UK Exam Calendar 2026–2027: The Complete Guide to Every Upcoming Exam, Deadline & Results Day

With A-Level and GCSE results days just weeks away and the autumn exam season fast approaching, students, parents, teachers, and professionals across the United Kingdom are entering one of the most critical periods of the academic calendar. This comprehensive guide covers every major UK exam, deadline, and result date from August 2026 through to early 2027 — spanning GCSEs, A-Levels, university admissions tests, professional accountancy qualifications, and university term schedules.

Key takeaway: The next 90 days are packed. Results days hit in mid-August, university entrance tests (UCAT, LNAT, ESAT/TMUA) run from now through late September and October, GCSE resit registration closes by mid-September, and the November resit window opens on 29 October. If you are sitting ACCA exams, the September session's late-entry deadline is 3 August 2026 — just days away.

1. GCSE Summer 2026: Results Day & Autumn Resits {#1-gcse-summer-2026}

1.1 The Summer 2026 Exam Window — Recap

The summer 2026 GCSE exam season ran from Monday 4 May to Friday 26 June 2026, with the contingency day on Wednesday 24 June 2026 remaining unused barring any local disruptions. All five major exam boards — AQA, Pearson Edexcel, OCR, WJEC/Eduqas, and CCEA — operated on the common timetable coordinated by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ).

Key subjects and their dates (all now completed):

1.2 GCSE Results Day — Thursday 20 August 2026

This is the single most important date for Year 11 students. Results are released at 8:00 AM and students can collect them in person from their school or access them via online portals. Schools receive embargoed results the day before (Wednesday 19 August) for staff only.

What to expect:

• Grade boundaries are published by each exam board on results morning.
• Students who achieve at least a Grade 4 (standard pass) in English Language and Mathematics meet the post-16 condition of funding.
• Those who score Grade 3 or below in English Language or Maths must continue studying these subjects and resit in November 2026.
• For all other subjects, resits are optional and can be taken in the summer 2027 series.

1.3 Post-Results Services

If a grade feels wrong:

• Priority review of marking — for university applicants, deadline is typically late August.
• Access to scripts — request your marked paper to review before deciding on a remark.
• Standard review of marking — deadline is typically mid-September.
• Your school's exams officer handles all of these; speak to them immediately.

1.4 November 2026 GCSE Resits — The Full Timetable

The November resit series is restricted to GCSE English Language and GCSE Mathematics only (plus IGCSE subjects for Edexcel International GCSE candidates). This is a statutory requirement for students who did not achieve a Grade 4.

Registration deadline: Mid-September 2026 (exact date varies by centre; contact your school or exam centre).

Complete November 2026 Resit Timetable:

Results day for November 2026 resits: Thursday 14 January 2027.

2. A-Level Summer 2026: Results Day & What Comes Next {#2-a-level-summer-2026}

2.1 The Summer 2026 Exam Window — Recap

A-Level and AS-Level exams ran from Monday 11 May to Tuesday 23 June 2026. The common timetable covered all major boards: AQA, Edexcel (Pearson), OCR, WJEC/Eduqas, and CCEA.

Key subject clusters:

2.2 A-Level Results Day — Thursday 13 August 2026

This is the decisive day for university applicants. Results are released at 8:00 AM. UCAS Track updates shortly thereafter, confirming university places.

What happens on the day:

• If you meet your firm offer — UCAS confirms your place. Congratulations!
• If you narrowly miss your firm offer but meet your insurance — your insurance university is confirmed.
• If you miss both — you enter Clearing. Thousands of courses are available. UCAS opens Clearing officially on results day.
• If you exceed your offer — you may be eligible for Adjustment (upgrading to a better course/university).

Restricted release to centres: Wednesday 12 August 2026 (staff embargoed).

2.3 No Autumn A-Level Resits

Unlike GCSEs, there is no November resit series for A-Levels. Students who wish to improve their A-Level grades must sit exams in the summer 2027 series. This makes the results day decisions particularly high-stakes.

2.4 AS-Level Results

AS-Level results are also released on 13 August 2026. These contribute to the UCAS tariff and may be used for university applications for 2027 entry.

3. University Admissions Tests: UCAT, LNAT, ESAT & TMUA {#3-university-admissions-tests}

This section covers the admissions tests for students applying for 2027 university entry. These are critically time-sensitive — note the approaching deadlines.

