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Exam Results Helpline Adviser Shares His Top Tips On How You Can Prepare For A Level Results Day

Exam Results Adviser Shares His Top Tips On How You Can Prepare For A-Level Results Day
Jonathan McAllister
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A-level results day is a tough time for students anxiously awaiting their results and it’s best to be armed with as much information as possible.

So take time to read up on the main options available to you on 13 August. Here are some top tips from the Department of Education's exam results helpline adviser John Carberry on how you can prepare ahead of results day.

Exam Results Helpline adviser John Carberry shares his top tips on how you can prepare for A Level results day
(01 of07)
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* Have a plan B It’s good to start thinking about other courses and or universities that you would be prepared to consider in Clearing, it may give you a head start once you get your results, so do some research now. (credit:Janis Veveris via Getty Images)
(02 of07)
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* Don’t panic: A huge number of the calls that we take at the Exam Results Helpline are from students who are panicking that they haven’t got the grades that they need to get into their university of choice. So take a deep breath and keep calm as it will be much easier to think through your next steps if you’re thinking clearly. (credit:Jeremy Rendell via Getty Images)
(03 of07)
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* You’ve got time: There is no rush to make any quick decisions if you are thinking about a course in Clearing. Clearing doesn’t open until the afternoon and so you have time to reassess and have a good think about what you want to do before you start the process. (credit:baramee2554 via Getty Images)
(04 of07)
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* Better grades than expected: Whilst this is obviously a great situation to be in it can pose a dilemma about whether to stick with your original choice or to use Adjustment to choose a different course or University that was previously unavailable to you. It’s worth having an understanding of the Adjustment process before results day. There’s more information here: http://www.ucas.com/how-it-all-works/undergraduate/results/better-than-expected (credit:Katrina Wittkamp via Getty Images)
(05 of07)
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* Think about the possibility of a gap year: Taking a gap year can be an effective way to take time to think about all of your options. Used constructively, gap years can look good on a CV and can provide an opportunity to gain some work experience, making applicants more of a valuable contender for university or for the work place. (credit:Gary Burchell via Getty Images)
(06 of07)
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* Vocational Qualifications: If you know what you want to do career-wise then this could be a good option. It also gives you the opportunity to earn while you learn. (credit:Dina Belenko Photography via Getty Images)
(07 of07)
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* Exam Re-takes: If you think that you could have got a better grade in specific subjects or modules, then it might be possible to re-sit the exam and reapply for uni next year. Your will need to speak with your school about this ASAP. But there are sometimes motivational challenges if it means revisiting old material and you need to think carefully about this and whether or not that is the right course of action for you. Occasionally some universities look for higher grades from re-sit students so you may need to check specific Universities views on re-sit candidates. (credit:Chris Ryan via Getty Images)

If you want to find out more information or if you have any questions that you need answering, call the Exam Results Helpline on 0808 100 8000 or find them on Twitter and Facebook.

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