The long awaited envelope or text has arrived and you’ve opened it. Whatever the results, our advice to you is, don’t panic!
“I passed!”
Congratulations! Whether you’re still at school, going off to university or college, going out into the world of work, or are simply undecided about what you want to do next, there are loads of great options available to you. My World of Work can help you decide what to do next by talking you through your options.
“I passed and my results are better than expected”
Great! This can open up lots of new options for you. Check out the UCAS clearing process if you’ve decided you’d now like to go on to university.
“I passed, but my results aren’t what I hoped for”
We don’t always get the grades we hope for and it isn’t the end of the world if you don’t quite achieve what you expected. There are still a lot of routes you can take if you didn’t get the results you hoped for, including applying to university clearing or earning more qualifications at college.
If you disagree with your result and want to appeal it, see the appeals process detailed in the appeals section below.
You can contact the Skills Development Scotland (SDS) Results Helpline on 0808 100 8000 to speak to an expert adviser about course vacancies at UK colleges and universities, Confirmation and Clearing, advice about Foundation, Modern and Graduate Apprenticeships, and jobs, volunteering, training, or staying on at school.
The SDS Results Helpline is open Tuesday 8 and Wednesday 9 August, 8am to 8pm, and Thursday 10 and Friday 11 August, 9am to 5pm.
If you’d like to speak to an SDS adviser out with these times, you can call their national helpline on 0800 917 8000 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm), visit your nearest SDS centre, or if you’re still at school, you can get in touch with your SDS school careers adviser there.
“I failed. I don’t know what to do”
This happens to us all at some point, but it is not the end of the world. Many people who have failed their exams have actually gone on to have amazing careers. There are loads of things you can do if you’ve failed your exams, including re-sitting the subject or applying to a different college or uni course.
If you disagree with your result and want to appeal it, see the appeals process detailed in the appeals section below.
Skills Development Scotland advisers are again on hand to help you understand your next steps!
The SDS Results Helpline is open Tuesday 8 and Wednesday 9 August, 8am to 8pm, and Thursday 10 and Friday 11 August, 9am to 5pm.
“I want to appeal my result”
If you’re not happy with your results and want to appeal, you can do so directly to the SQA for National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher results this year. It doesn’t cost any money to appeal.
You will be given a result by your teacher or lecturer and they will explain the reasoning behind this, however, if you still want to appeal after this, a free appeals service is available from and you will be able to appeal to SQA yourself or through your school, college or training provider.
If you are waiting on a result for a university or college place or for an employment or training programme, your appeal will be processed as a priority and you must register that you want to appeal by Tuesday 15th August. If you miss this date, your teacher or lecturer can submit a priority appeal for you until Friday 19th August.
A parent or carer can also submit an appeal for you.
Appeals will be processed after ‘Results Day’ which is Tuesday 8th August and your original grade may go up, down or remain the same after appeal.
Visit SQA’s website for more information about the appeals process in the academic year 2023.