Our guide to results day

Congratulations! All that hard work has paid off, and you’re ready for your next step.

• Heading to uni? Log into the UCAS online portal to find out what to do next. If you've changed your mind or want to take a gap year, let them know right away.
• Starting college, sixth form, an apprenticeship or a job? Get in touch with them to let them know your results and accept your offer.
• Taking a gap year or volunteering? You’ll probably only need to tell your friends and family the good news about your results! But make sure to keep your certificates safe – it can be difficult to get replacements if you need them for a job or education application in the future.

Whether you’re planning to stay at home, leave home to live on your own or head off to travel the world, we know you’ve probably got lots on your mind. To help you feel more at ease while you take some time to celebrate with friends, family members and teachers, we’ve pulled together a list of some things you might want to do. (See? Now you can already tick off ‘Start a to-do list’ from your to-do list.)

Find the support services

If you've just received your GCSE results and are heading to college or staying at school, you should still receive the support you need to access your course.

Learning at college can be very different to learning at school. We have lots of information about going on to college and asking for support or reasonable adjustments. If your college has a visiting Teacher of the Deaf, ask if you can meet with them to talk about how they can make sure you have everything you need for a great start.

If you're heading to university, it is important to let disability student services know about your deafness and any other support needs as soon as you can. This helps you get the support you need from the start of your course.

Sort out your finances

We get it; it’s not the most exciting topic. But before you head off on your new adventure, you might want to look at making sure you’ve got what you need.

• Get the right bank account for you, and plan a budget.
• Explore the financial support you may need or be eligible for.
• Apply for Disability Students’ Allowance (DSA) through student finance if you haven’t already. You can apply for DSA after you have completed your UCAS application.

Explore assistive technology

Technology is advancing rapidly. There are loads of different options that will help you to feel confident and independent, from AI notetakers to radio aids and tech that links up to your phone. We’ve got lots of information about assistive technology on our website, but you can also find useful tips on social media.

Make a list of everything you need

Beyond notebooks, pens and bags, you’ll also need to think about the important documents you’ll need. You’ll need some form of photo ID, like a passport or driving licence. We also recommend contacting your audiologist to ask for a short report on your hearing loss or deafness. It can be helpful to have to hand when applying for financial support or explaining your needs.

New location, new healthcare professionals

If you’re going to be away from home, you’ll likely need to know where to go for your healthcare needs. You don’t want to find yourself scrambling to find a new GP, audiologist or ENT if something happens to your hearing (or your hearing tech).

Especially if your plans depended on you getting specific grades, it can be upsetting or disappointing to find out that you didn’t get the results you hoped for. Give yourself time to feel disappointed before jumping into action. You still have options.

It’s important to remember that lots of people have been disappointed by their exam results but gone on to be successful in other ways. Even if things haven’t gone to plan now, there are still lots of opportunities out there!

Take a minute to think about what you really want to do. If you do some soul-searching and find that you still want to explore that path, you could consider an appeal, speak to the college or sixth form, or try for a place at a different university or on a different course through Clearing.

Or maybe you’ll realise that you’re not really sure what you want to do – but you’d like to try out a few things to see what feels like the best fit. Taking a gap year, finding an apprenticeship or starting a job can help you decide what environments suit you and what you're interested in. Whatever happens, know that your grades don't determine who you are.

Appeal the decision

If something feels wrong and you think the markers may have made a mistake, you can appeal. Speak to your school or college right away. They can give you advice and potentially apply for your exams to be re-marked.

If you have an offer at a university, contact them immediately and let them know you’re appealing your grades. They will sometimes be able to hold your place until your new results come back, but this might not always be possible. In this case, you may still be able to apply for a new place through Clearing.

Speak to the college or university

If you’ve got a conditional offer for college or university and haven’t quite got the results you need, speak to the college, sixth form or university. Admissions teams may still sometimes accept people who nearly got the required results, so if you only just missed out, you might be in luck! This will depend on how many places they have left on your course and how close you came to meeting the requirements.

Occasionally, universities may give you a ‘changed course offer’ after results are released. This means they’re still offering you a place, just on a different but similar course. For example, if you applied for politics and economics but didn’t meet the requirements, they may offer you a place just doing politics.

Sometimes, you may be offered a place on the same course but with a foundation year to help you prepare. Or they may suggest deferred entry, meaning you’ll start at university a year later than expected.

If you are given a changed course offer, don’t feel pressured to accept immediately. Take your time to make sure it’s the right choice for you. Look up the course prospectus on the university’s website, and make sure the course can be adapted to meet your needs.

Try Clearing

If you didn’t get the results you needed but still want to go to university this year, you may be able to find a place through Clearing. This is a system that helps match students with courses that still have places after Results Day. You can apply through Clearing from A-level results day until Monday, 21 October. Check out UCAS's Clearing guide.

Unfortunately, most communication during Clearing is done over the phone. This means it is less accessible for many deaf people. Some universities will let you talk to them about Clearing over live chat or email. But if these aren’t options, you may need to use the Text Relay service or ask a friend or family member to call on your behalf.

Take a gap year

When things don’t go to plan, trying to figure out your next steps can feel overwhelming! Sometimes, taking a gap year can be the perfect solution. It can give you a chance to really think about what you want to do next, and it’s often a great opportunity to get some ‘real world’ experience.

You could go travelling, join a volunteer project, or work and save money. You could read up on subjects, watch relevant TED Talks and take some free courses on different topics that interest you. And if your heart is still set on higher education, you can also use this time to study and retake your exams!

Explore other options

“I remember being halfway through my degree and thinking, ‘What am I even going to use this for? What do I even want to do?’” Danii is a double Deaflympic gold medalist and world champion for swimming.

Higher education is only one of the paths available to you, and you don’t have to have a degree to find work you enjoy and succeed. If you decide that higher education isn’t for you, there are lots of other ways you can reach your goals and kick-start your career.

You could:

• Apply for a vocational course at a Further Education college or an ‘access course’ that could help you apply for university later.
• Apply for an apprenticeship, traineeship or supported internship.
• Depending on where you live, you might be able to get a full-time job.

And our biggest tip? You never know what’s around the corner, so wherever you go and whatever you do, keep your eyes open for new opportunities. And remember, there is support available for you whatever the outcome of this results day is.