Hazel Shearing
Education correspondent

We’ve just heard from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (Ucas), which says a record number of 18-year-olds have secured a place at their first choice of university.

Overall, 82% of offer-holders have successfully got into their first choice.

That’s the same proportion as last year, but there are more 18-year-olds this year.

These results this morning mean around 226,580 18-year-olds got into their first, or "firm", choice – up from 216,750 last year.

When applying for university through Ucas, students mark one institution as their first or firm choice and one as their second, or "insurance".

The head of Ucas predicted last week that a record number of 18-year-olds would get into their first choice - even if they narrowly missed their grades.

Dr Jo Saxton said universities were keen to enrol UK undergraduates this year because there was more "uncertainty" around international student numbers.

It's just hit 08:00 and students across the country are opening their envelopes or looking at their emails to see if they got the results they wanted - and more importantly, if they got a spot at their first-choice university.

Stay with us throughout the day as we pore over the detail and speak to students about their next steps.

Imogen James
Live reporter in Leeds

Is it that time already?

In less than five minutes, thousands of you will be opening your results. It's a moment many have been waiting for, and some will be dreading.

I remember the nerves. I was at work in a café when my parents ran in with the envelope. Moments later, I knew I was off to uni.

Whatever happens - and whatever your results may be - there are so many options to choose from on what to do next. We'll take you through lots of them once results are released.

We'll be here throughout with updates and analysis. Our experts are also on hand to answer all of your questions - here's how you can send in your queries.

Until then, deep breaths...

More from Phillipson on BBC Breakfast now, who has been questioned on whether university is becoming unaffordable for young people.

She says she has no "immediate plans" to lower the 9% of your income over a certain threshold that you generally repay, but recognises the cost-of-living pressures some students are facing at the moment - which is why she says she increased maintenance loans when she put up tuition fees.

She says she thinks university is affordable for all, but admits that it is "tougher" and "more of a challenge" for some.

"But I do recognise the wider pressures that students are seeing," she says, adding that that is why the government will be setting out plans for post-16 education later this year.

Correction: This post earlier said the 9% figure referred to the interest rate on fees. It was updated to clarify Phillipson was asked about the amount you have to repay when you earn a certain amount of money after graduation.

And we've just been hearing from Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson now on the Breakfast sofa.

She tells BBC Breakfast that, from advance information she has, there has been a "steadying of the ship" this year and last following disruption from the pandemic.

This is a "totally normal year" like there would've been before the pandemic, she says, with students having gone through the full, expected exam cycle in school.

"Congratulations," she says to those getting their results today, adding that she knows how "nerve-wracking" it can be.

She says for those who did not get what they needed there is a lot of help and support out there.

The Association of School and College Leaders general secretary says the "continuation of persistent inequities in terms of performance gaps between different regions and students" is expected again this year.

"This is a product of longstanding socio-economic factors which require a much more concerted society-wide effort to fix," Pepe Di'Iasio says.

Ahead of results day, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson warned there were "entrenched inequalities that continue to blight the life chances of too many young people".

She said students from "white working class backgrounds who have long been overlooked" were especially affected, and that the government was making "encouraging progress" to address the issue.

The government is expected to release plans to turn around the attainment gap between white working class children and their peers in the autumn.

Emily Doughty
Your Voice Your BBC News reporter

Image source, Dan Nelson / BBC

Freya, a student at Middlesbrough College, has been working towards a T-level in health.

“It gives you a hands-on experience in what sort of things you’re going to do in the real world scenario, rather than just learning from a book,” she says.

Balancing study while working at an NHS Hospital, she is hoping her T-level will help her fulfil her lifelong dream of becoming a midwife.

“I think its nice to give something back and I want to do something that will help other people,” she says.

She is now taking the first steps towards that dream, going to work full-time in an NHS maternity department.

More now on the value of vocational qualifications from Jill Duffy, chief executive of the OCR exam board.

She says that hundreds of thousands of students will be "celebrating" vocational results today, describing them as an "undersold story".

"Vocational qualifications – such as Cambridge Technicals – are opening doors and increasingly respected by savvy employers," she says.

“Seeing so many young people celebrating their hard work and getting that sense of achievement is what makes this job so special. The sense of anticipation and optimism this morning is contagious."

Nathan Standley
Education reporter

T-levels are vocational qualifications aimed at 16-to-19-year-olds in England,, external which focus more on practical subjects than academic ones. Introduced in 2020, the qualification includes a mixture of classroom learning and on-the-job experience.

A work placement of at least 315 hours - or nine weeks - makes up about 20% of the course.

T-levels are designed to cater for students who want an alternative to A-levels but do not wish to take an apprenticeship, which typically requires as much as 80% of a student's time to be spent with an employer.

Final marks are based on a combination of exams, coursework and completion of the industry placement.

Students get one of four grades, ranging from a pass to a distinction. Their certificate shows their overall grade and lists their experiences on the course.

A distinction is worth 168 Ucas points - the same as three A*s at A-level - and a merit is equivalent to three Bs at A-level.

• Read more in our T-level explainer

Vanessa Clarke
Education reporter

It's not just all about A-levels today, as thousands of students will also be receiving results for their BTecs.

