department for Education told the BBC that the Education Record app is still in pilot mode this year, and they emphasised that communications about the app have said results could be expected from 11:00 rather than at 11:00.

Mairead Nolan
Digital programmes content and events manager, Sutton Trust

The number of students completing T-levels increased by 65% this year compared with 2025.

T-levels are courses designed to develop skills needed for employment.

Having said that, A-levels are still the most common option chosen by young people - about 40% of 18-year-olds in England receive A-level results every summer.

Gyasi B-Hibbert
Live reporter

Image source, Abdi

As students open their results, a large proportion are receiving grades from compulsory retakes of English and Maths GCSE exams.

This morning, Abdi, 17, from east London, collected his maths and English results for the third time.

Unfortunately, he did not receive the passes he had been hoping for, achieving a grade 1 in English and a grade 2 in Foundation Maths.

"I have to get my retakes right next time, or they won’t let me complete my course at college," Abdi says.

"My school has provided extra classes to help prepare for the exams, but you have to be self-disciplined because juggling resits and college is not easy."

Abdi understands that these are "key subjects for his future success" and will have another opportunity to retake the exams in November.

James Kelly
BBC News, Your Voice

Image source, Ruchi Chauhan

An 11-year-old student has secured a top grade of 9 in his maths GCSE after scoring 222 out of 240 in his exams.

Year 6 pupil Kabir Chauhan, from Milton Keynes, studied at home alongside his father and used past papers and free online resources to practise.

Following the exams, Kabir would discuss each paper with his family and told them about "one silly mistake" he made in his first paper.

"I am super proud of his achievements," his mother Ruchi tells the BBC. "Seeing Grade 9, and the breakdown of his results matching his predicted marks, made us extremely happy."

Madeleine Lake
Live reporter

Image source, PA Media

As students find out how they performed in their GCSEs, we've also been unpacking the overall picture across England, Wales and Northern Ireland:

Pass rate falls slightly: the overall GCSE pass rate has remained stable - with 67.3% of all grades across England, Wales and Northern Ireland at 4/C and above. That’s only very slightly down from 67.4% last year.

Uptick in top grades: the proportion of top grades - marked at 7/A or above - has also remained steady, rising very slightly from 21.9% last year to 22% this year.

Boys catching up with girls: The gap between the pass rates for boys and girls across all three nations has narrowed again, to its lowest since 2000. Girls continue to outperform boys - but their grades have dropped, while boys' results have risen very slightly.

Regional gap widens: the regional gap in England between the highest and lowest performing regions is widening. London's on top with the highest pass rates of 71.7%, while the West Midlands takes the spot at the lowest, with 62.4%.

Resits on the rise: one in four maths and english resits are from students aged 17 and over. More students are resitting, at 24.3% of students, slightly higher than last year at 23.4%.

Tilly Taylor
Educational content creator

We've got experts answering your questions - this one came in via our BBC News TikTok account.

Results day makes comparison really difficult because everyone is finding out how they did and talking about grades at the same time.

But you are only seeing their result, not their circumstances, goals or next steps.

Your grades are not a direct reflection of your intelligence.

Just because somebody wrote more correct answers on that piece of paper on that specific day, it doesn't mean they are fundamentally smarter than you.

Someone else getting higher grades doesn’t make your achievement smaller, and they tell you nothing about how successful a person will be.

Madeleine Lake
Live reporter

Image source, Maddison Walker

Maddison Walker says she finished her GCSEs at the age of 16 with "no intention" of continuing education - a week later she was working full-time.

She now runs a business as a strategy consultant and says she got there by working, meeting people, and taking opportunities.

Twenty years after closing her school textbooks she has started a degree. She tells me she has realised "how powerful learning can be" and says it can help "make sense of things happening around you".

The now 36-year-old also has a Masters of Business Administration and says going into education when you're older can be "daunting" but that you can feel "empowered".

"I definitely say it's never too late to learn. There were people on my course who were in their 60s," she adds, "your education belongs to you and nobody else."

Maddison has a son who is about to start GCSEs and says she never wants him to "feel trapped or stuck" doing something that he doesn't enjoy.

"My dad gave me a piece of advice years ago that I've carried with me ever since: don't ever close a door prematurely. If an opportunity comes along, don't immediately decide it's not for you. Explore it," she tells me.

"If you're 16 and you're not sure what comes next, that's OK."

Lizzy Bella
BBC Newsbeat, reporting from St Mary’s Grammar School

Dara and Kate felt some nerves this morning before opening their results, but the students from St Mary’s Grammar School in Magherafelt, Northern Ireland were both pleasantly surprised.

After opening up her results in front of BBC Newsbeat, Kate says she was "shocked" but "delighted" to get seven A*s and two As.

"Hard work definitely pays off and every minute you do is actually so worth it," the 16-year-old says. "I'm just glad that I actually put in the work."

Kate hopes it will be a double celebration this evening as she's also gunning for a win in her camogie match - an Irish stick-and-ball team game played by women and girls.

Her classmate Dara says he’ll also be celebrating with friends after securing 10 A*s.

The 16-year-old says the exams were challenging as they "meant a lot more" and they felt "a lot harder".

Niki McKenna
Head of the 14+ Academies at Leeds City College

For many students who have opened their results today, the big question will be "what's next?"

