West students give advice for surviving results day

Thousands of students across the West of England are preparing to open their A-level results.

Results will be available from 08:00 on Thursday and can be collected from schools and colleges or, in some cases, received online.

Results day can be a both daunting and exciting. Recent Bath Spa University graduate Mia Latkovic, 21, remembers the nerves she felt in the days leading up to results day.

"I didn't know what to expect," she says. "But then when the day came around, and I finally had those results, it was relieving."

For many students, it will be the culmination of two years of study and could determine their next steps, whether that is university, an apprenticeship, work or a gap year.

Latkovic says she felt a "range of emotions" when she opened her results.

Although she did not get her firm choice, she was happy to secure a place to study Business Management at Bath Spa through clearing.

"I am forever grateful that I didn't get into my first choice, because it led me to come here, and meant that I was able to do so much more than I thought I would ever do at my time at university," she says.

Here's what students across the West need to know ahead of results day.

Preparation is key, says Christy Cormac, assistant director of student recruitment and lifecycle events at the University of Bristol.

"Get as organised as you can, try not to panic, and prepare to be positively surprised," he says.

Having a contingency plan can also help if results do not go as expected.

"Many universities might publish a list of courses that might be in clearing the day before. So do your research, perhaps have a short list of four or five universities that you might be keen or encouraged to apply for if the results don't go as expected."

Nicola Mason, influencing and advocacy lead from mental health charity Student Minds, says it can help to acknowledge and accept difficult feelings.

"Try and make a little bit more time for self-care in the run-up to collecting your results," she says.

Students can collect their results from school or college from 08:00, while some providers may issue results by email or post. It is recommended that you find out specifically how you will get your results before the day.

UCAS will receive your results directly and they should be available via the UCAS hub from 08:00. The system might be busy, so you may need to be patient.

If collecting your results in person, bring a fully charged phone, and a notepad for names and numbers.

Keep UCAS login details, the UCAS Personal ID, and firm and insurance course codes to hand.

If you have met the conditions of your firm offer - then it is time to celebrate! Now you can start preparing for university.

If you have met your insurance offer - wait for confirmation to arrive and if you are happy to accept this course then you can start thinking about accommodation at this university.

You can accept your university offer via the UCAS hub from 13:00 on Results Day.

"The good news is there are plenty of options available to students," says, Kim Eccleston, Head of Universities & Colleges at UCAS.

"We typically have 27,000 courses available through Clearing, so there are plenty of options still available."

"The best thing students can do is to start to think about what other alternatives might interest them, and they can start that straight away, they don't need to wait till results day."

If you miss your grades, the university you applied to may still accept you, says Cormac.

"Check online via the UCAS Hub, because it's increasingly common for universities to accept students who narrowly missed the grades needed for their offer," he says.

If your firm choice is not accepted, you can either accept your insurance place, retake your A-levels and reapply next year, or apply to different universities through clearing.

If you've missed your grades by only a few marks, you might decide to get a review marking.

Clearing is a chance for students to find another university place, either because they have not been able to get their first choice, or they have changed their mind.

You can call the clearing hotline number for any university you are considering and see if they are able to you a provisional place. You can phone around as many universities as you wish.

Wendy McVicar, admissions and applicant experience manager from the University of Gloucestershire, recommends taking time to research each university and ask them questions over the phone.

"Once you've had enough provisional offers, and you can have as many of these as possible, you then can decide which one you want to make your firm choice."

Some students who do better than expected also use Clearing to explore alternative universities and courses.

UCAS Clearing is open until 19 October 2026.

"There is a lot of support available to students," says Nicola Mason from Student Minds.

"There is often someone at your school, college, or sixth form who might be able to help you work through how you're feeling.

"Often there are advisors that you can talk to within institutions and universities if you've applied somewhere.

"Or if you're just looking for a listening ear and you want to talk to someone about how you're feeling, you can access helplines like Shout or Samaritans."

University is not the only option available after receiving results.

"If a student isn't sure the traditional university route is for them right now, it doesn't mean that's the end of the journey," says Kim Eccleston from UCAS.

Some institutions in the region, including the University of the West of England, offer degree apprenticeships alongside traditional degree courses.

Katie Jenkins, director of student recruitment and marketing at UWE says: "We have also have degree apprenticeships for those who who might find the workplace learning more of a draw to them, and those who want to earn and learn at the same time."

No matter what happens on results day, McVicar says to "be aware of all the hard work you've done and give yourself a pat on the back".

Eccleston says to remember to "take a deep breath and speak to the people who are there to help you."

Although it may be tempting to see what grades other people got, Latkovic recommends avoiding social media on the day.

Mason says to "take a bit of time for yourself" and "practice some breathing exercises and meditation if that works for you".

And on the day, "don't panic", says Cormac. "Some websites might crash, some phone lines might be busy, that's all perfectly normal on A-Level Results Day."

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