A BTec, which stands for the Business and Technology Education Council, is a practical qualification. Courses are assessed through exams, regular coursework and projects, and sometimes placements.

BTec Firsts are Level 2 qualifications, meaning they are equivalent to GCSEs. Students often take a mixture of the two. They can be helpful for people trying to get into further education colleges.

BTec Nationals are Level 3 qualifications, so can be taken alongside or instead of A-levels.

They are studied over one or two years.

Health and social care and applied science are among the most popular BTecs. Other subjects include construction, electrical engineering and art and design.

Research suggests, external one in four students use them as a route into university, while others gain occupation-specific skills and go straight into employment. BTecs are graded on a scale:

• Starred Distinction/Distinction Star (D*)
• Distinction (D)
• Merit (M)
• Pass (P)

Some BTecs are worth two or three A-levels.

Image source, Getty Images

Pre-results nerves are very common and can manifest in all sorts of different ways: sleepless nights, short tempers, loss of appetite, nausea, anxiety; the lot.

First of all, it's important to remember that you're not alone. Thousands of you around the country are probably feeling the same way.

While you might not be able to get rid of these feelings entirely, there are ways to manage them. Here are a few tips from the NHS to help you decompress:

• Focus on calming, long, slow and deep breaths. Count to five as you inhale and exhale
• Go outside, breathe in the fresh air, and get a change of environment
• Engage your senses to ground you. What can you see, touch, hear, taste and smell?
• Listen to music
• Talking through your feelings can help you make sense of them in your head and make them clearer

There's an hour to go until hundreds of thousands of students will get their results.

Although some students can get their results via email, many of you will still have to go into your school or college to pick them up in person.

Some schools prefer the latter as it gives pupils a chance to meet their classmates and teachers, say their final goodbyes and also get advice and guidance on their next steps - especially if things haven’t gone to plan.

You should already know how you are getting your results and what time to arrive, but if not, check with your school or college as soon as you can.

If you are planning on going to university, Ucas receives your results directly and will update your application status in the Ucas Hub. This is expected to happen at 08:00, but you may have to wait a little bit for the system to catch up.

Throughout the day, our experts will be on hand to answer your questions and help you get to the bottom of anything you are unsure about.

You can get in touch in the following ways: 

• Email: bbcyourvoice@bbc.co.uk, external  
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 In some cases a selection of your comments and questions will be published, displaying your name and location as you provide it unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published.   

Hazel Shearing
Education correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

A record number of 18-year-olds are likely to get into their first choice of university this year, the head of Ucas has said - even if they narrowly miss their grades.

Dr Jo Saxton says universities are keen to enrol UK undergraduates due to more "uncertainty" around international student numbers.

She says they will "quite possibly" accept students who do not meet the conditions of their offer, adding that domestic students offered universities "stability" for "financial planning".

• It's a “really, really good year” to be an 18-year-old applying for uni - read more

In 2024, more than one in four (27.8%) of UK A-level entries were awarded an A or A* grade. This year is broadly expected to be similar.

It was the highest proportion of entries scoring top grades after years of flux as a result of the Covid pandemic - and up from 27.2% in 2023.

In 2019, the last set of summer exams before the pandemic, 25.4% of entries were awarded A or A* grades. The pandemic led to an increase in top A-level and GCSE grades in 2020 and 2021, with results based on teacher assessments instead of exams.

The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (Ucas) is also predicting that a record number of 18-year-olds will get into their first choice of university - more on that in the next post.

Results don't come out until 08:00, but here are a few things you could be doing while you wait:

• Check with your school or college when you can go in and collect your results
• If you're receiving your results in an email, check what time they should be arriving in your inbox.
• Think ahead - if you end up with results you're disappointed with, what's your plan B?
• Familiarise yourself with what you need to know - go on to the Ucas website, or the BBC website and read up
• Get practical things, such as phone numbers for universities, to hand and bookmark websites you'll need ahead of your results being released

Here are the key timings for today:

08:00: Results are released

08:15: University acceptance status should be available to view in Ucas

09:30: We'll get a picture of national results, as well as information from the Department for Education on T-levels

13:00: Students in clearing can pick their choices on the Ucas website

Imogen James
Live reporter

Image source, Getty Images

In just under two hours, thousands of you in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will be opening A-level, T-level, BTec and other Level 3 course results.

It’s a big day, yes. And while they can help guide you into the next stage of life - whether that be the world of work, further education or something else entirely - it's important to remember that these results don't define you.

I remember getting my results almost 10 years ago now. The fear was vivid, but I think I turned out all right.

Here's how the morning will go:

• Results are released from 08:00 BST
• Grade boundaries will be announced soon after
• From 09:30, we’ll bring you more detail on what the results look like across the country
• Unsure of your next step? We'll be hosting a rolling Q&A with our panel of experts - email bbcyourvoice@bbc.co.uk to ask a question

Deep breaths. We'll be with you the whole way. We've got reporters in schools around the country speaking to students as they learn their results.

(Top tip: check out the BBC's mindful mix, it might help!)