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Celebrations, sighs of relief or disappointment - it's been a day.

It's done. The cat is out of the bag for the almost six million students who've waited weeks to find out how they fared in their GCSE, BTec and Cambridge National exams.

The headlines?

This cohort has seen a slightly lower pass rate than last year, with 67.4% clinching a grade 4/C or higher in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

And mind the gap - boys are catching up to girls, with the narrowest gender pass rate gap on record, at 6.1 percentage points.

We've also seen a shrink in the gap between the highest and lowest-performing regions in England - London and the West Midlands respectively - now at an 8.7 percentage point difference.

During our live coverage, we've heard from students up and down the country - some clinching great results despite difficult circumstances. We've also answered some of your questions - including what to do if you didn't get the results you wanted - with help from experts.

We're wrapping our coverage now - but if you want more:

• Here are five key takeaways from this year's results
• And here is a handy guide if you have questions about what to do next.

It's been an emotional day for those receiving their GCSE grades - one that they'll undoubtedly remember for a long time.

We've witnessed hugs, grins, celebrations and surprise from pupils at schools across the country.

Here are some of the scenes we've enjoyed seeing throughout the day.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, PA Media

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Image source, Reuters

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Feeling down about your results today? It's not the end of the road. Whether you decide to retake your GCSEs, or move on to other things, there's always light at the end of the tunnel. Just look at how it worked out for some of these celebs:

Cole Palmer. The English footballer has scores 37 goals in 90 appearances for Chelsea Football Club. But it hasn't always been successes for the 23-year-old who revealed that he, ironically, failed GCSE PE at school.

Adele. Despite the English singer getting an A* in English Literature, she revealed in a concert last year that she doesn’t think she "even got a result" in Maths and Science.

Richard Branson. Before he founded the Virgin group, he struggled at school due to having dyslexia. He left school at 16 with no qualifications – only for hie entrepreneurship to make him a billionaire.

Gemma Collins. She left school aged 16 with a U in GCSE Maths. Reflecting on her time at school, she said: "I remember sitting in the exam room for my Maths GCSE and thinking, "I'm going to be famous, I don't need Maths."

Jo Fellowes
Careers Adviser, National Careers Service

Yes, many employers will look for passes in Maths and English as they show you've got the essential skills. These two subjects can become barriers later in life if you don't have them, so it's worth working towards passes even if it takes a few tries.

That said, GCSEs aren’t the whole story.

Employers often value qualities like a positive attitude, teamwork, reliability and a willingness to learn just as much as grades. If your results weren't what you hoped for, you'll still have plenty of chances to retake at college or as part of an apprenticeship.

You can also show your strengths through part-time work, volunteering or training.

Remember – your GCSEs are just one part of your journey, and they don't define everything you can achieve.

Charlotte O'Regan
Senior Schools Engagement Manager, Sutton Trust

The curriculum and assessment review, led by Becky Francis is currently in process and we won’t see the final recommendations from that until this Autumn.

However, it has been suggested that we are unlikely to see big changes to our assessment systems, meaning GCSEs and A-Levels are probably here to stay.

There have been suggestions that they may evolve in nature, especially looking at how they can move to a digital format. The total hours that students are examined for is also being considered.

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It's "mixed feelings" today for a Liza, a Ukrainian refugee who achieved a sweeping set of seven grade 9s and an 8.

Although she's "so happy" with her stellar result - which saw her recognised by the Cambridge OCR exam board as one of the top Art performers in the country - she still misses home.

"I haven't seen my grandparents for years – since the start of the war, but I know they will be proud of what I have achieved today," she says.

Liza fled to the UK from Ukraine in 2022 with her family, and was offered a full scholarship by Brighton College, which her mother has praised for its "humanity, acceptance and warmth" in taking Liza in.

Katharine Da Costa
BBC South Today, reporting from Oxford

Lamari is over the Moon, he's just got two grade 9s, three 8s and four 7s.

"I definitely pushed myself as hard as I could so I think it's paid off so I'm happy with that!" he says.

Pupils here at Oxford Spires Academy have bucked the national trend - the school's pass mark has risen 2% this year to 71% of pupils getting a grade 4 and above.

