Hundreds of thousands of pupils across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland are receiving their GCSE results today, 20 August 2026. Grades will be available to students online and in person from 8am GMT.
The cohort taking exams this year were in Year 5 when the pandemic began in 2020, experiencing disruption during key developmental years, including the primary-to-secondary transition period.
In 2025, there was an overall rise in GCSE grades for 16-year-olds in England, with 23% achieving a grade 7 and above, up from 22.6% in 2024. The percentage achieving a grade 4 and above (pass) was 70.4%, a slight increase from the previous year.
The gender gap in England's GCSE results in 2025 was the smallest since separate data for 16-year-olds was first published in 2016. Boys showed improved performances in subjects such as maths and English, while girls' results in traditionally strong subjects like English saw a decline.
For pupils in Northern Ireland in 2025, the proportion getting A and A* (equivalent to grades 7 and above) rose to 31.4%. In Wales, top grades increased to 20.1% from 19.8% in 2024.