Cambridge A-Level results day guide

When results arrive, how to read every line of the statement, where the grade thresholds appear, and the decisions you may need to make in the first 48 hours.

When results come out

Cambridge publishes the exact date each series; the pattern above has held for years. The latest series in our tables is June 2026.

Schools receive results before candidates do. Candidates whose school has enabled online access can see their grades from early morning UK time on results day; many schools instead release results in person or by email at a set local time, which can be hours later. If you are in a very different time zone, ask your exams officer in advance exactly how and when you will be told, so you are not refreshing a page at 3 a.m. for nothing.

Reading the statement of results

The statement lists each syllabus you entered with a syllabus code (e.g. 9702 for Physics), the option code that identifies the combination of papers you sat, your grade, and in most regions a Percentage Uniform Mark (PUM). A few things trip people up:

• Grades are A*, A, B, C, D, E or U for a full A Level, and a, b, c, d, e or u (lower case) for an AS Level. U means ungraded: below the E threshold.
• The PUM is not your percentage score. It places your result inside its grade on a fixed scale: 90–100 is A*, 80–89 A, 70–79 B, 60–69 C, 50–59 D, 40–49 E. A PUM of 82 therefore means a low A, not "82% of the marks". Because the scale is fixed, you cannot recover a raw mark from it or compare it with the grade thresholds.
• "No result" usually means a component is missing; "Pending" means the outcome is still being decided (for example a special consideration or malpractice case). Contact your school straight away for either.
• Carried-forward AS marks show as a separate component code in the 7x–9x range on the option code. See how staged entry works.

Finding out how close you were

The statement does not show raw marks, but your school can. The exams officer can download a component mark report and see each paper's mark in Cambridge International Direct. Put those next to the published thresholds for your session — the per-paper component thresholds and the overall syllabus thresholds for your option — and you will know exactly how many marks separated you from the next grade. Every session page on this site shows both tables; for example, open your subject from the grade boundaries index and pick the session.

That number decides what to do next. If you are one or two marks under a boundary, an enquiry about results (a re-mark) is worth a serious conversation with your school. If you are fifteen marks under, it almost certainly is not, and a retake in the next series may be the better use of the fee.

If a grade is lower than a university offer

UK offers via UCAS are confirmed against the grades Cambridge sends directly, so check UCAS Track (Hub) as well as your statement. If you missed a condition by one grade the university may still confirm you; if it rejects you, your firm choice lapses to your insurance, and if both fall through you enter Clearing the same day. Phone lines are busiest in the first two hours — have your UCAS ID, grades and a shortlist ready. For universities outside the UK, most will accept a re-marked grade if it arrives before enrolment, but confirm the deadline in writing before paying for an enquiry.

Retaking

Cambridge International A Levels can be retaken in any later series that offers the syllabus (June and November in most countries; March in India). You can carry forward an AS result into a later A2 sitting for a limited number of series, or retake the whole qualification; which is better depends on where the marks were lost, and the component thresholds will tell you that. Ask your school about entry deadlines — the November series closes for entries only a few weeks after August results.

Frequently asked

What time are Cambridge A Level results released?

Cambridge releases results online early in the morning UK time on results day — to schools first, and to candidates who have been given online access. Many schools release them at a later local time of their own choosing, so check with your exams officer.

What is a PUM on my statement of results?

A Percentage Uniform Mark. It shows where within a grade you sat, on a fixed scale where 90 is the bottom of A*, 80 the bottom of A, 70 B, 60 C, 50 D and 40 E. It is calculated after grading and cannot be compared with raw-mark grade thresholds.

Can I see my raw marks?

Not on the statement of results. Your school can see component marks in Cambridge International Direct and on the component mark report; ask your exams officer. Compare those with the component thresholds published for your session to see how close you were to each boundary.

When do grade thresholds get published?

On results day, on the Cambridge International grade threshold tables page, one PDF per syllabus. This site ingests them the same day and adds them to every subject page.

Related: grade boundaries explained · enquiries about results · grade calculator

Independent study tool. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to Cambridge Assessment International Education. Grade boundary figures are sourced from official releases; always confirm with your exam board.