Headteacher Louise Cowley says it's an inner city school in a deprived part of Oxford but the staff and students have worked hard to turn things around.

"We're so proud of our students they've done fantastically, to improve on the results from last year we didn't think was possible, but they've done it!"

Throughout the day, many of you have got in touch with your burning questions - and we've had some experts on hand to answer them:

• What if I didn't do as well as I wanted? Don't panic - you have options. Whether you choose to resit, or look at alternative qualifications, your school can help you find a path that's right for you
• Can I retake a subject I passed to do better? Yes - you can, although there may be costs involved, and not all schools offer this option

• How can I make an appeal about my grade? If something seems off - go to your teacher or exams officer straight away - they'll advise you on how to ask for a review

• Can I take a year out before I go to college? In a nutshell - if you're in Wales or Northern Ireland, you can. But England requires under-18s to remain in full time education or training
• What if I'm confused about what to do next? From advisers in your school to the National Careers Service, there are so many tools you can access. And remember - you don't have to have it all figured out yet

Alex Emery
BBC News

Katie Arnold says she is in shock after passing her Maths GCSE today at the age of 55.

Katie, from Staffordshire, started attending an adult learners course at night school in 2024.

"I have never been able to pass Maths," she says. “I told Bob, our tutor that the 2.5 hours of Maths was the most interesting of my week.

"Bob said I should get out more. He was wrong. I will be ever thankful to him."

Katie continues: "I got a 4. I wanted a 4. I am in shock still. It was incredible luck as there was a tiny bit of funding for adult learners and this amazing course was completely free."

Over the past nine years there has been a steady rise in over-16s sitting Maths and English GCSEs.

Vanessa Clarke
Education reporter

Image source, Imogen Farmer

Are any of you waiting on gifts, treats or even cash for getting your grades?

It's a topic that divides opinion.

We have spoken to students and parents about the rewards on offer for good results, ranging from cash prizes to jewellery.

Imogen Farmer, from Essex, tells me her parents took her and her twin sister to London after they got their A-level results last year and given some money to spend as a reward.

"But I think I knew in the back of my head if I did well or even if I didn't do well, I'm sure our parents would have taken us out anyway for working hard," she says.

Some parents tell us that it helps motivate their children and celebrates the effort they put into exams.

But psychologist Natasha Tiwari says that while it might work in the short term, it can make achievements seem "transactional".

Charlotte O'Regan
Senior Schools Engagement Manager, Sutton Trust

All students collecting results should be incredibly proud of themselves, having undertaken their entire secondary education in a post pandemic environment.

Overall results this year are like those seen in 2019, especially in England where the 4+ pass rate was 67.1%, the same as in 2019. The gap between private and state schools getting top grades is 28.4 percentage points, similar to the gap in 2019.

However, we do see evidence of widening gaps in other key areas. Regional gaps have widened since 2019 and have stayed stubbornly in place this year. Top grades are seen most frequently in London and least frequently in the North East. Top grades have also increase more in London compared to pre-pandemic levels than anywhere else.

Another key post-pandemic trend has been grammar schools outperforming both non-selective state schools and independent schools. This trend has widened again this year.

Data from Ofqual, England's exam watchdog, shows students in England who attend independent schools continue to perform better than those at state schools.

This year, 90.5% of results from 804 private schools in England were pass or above. In state schools, the figure was 66.5%.

Pete Allison, BBC Newsbeat

BBC Newsbeat has been hearing all day about how the numbers on the page do not define you.

Well, speaking of numbers, we thought it would be fun to see how many 16-year-old GCSE students we could fit in the Newsbeat studio.

The answer is 11.

Lloyd, who passed everything, says: "I didn’t even think I was going to pass French to be fair." Chapeau!

We've been hearing about their results and how they're celebrating... A few of them are going for food but a few are just staying at home playing video games.

You can hear more reaction to GCSE results on BBC Newsbeat on Radio 1/1Xtra/Asian Network at 17:45 BST.

