Navigating Exam Results

Getting exam results is a rite of passage for all students. Although students receive numerous grades, percentages, scores over the course of their academic life, none carry quite as much weight as GCSEs and A levels. Despite doing mocks and being given predicted grades, what is written on that piece of paper received on results day is never a given.

At this time of year, the local and national news are flooded with stories about students receiving top grades in an astonishing number of subjects; students being accepted to the very best universities to do the very best degrees; images of delighted students leaping in the air. These stories are also tempered by accounts of successful, and incredibly wealthy, individuals reminiscing about having always performed badly at school and getting terrible exam results, but it’s OK because look how well they’ve done for themselves now. There are never any stories about students who have done well, achieved the average grade, got a mix of decent results and some less than impressive grades.

As a society, we have come to put too much store in exam results. Externally assessed tests seem to be the only way for students to be validated. A high-stakes, high-pressure culture has been created and for those students who do not excel in that one test on that one day, the results can often be disheartening. However, exam results are not the be all and end all. Not every student will be destined for higher education, and that’s OK. There are some wonderful apprenticeships out there and many careers offer on-the-job training with no degree required. With the cost of university tuition fees on the rise, and the cost of living increasing, university is no longer a given for many. There are so many opportunities out there for young people today and having a degree no longer opens the doors it used to. Higher education is a fantastic course to pursue, but it is not for everyone.

Whilst what is written on that piece of paper may seem like the most important thing in the world, the results do not define the student. Their options may change as a result of them, but there are always other paths to pursue. If the student in your life receives results that are not what was expected, allow them time to process, perhaps even grieve if their options are no longer viable, then introduce them to the many other opportunities available to them.