Exam boards promise GCSE grades will be delivered to schools on time

Exam boards have promised to provide schools their GCSE results tomorrow morning as usual – allowing pupils to receive their final grades on time.

The Joint Council for Qualifications, which represents exam boards, confirmed schools and colleges will receive their results at 00.01 tomorrow.

This would be the centre assessment grade, of the calculated grade if higher, the body said.

JCQ said that it does not expect exam boards will be releasing the calculated grades. It means that pupils and schools will not see who was downgraded by Ofqual’s algorithm. But exam boards were unable to confirm this.

However where a pupil’s final grade is the calculated grade, exam boards may highlight this to the school, or the school should be able to work it out as they will be aware of the CAG the pupil was awarded.

In a short statement, JCQ added “allowing students to receive their final grades as usual on Thursday”.

When asked about A-level pupils, JCQ told Schools Week the revised grades will be going to schools and colleges tomorrow, but more details will be provided shortly.

It follows confusion last night after the Department for Education said in a press release that “official results” won’t be delivered until next week.

Education secretary Gavin Williamson then contradicted his own department’s guidance this morning saying pupils would get their final grades this week, adding that “certification” will follow next week.

JCQ statement:

Following yesterday’s announcement to allow awarding in England, Northern Ireland and Wales of centre assessed grades, the exam boards are working hard to provide the final Centre Assessment Grades (or calculated grade if higher) GCSE results to schools and colleges. JCQ can now confirm that all schools and colleges will receive their results according to the published time of 00:01 on Wednesday 19^th August, allowing students to receive their final grades as usual on Thursday.