Lara from Portadown says she was "really, really nervous" and barely slept while waiting for her results - but can rest easy now with a raft of Bs and a C

Mohammed from Bradford tells us that he "was messing about a lot in Year 10" but despite his shaky start, he "decided to get his head down" in Year 11, and today is celebrating all 7s, 8s and 9s

Milly from Preston thanks her "best friend" and "therapy sheep", Kevin, for keeping her calm during exams, helping her clinch the grades she needs for a veterinary apprenticeship

Gabriel from Nottingham "can't wait to go home and sleep... then go back out to town and claim all my freebies" - a big improvement on this morning when he "felt like he was going to pass out"

Noah from Scarborough tells us "I've picked up the envelope but haven't opened it yet" - though his mum reassures him "however he has done, we will celebrate"

Lilli from Devonport is beaming with her results. "Oh my God - I passed English" she says. Losing four relatives over the past 12 months, including her dad, it's been a "really full on" year for her

Freya Scott-Turner
Live reporter

Student-turned-study TikTok influencer Kate is delighted with the eleven grade 9s she woke up to this morning.

Last year, she went viral after she posted a video of her "gamified" revision method – that she calls "study roulette".

She now boasts over 115,000 followers on her account, where she offers tips and motivation for other GCSE students.

"I remember seeing the views go up like, that's terrifying but at the same time, wow," she recalls.

"I was just a measly Year 10 - like who am I to be saying these things?"

She's staying at her London-based grammar school for sixth form, while she knuckles down and focuses on getting a place to study Medicine at university.

Lots of you getting your grades today will be excited about what comes next – A-levels, T-levels, BTecs or maybe an apprenticeship.

But we've also had some data through today which suggests a slight rise in an issue which concerns lots of young people – the number who are not in any form of education, employment or training, or "Neet".

Today's data from the Office for National Statistics suggests there are 948,000 people aged 16 to 24 who were in that position between April and June this year.

That's a rise of 25,000 on the previous three-month period – and it accounts for nearly 13% of all people in that age group.

Jo Fellowes
Careers Adviser, National Careers Service

It's completely normal to feel unsure at this stage – lots of people do.

The important thing is to talk it through and explore your options. You can speak to a careers adviser at your school or college or call the National Careers Service. Their website also has a careers quiz and tools to explore different jobs and training routes.

Think about what you enjoy, what you're good at, and the lifestyle you want. You don't have to have it all figured out now – taking small steps, learning about different paths and asking for advice will help you make informed choices.

Every experience you try will teach you something about what suits you and what you enjoy.

Nabiha Ahmed
Live reporter

With or without GCSEs, people across the country have succeeded in making a name for themselves in their chosen career.

Yet, according to youth charity Impetus, having GCSE English and Maths reduces a young person's likelihood of being Neet (not in education, employment, or training) by 50%.

"Those two GCSEs are the passport that employers are looking for," says Ben Gadbsy, the charity policy head.

Ben adds that passing other subjects matters depending on what you want to do in the future.

A big concern is that disadvantaged young people - including those from deprived areas - are less likely to get their English and Maths GCSEs.

"The fact that they come from areas typically with fewer opportunities, which means it's more competitive," says Ben.

"It's almost certainly true that they need them more for this reason. But everyone needs them."

This year's figures show a sharp uptake in the number of students choosing to study GCSE Statistics and Music, while German and Physics are proving less popular.

There were 3,376 more people taking statistics in 2025 than in 2024, up from 31,844 to 34,879.

As well as a drop in students studying single sciences (Biology, Chemistry and Physics) there was 5.7% less people studying History GCSE this year, down from 325,301 to a total of 306,759.

Robbie Meredith
BBC News NI Education Correspondent

Almost a third of GCSE entries in Northern Ireland have been awarded the top A* and A grades.

Overall, results in Northern Ireland in 2025 were relatively similar to those in 2024.

Over 32,000 students received their GCSE results on Thursday. Some students also received results of vocational qualifications like BTecs.

In Northern Ireland, 31.8% of GCSE entries were awarded A* or A. That compares to 31% in 2024.

Results have returned to levels similar to those before the Coronavirus pandemic when exams were cancelled.

In English Language and Maths, which are compulsory subjects, over a quarter of entries were awarded grade A or above.

Overall, results for girls were higher than those for boys.