3.1 UCAT (University Clinical Aptitude Test)

The UCAT is required for entry to most UK medical and dental schools.

Status as of 29 July 2026: Testing is in progress. If you haven't booked yet, do so immediately — slots fill quickly. The booking deadline is 16 September.

Test format: 2 hours, computer-based, five sections: Verbal Reasoning, Decision Making, Quantitative Reasoning, Abstract Reasoning, and Situational Judgement.

Fees: £75 (UK/EU test centres), £120 (outside UK/EU).

3.2 LNAT (Law National Aptitude Test)

Required by Oxford, Cambridge, UCL, LSE, King's College London, Durham, Bristol, and several other universities for Law applicants.

Status: Registration opens imminently — 1 August 2026. Create your LNAT account, book your

test slot, and prepare using the official practice tests.

Test format: 2 hours 15 minutes, computer-based. Section A: 42 multiple-choice questions (95 minutes). Section B: one essay question (40 minutes).

Fees: £75 (UK/EU), £120 (outside UK/EU).

Important rule: You may only sit the LNAT once per application cycle (1 September 2026 – 31 July 2027). If you sit it twice, the later sitting is automatically voided.

3.3 ESAT & TMUA (Oxford/Cambridge Admissions Tests — UAT-UK)

For 2027 entry, Oxford and Cambridge use the Engineering & Science Admissions Test (ESAT) and the Test of Mathematics for University Admission (TMUA) , both administered by UAT-UK.

Key point: The UCAS Oxbridge deadline (15 October) falls during the testing window. You must have registered for your admissions test well before this date.

4. Professional Qualifications: ACCA & ACA {#4-professional-qualifications}

4.1 ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants)

ACCA runs four exam sessions per year. Two have passed; two remain.

September 2026 Session — Upcoming

Daily breakdown:

⚠️ Urgent: The late entry deadline of 3 August 2026 is in just 5 days. If you plan to sit the September session and haven't registered, do so immediately.

December 2026 Session

ACCA has not yet published the full December 2026 timetable. Based on the established "first-Monday" pattern, the session is expected to run 7–11 December 2026 (some sources suggest 1–5 December).

Check the ACCA Global website for confirmation. Standard entry will likely open around early August 2026.

4.2 ACA (Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales — ICAEW)

Advanced Level

The July 2026 ACA Advanced Level results are released on 26 August 2026. The November registration window opens on 13 September 2026 and is tight — only 11 days — so mark your calendar.

5. University Term & Exam Schedules {#5-university-schedules}

University schedules vary by institution, but most follow a similar pattern. Using the University of Reading as a representative example:

Important: If you have re-sits in August, check your university's specific dates. The window is typically late August to early September.

6. Complete Date-Wise Calendar: August–December 2026 {#6-complete-calendar}

Here is every important date, in chronological order, from August through December 2026.

August 2026

September 2026

October 2026

November 2026

December 2026

*ACCA has not yet confirmed the December 2026 session dates. Check accaglobal.com.

7. Looking Ahead to 2027 {#7-looking-ahead}

January 2027

Summer 2027 (Provisional)

The National Curriculum and Assessment Review is ongoing and may recommend changes to GCSE and A-Level structures in future years, but 2027 is expected to follow current formats.

Key Resources & Official Links

Final Checklist: What You Should Do Right Now

1. A-Level/GCSE students: Prepare for results days (13 & 20 August). Have your UCAS login ready, research Clearing options in advance, and know who to contact at your school.

2. Medical/Dental applicants: Book your UCAT immediately if you haven't. The booking deadline is 16 September and slots fill fast.

3. Law applicants: LNAT registration opens 1 August. Set a reminder and register early to secure your preferred test date.

4. Oxbridge 2027 applicants: Register for ESAT/TMUA now (if not already done). Booking deadline is 28 September.

5. ACCA students: The September late entry deadline is 3 August — just 5 days away. Register now or wait for December.

6. GCSE resit candidates: Contact your school or exam centre about November resit registration. The deadline is mid-September.

7. ACA students: July results come out 26 August. November registration opens 13 September for just 11 days.

This article was last updated on 29 July 2026. Exam dates are sourced from JCQ, UCAS, individual exam boards, ACCA, ICAEW, UCAT Consortium, and LNAT. Always verify specific dates with your school, college, or exam centre, as local variations may apply.

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