Latest updates from Ofqual

This toolkit is designed to explain how qualifications are graded. It has been produced with headteachers and teachers in mind but will help anyone with an interest in finding out more.

These resources answer some common questions about such topics as:

• how exam papers are marked
• how grade boundaries are set
• how the quality of a student's work in their exams determines the grade they get

Message to headteachers: understanding GCSE, AS and A level grading

One of Ofqual's roles as the regulator is to make sure exam boards maintain qualification standards. This means the standard of work needed to get a particular grade this year is comparable to previous years. Chief Regulator Sir Ian Bauckham has written to headteachers to remind them of the approach to grading for GCSE, AS and A level this summer and provide more information on how grading works in general.

Nine years of GCSE grades 9 to 1

As we close in on the ninth summer of awarding GCSE grades 9 to 1, we can say they aren't quite so 'new' any more. But every year sees a new cohort of students and parents keen to understand the scale and relate it to the A* to G scale they have heard about from previous generations.

This blog and our GCSE 9 to 1 grade scale explainer aim to explain the 9 to 1 scale and answer the most common questions.

Ofqual student guide to exams and assessments in 2025

Ofqual has produced a guide providing students with information about arrangements for the qualifications we regulate. It explains what you need to know before, during and after your exams and assessments, with information about when you can expect your results and what you can do if you think there is a mistake in your results.

We have also published the Ofqual guide for schools and colleges, which explains what schools, colleges and other exam or assessment centres can expect from awarding organisations regulated by Ofqual and the arrangements for qualifications in 2025.

When are my 2025 exams?

GCSE, AS and A level exams took place in May and June. Assessment dates for Vocational and Technical Qualifications (VTQs) and T Levels vary depending on the qualification, with assessments throughout the year. Dates will be available on awarding organisations' websites. Your school or college will tell you when your exams or assessments are scheduled.

This statistical release outlines provisional entry numbers for the summer 2025 GCSE, AS and A level exams.

When is results day in 2025?

The date you receive your results will depend on the qualification you are taking, the way it has been assessed, and the awarding organisation.

You will receive A level, AS and T Level results on Thursday 14 August.

If you are studying a Level 3 VTQ and are planning to use your results to progress to higher education, you will receive your results on or before Thursday 14 August.

You will receive GCSE results on Thursday 21 August.

If you are studying a Level 2 or Level 1/2 VTQ and are planning to use your results to progress to further education, you will receive your results on or before Thursday 21 August.

Some VTQs are taken on-demand and results for these will be available at different times throughout the year. You can find the date you will receive your qualification results on the website of the relevant awarding organisation, or you can ask your school or college.

Consultation: Regulatory framework for apprenticeship assessment

Ofqual is consulting on our proposals on the way to regulate new apprenticeship assessments. Ofqual currently regulates the assessment of more than 580 apprenticeship occupational standards, set by Skills England, including through specific rules in relation to end-point assessments (EPAs).

In February, the Department for Education (DfE) published its Apprenticeship Assessment Principles, which set out a range of changes to the current EPA approach to assessment.

This consultation is an opportunity for interested groups to comment on the way Ofqual proposes to regulate the new apprenticeship assessments.

Replacement certificates

Ofqual does not hold copies of your certificates - we can't tell you your grade or provide replacements. Certificates are held by the exam board you sat your qualification with. If you don't know which exam board you took your qualification with, ask your school. If your school don't know you will need to ask each exam board to do a search for you - they will charge you for this.

Contact your exam board to get a replacement certificate. If your exam board no longer exists, your certificates will have moved to an existing board. Find out who now holds your certificates.

Ofqual's find a regulated awarding organisation service contains information and website links for all regulated awarding organisations.