Here's a look at some of the options:

T-levels: these are 2-year practical qualifications and are equivalent to three A-levels. They’re subject-specific and include a work placement, giving you a real feel for your chosen industry.

You can study T-levels in a range of subjects, from health and childcare, to business and legal.

A-levels: these are academic qualifications in a range of subjects. Students usually study three A levels, or more, over two years.

BTecs or equivalent: these are vocational qualifications which focus on practical, work-related learning designed to support students to progress into work or further study.

Apprenticeships: these involve hands-on work experience where you earn money while studying for a qualification.

You'll usually spend one day a week at college or a training centre, and at the end of your apprenticeship you will have received the skills you need to progress in your career of choice.

Chris Lockyer
Reporting from Langport, Somerset

For Huish Episcopi Academy - a rural school near Langport in Somerset - it has been a challenging few years.

In 2022 it was judged "inadequate" by Ofsted - but its fortunes have turned around and now it is celebrating a rise in top scores.

Principal Katie Boyes said she was "proud of every student and their achievement", with the school seeing 76% of pupils receiving 4 or higher in English and Maths, up from 67% in 2023 and rising every year since.

"Behind every set of results is a kind of personal story and journey and students have shown great resilience and determination to get there," Boyes adds.

Results included Bethel, who managed to get eight grade 9s in her results - and will go on to study French, Law and Politics at a nearby college, and Casper, who got a mixture of 7s and 8s, who will take on an apprenticeship as a chef.

Jamie Morris
Reporting from Didcot

Quadruplets Rose, Ellen, Layla and Eric were happy to collect their GCSES together at Aureus School in Didcot this morning.

But according to the siblings, they had another thing to be happy about today.

They are pleased to be going to separate colleges to study in September after being together since primary school.

Ellen said: "It will be different, but I feel I need that break."

When asked about how she felt about her sisters comments, Rose agrees and said: "Good. I need a break from them."

No family feuds broke out in the process of this interview.

Image source, PA Media

Thinking about getting an apprenticeship but not sure which one is right for you?

From engineering to firefighting, healthcare to zookeeping, there are hundreds of fields for you to consider.

Try this quiz from BBC Bitesize to find out which apprenticeship would suit you best.

Emily Holt
Reporting from Sandwell College, West Midlands

Earlier, we reported there had been another rise in the number of people retaking their maths and English exams this year.

Here at Sandwell College in the West Midlands, 17-year-old Bikram has just picked up his GCSE resit results and has now passed his English language GCSE.

"I was a bit nervous and worried I didn’t do well, but I managed to pass and I am so happy," he says.

He's now excited to move on to his Level 3 mechanical engineering course, having already secured a pass in maths which he hopes will help him get into university.

Amandeep, 17, also resat her English exam last November, and retook her maths exam in May.

She's just found out she's passed, and says she is delighted. "I teared up," she says. "I was upset in high school because I was off in maths by one mark, but it happened for a reason, it was meant for me this year."

She is now pursuing a T-level in health and social care.

Phil Leake
BBC Verify data journalist

England’s exams regulator Ofqual has published GCSE results by council area for the first time this year.

If you took your exams in England, search the lookup below to find out the percentage of grades that were passes (four/C or above), how that compares with your region and the country as a whole, and where your council ranks.

You can also see how many students sat GCSEs locally this summer and the percentage of top grades (seven/A or above).

Enter your council name below to see how it did.

Figures are based on where students attended school or college, not where they live.

Hazel Shearing
Education correspondent

If you're just joining us, we've spent the last few hours answering your questions. More now on the national GCSE results data released this morning.

The gap between the highest and lowest performing regions in England has widened.

London has the highest pass rate (71.7%) and the West Midlands again has the lowest (62.4%).

That’s a 9.3 percentage-point gap. It's risen from 8.7 last year.

It also remains wider than it was at any point in the decade leading up to the Covid pandemic, when it ranged between 6.4 and 7.2 percentage points.

Our panel of experts have been answering your questions about today's GCSE results and what to do next.

If you're just joining us, here's a look back at their advice and guidance:

• One of the most asked questions was about the options available if you didn't get the grades you wanted. Niki McKenna, Head of the 14+ Academies at Leeds City College, says try not to panic as there are still plenty of options available

• Educational content creator Tilly Taylor reveals the biggest mistake students make on results day after seeing a disappointing grade, and provides some advice on how to move forward
• Careers adviser James Platford offers tips on how to plan for the future, but says even he had no idea what to do after leaving school and went from working behind a bar to running his own gastropub
• Deputy principal Jacqui Maher is asked what happens if I don't get the grades I need for my first-choice sixth form or college? She says there may still be some flexibilty and studying the same subject at a different level is one alternative option

Tilly Taylor
Educational content creator

We have experts answering your questions.

You don’t need to feel guilty about being happy with your own results, but be sensitive to what your friend needs. Don’t ask them what they got, ask them how they feel.

Rather than immediately trying to convince them that their results "don’t matter", let them express their emotions. Listen, acknowledge that it’s difficult and be as supportive as possible, reminding them of the hard work they put in.

You can still celebrate your achievement, but perhaps don’t make grades the centre of the conversation around them.

When they’re ready, you can help them work out the practical next steps, whether that’s speaking to their school or college, considering a review of marking or looking at alternative courses.