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My GCSE result is missing, pending or looks wrong - what do I do?

A blank where a grade should be, a ‘pending’ or an odd code can be alarming - but there’s a clear first step. Here’s what to do.

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In short

The single most important thing: speak to your school or college’s exams officer straight away - not the exam board. Exam boards will not discuss results with students directly and send you back through your centre anyway. Whether a subject is missing, shows as pending, comes back as an unexpected ‘no result’, has a name error, or shows a code like X or Q, your exams officer can see the detail and take it up with the board for you. Most issues are resolved quickly.

How it works

  1. Go straight to your exams officer
    Your school or college’s exams officer is the right person - they hold the results and are the only ones who can query them with the board. Exam boards can’t give results to students or discuss them with you, so contacting the board yourself just sends you back to school.
  2. Know what the common cases mean
    A missing subject may simply not have been loaded yet, or there’s an administrative query. Pending means the result isn’t final. Codes like X (no result issued) or Q (result pending / query) flag something that needs checking. A name or date-of-birth error is usually a quick fix. Your exams officer can tell which it is.
  3. If the grade is there but looks wrong
    If you have a grade but think it’s too low, that’s different - ask about seeing your marked paper and a review of marking (remembering a grade can go down as well as up). For GCSEs the Standard Service 2 review applies, with a 24 September 2026 deadline.
  4. Keep your slip and stay calm
    Hold onto your results slip and note exactly what’s missing or odd. These issues are common on results day and usually sorted quickly once your exams officer picks them up.

Exam boards direct students back through their centre: AQA: missing results.

Example

Your slip shows five grades but History is blank. You don’t email AQA - you find your school’s exams officer, who checks and sees the result was held for a quick administrative query. They take it up with the board, and your History grade comes through later that day. Chasing the board yourself would only have sent you back to school.
Common misconception

Don’t contact the exam board directly - they won’t discuss results with students and will point you back to your school. Your exams officer is the fast route. And a missing or pending result isn’t the same as a wrong one: the first is an admin query, the second is a review of marking.

Frequently asked questions

A GCSE subject is missing from my results - what do I do?

Speak to your school or college exams officer straight away. Exam boards won’t discuss results with students; only your centre can query a missing or held result with the board. Source: AQA ↗

What does X or Q mean on my results?

Codes like X (no result issued) or Q (result pending / under query) flag a result that needs checking. Your exams officer can tell you what it means for you. Source: AQA ↗

Can I contact the exam board myself?

No - exam boards don’t give results to students or discuss individual results with you. Everything goes through your school or college. Source: AQA ↗

My name or details are wrong on the slip - is that a problem?

Tell your exams officer - it’s usually a quick administrative correction through the board, but it’s worth sorting so your certificate is right. Source: AQA ↗

See it in the data

Read your slip line by line, and know the review route if a grade looks wrong.

How to read your results slip →Getting your results reviewed →

Official sources

Official sources: AQA: missing results · Ofqual: what happens after your exams · JCQ: post-results services
About this guide. Produced independently by tutor2u using published guidance from Ofqual, JCQ and the awarding organisations, to explain the system clearly and put it in context. Reviewed by Jim Riley, tutor2u. How we check this guidance. Last reviewed 19 August 2026.
In Wales: this guide covers England, where exams are regulated by Ofqual. Qualifications in Wales are regulated by Qualifications Wales and awarded by WJEC - see WJEC’s grade boundaries and post-results services.

Explore more

How to read your results slipGCSE results day 2026: what happensGetting your results reviewedAccess to ScriptsExam Results Explorer (interactive)Grade boundary pages by subject

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Last checked August 2026. This is a plain-English summary of official guidance; always check the linked Ofqual, JCQ and exam-board pages for the definitive rules, which can change.

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