Today, almost 145,000 young people will receive a text message, email, or first-class envelope containing a set of results that will help them determine their next steps in life.

It’s much the same every year on Results Day. But whether students receive the results they were expecting or if things turn out a bit better or worse, it can be confusing when the adrenaline wears down and parents and young people begin to think seriously about the question: What next?

There is no shortage of resources available for students on Results Day. The SQA offers advice and guidance on understanding how results were calculated, how the appeals process works, and who to call with questions or problems.

To help manage the mental and emotional strain of Results Day, support hubs and helplines are open all day on Results Day, and many will take calls throughout the week.

Here is a quick look at some resources that could be useful to young people this week.

What’s supposed to happen today?

Students should receive their official results from the SQA on Tuesday 6 August. Anyone who elected to receive results by text message or email should receive a message after 8am on Results Day. The SQA advises that delivery can vary depending on service providers and to be sure to check spam and junk folders for the message.

Results arriving by post should be at your door on Tuesday. If you receive your post and the SQA certificate is missing, your first call should be to your school, college or course provider.

Results are in, now what?

For students headed to college or university, even if their results meet the conditions of an offer, taking the next steps can still be confusing. Institutions will contact you with more information once your place has been confirmed, and you will see that your application status has been updated.

Colleges and universities may still need further information, so check the UCAS Hub for instructions.

If results aren’t as expected or don’t meet the conditions of an offer, there are still options available.

Colleges and universities may still accept students who don’t meet the conditions of the original offer or offer them a place in another course. Acceptance can sometimes depend on other students’ results, and institutions may need a few days to know how many spaces are available.

For expert and impartial advice on what to do next, regardless of your results, the Skills Development Scotland Results Helpline will be live from Tuesday morning at 8am.

The number for the 2024 Results Helpline is 0808 100 8000

The helpline will be open:

  • Tuesday 6 and Wednesday 7 August - 8am to 8pm
  • Thursday 8 and Friday 9 August – 9am to 5pm 

The helpline has provided crucial support in past years for students whose results were not what they expected. But organisers also told The Herald that they can provide guidance for students who may have done better than expected or simply want to ensure they keep all of their options open.

Ruth Scott, SDS helpline team leader, said that expert support staff are trained to handle questions about every aspect of Results Day and the next steps for students.

“We have lots of information about clearing courses, SQA results and the certificate, and what the grades mean. We work closely with partners like SQA and UCAS to offer that help, but we also have an additional layer of support about actually making an informed career decision and helping people to find not just ‘clutching at straws’ option, but asking what is the best option for them?”

SDS has also published a list of Frequently Asked Questions for tips on various scenarios related to admissions and Results Day.

How to appeal

For students who don’t feel that their results are correct, the SQA free appeals service is available starting Tuesday morning. The appeals process will ensure that your assessments were fully marked, in line with national standards, marks were tallied correctly and that the correct results were entered.

Importantly, appeals will not consider any other coursework or alternative evidence from teachers and are not a re-marking of the SQA assessment.

The appeals service opens at 9 a.m. on Tuesday 6 August. Depending on whether appeals qualify as a priority (meaning the results will impact a conditional offer or if training or employment depends on the grade), there are two deadlines for submission.

Deadlines are:

  • Tuesday 13 August at 11:59 pm for priority appeals
  • Tuesday 27 August at 11:59pm for all other appeals

Decisions on priority appeals should be returned by September 2, and all other appeals will be returned beginning in October.

You can access the appeals service online via the SQA website. The SQA advises students who plan to appeal to notify their school, college, or training provider.

Points of contact on Results Day

For questions relating to the SQA results specifically, a helpline will be open from 8am – 6pm on Tuesday 6 August, and from 8:30am – 5pm on Wednesday 7 August to Friday 9 August.

The SQA Candidate Advice Line: 0345 279 1000

For questions about applications or placements for college or university, contact UCAS at 0371 468 0468 between 8:30am to 6pm on weekdays.