Hundreds of thousands of students across England, Wales and Northern Ireland collected their A-level, BTec and T-level results on 13 August 2026, marking the end of weeks of anxious waiting. Among them was Emily, a student at English Martyrs School and Sixth Form College in Hartlepool, who described feeling nauseous before opening her results and ultimately celebrating an A*, A and B.
"I've worked really hard, I've tried and that's all I can do… and it's paid off"
Emily admitted she
felt a bit sickwaking up on the morning of results day, but said she is now looking forward to starting a degree apprenticeship to train as a solicitor, a path she chose partly because of how difficult it has become to secure work without one.
Results were released from 8am, according to reporting from the Mirror, with schools and colleges typically opening their doors at the same time for students to collect their grades in person. Teachers and exam staff had already seen the results the day before, though they are barred from sharing them with pupils ahead of the official release, as the Manchester Evening News reported.
How did national results compare this year?
This year's results form part of a wider pattern of rising top grades and record university acceptances across the UK. According to , 28.5% of UK A-level entries were awarded an A or A* grade this year, up 0.2 percentage points on 2025, while UCAS figures cited by the same outlet show 262,820 18-year-olds have so far been accepted onto UK degree courses — a 3% increase on last year and a record high for that age group.
Northern Ireland recorded the strongest performance at the top end, with 30.7% of entries achieving an A or A*, while a widening regional gap has opened up between London and the north-east of England, according to live coverage referenced from national education reporting. This mirrors our own earlier coverage of the day's results, which found rising top grades alongside widening regional and gender attainment gaps across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Separately, more than 26,000 students in Northern Ireland received their results on the same day, with provisional figures showing a record 44% achieving A*–A grades in that nation. Scotland's students had already received their results earlier in the month, on 4 August 2026, with pass rates and vocational awards both reaching record highs there too.
What did students from Hartlepool and beyond say about their results?
Anastasiia Sochka moved to Hartlepool from Ukraine with her mother, Victoria, in the summer of 2022 after Russia's full-scale invasion began. She said she initially found the language barrier difficult but was overjoyed to share her results with her father, who remains in Ukraine fighting in the country's army. Anastasiia achieved an A* in Russian, an A in psychology and a B in sociology.
It was nice to be able to give him that good news because I wanted to make him happy. I miss him a lot.
Anastasiia is now set to study at Newcastle University, where she hopes to train as a social worker.
Lots of people are struggling in Ukraine now because of poverty due to the war, and I want to be able to help them.
Seeing what's happened has influenced me and changed my life perspective. I hope that by the time I graduate, the war will be over.
Who else celebrated their results on the day?
Not every student's reaction centred on future plans. One student, known as Civ, said he was heading straight home for a rest after securing two A*s and an A, which also earned him a place at Newcastle University.
I'll do medicine and hopefully become a doctor.
He said the decision followed a conversation with his careers adviser back in Year 11, and that he might go out later in the day once he had caught up on sleep.
Elsewhere, one father's pride was unmistakable after his son Michel achieved an A*, A and A, securing a place to study political economy at King's College London. Rallying a crowd of fellow students to cheer for his son, he declared him a future political leader.
I'm so proud of him, so proud of everyone, his mates, it's amazing.
In Canterbury, Kent, triplets Scarlett, Grace and Tabby Taylor each secured places at their first-choice universities. Scarlett will study geography at Oxford, Tabby will pursue dance at Bath Spa University, and Grace will study history and politics at Sussex.
It's proven to me I can do university and I will be able to succeed.
I can do what I want to do and get where I want to be.
The sisters, who will be studying in different parts of the country, said they were already looking forward to visiting one another.
We will be able to see other places, it's so cool.
How did vocational students fare on results day?
For some students, results day arrived amid busy personal circumstances that left little time to dwell on nerves. Bobi Jones, 18, an on-call firefighter with Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, became one of the service's youngest crew members after joining last autumn while studying A-levels in business and sport alongside the Welsh Baccalaureate.
It's been a great experience.
Bobi said he had
had plenty on his platein recent weeks as wildfires broke out across the region, leaving him with little time to focus on exam anxiety.
Nick Basher, 19, meanwhile earned a merit in his T-level in digital production design and development. T-levels, the vocational qualifications for 16 to 19-year-olds in England, have grown in popularity in recent years as they provide a defined route into employment amid a challenging job market.
I've been waiting a couple of months so there's been a little bit of nerves.
Nick said his nerves were eased somewhat by having already secured a full-time job in the IT department of a solicitors' firm.
I am hoping to continue that within the company and look at whatever opportunities arise during that.
What can students do if results didn't go as planned?
Students who missed the grades needed for their chosen course are not necessarily locked out of their plans. Admissions offices may still accept them onto their original course or offer a place on an alternative one, while others can apply for different courses through the clearing process. Resitting some or all exams also remains an option, and students are encouraged to speak to their school or college about this route.
Guidance on grades, appeals, resits and the university clearing process for England, Wales and Northern Ireland has been set out in our earlier explainer on results day procedures, including new priority review deadlines introduced this year.
What happens next for students?
Students who need support making decisions on results day can contact the Department for Education's exam results helpline on 0800 100 900, according to guidance published by WhichSchoolAdvisor. Those still waiting on university confirmation can track their application status through the UCAS Hub as places continue to be confirmed in the days ahead, as noted by .
Key Facts
- Results were released across England, Wales and Northern Ireland on 13 August 2026, with Scotland's results issued earlier on 4 August 2026.
- 28.5% of UK A-level entries received an A or A* grade this year, a rise of 0.2 percentage points on 2025.
- 262,820 18-year-olds have been accepted onto UK degree courses so far, a 3% increase on last year and a record for that age group.
- Northern Ireland recorded the highest proportion of top grades at 30.7% A/A*, while regional gaps widened between London and the north-east of England.
- Students unhappy with their results can pursue clearing, appeals or resits, with support available via the Department for Education's helpline on 0800 100 900.
