What the experts say…
HERE’S WHY WE SHOULD BE WELCOMING PLANS TO DIGITALISE GCSE RESULTS
Comment by LUCY KIRKHAM, Head of STEM at SaveMyExams.
R
ecently, the government has begun trialling the Education Record app, which enables GCSE students to get their results online. Ahead of a planned national rollout, 95,000 students in Manchester and the West Midlands will be able to access their results online.
The app is the latest in technological developments within schools, with advances in AI and digital learning having a profound impact on education. So far, integrating digital enhancements for students has had multiple long-term benefits.
Removing pressure and anxiety
Digitalising GCSEs is a step towards removing the pressure of results day. Students face enormous pressure to achieve or exceed their predicted grades. We believe that giving them the opportunity to open their results in their own time, in a place where they feel safe, can help ease the stress of results day and reduce one of the causes of anxiety among young people.
Offering flexibility and efficiency
Digital exam results also add flexibility and efficiency to the process of results day. Moving to digital exam results will have a number of exciting benefits, offering greater convenience, efficiency and flexibility. Students can now access their results from anywhere. Students who are on holiday, live abroad or simply don’t want to attend results day now have the option of accessing their results on the same day as their fellow students.
Additionally, digitalising exam results ensures that students’ grades are accurately and fairly recorded, which is especially important when people are going on to apply for higher education.
Ease of future applications
Beyond results day, certificates will be easily accessible. When applying to colleges, universities and other courses, students will just need to pull out their phone rather than look for their certificates, streamlining future applications. As long as students have an active account, they will always have access to their GCSE certificates. Furthermore, when applying for University or apprenticeships, students may be less resistant in applying, as they will now be able to find their results in their back pocket rather than the back of a drawer at home. Additionally, it’s not unheard of for GCSE certificates to get lost or damaged, therefore the Education Record app offers a secure backup to students.
Highs and lows of results day
We also have to remember that results day is a chance to reconnect with friends, classmates, and teachers—turning the day into a shared moment of reflection and celebration. Recognising and embracing this social aspect is vital, as it can offer emotional support and a sense of community that helps students navigate the day, regardless of the grades they receive.
Giving students the choice and flexibility to decide whether they want to collect their results in person or get them via the app is great as long as students have access to clear support and guidance. For those who don’t achieve the results they were hoping for, being in a supportive environment with immediate access to teachers and career advisors is crucial. It enables them to explore alternative pathways, receive tailored guidance, and ease the uncertainty—reducing the stress of having to seek help alone or later.
The benefits of digitalising GCSE exams
Last year, digitalising exam results was spoken about, before the idea was put on pause. The natural next step would be to digitalise exams. Recent studies have shown that 47% of students favour online learning for its flexibility and time-saving benefits, with the growth of e-learning having rocketed by 900% in the past two decades. It is therefore pleasing to see exam boards finally acknowledging this notable shift, which has been further accelerated post-pandemic. Moving to on-screen exams will have a selection of benefits, offering greater convenience, efficiency, flexibility and accessibility. On-screen exams can better prepare students for higher education and employment. Universities are widely using online examinations, meanwhile, a rising number of jobs are computer-based, or have on- screen elements.
Computer-based exams could particularly benefit neurodivergent students, with the potential to use text-to-speech functions, adjust font sizes and amend background colours. Students who struggle with fine motor skills may also benefit from typing as opposed to writing. As well as the potential for multiple-choice and short-form questions to be automated, AI technology can quickly and effectively provide personalised feedback to students, something demonstrated by exam-specific feedback systems such as SaveMyExams’ Smart Mark, enhancing the learning experiences of students, both inside and outside the classroom.
12
www.education-today.co.uk June 2025
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44
