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Results Day | Top Tips for Students

Please note: Details around Clearing for 2026 applicants are subject to change. Please keep checking our site for up-to-date info.

It’s your future. Let us help you feel prepared for Results Day this August. With your final results now out of your hands, it’s time to relax and enjoy your summer.

On Results Day itself, here’s how you can feel prepared:

  1. Get prepared. Make sure you understand the UCAS Clearing process in advance. Sign up for more advice and guidance.

  2. Have your tools to hand. Write a list of what you’ll need: a fully charged phone, a pen, notepad, a note of the course you want to apply to, your UCAS personal ID number, login details for UCAS and the Student Finance Company, a bottle of water and snacks.

  3. Stay Calm. If you don’t get your expected results, then don’t stress. The UCAS Clearing Process is an opportunity for you to secure a university place. You’ll need to remain calm to make a rationale decision on the day. 

  4. Have a practice phone call. It’s better to be prepared for the worst. If you go into clearing then you need to phone up your desired university, not your parents or a friend. Treat the call like a job application so it’s sensible to have a pretend practice call to prepare.

  5. Find a course. If you don’t get the results you expected, did better than you thought or just had a complete rethink, don’t panic. You can explore other degree or foundation degree programmes or trade-up your place through adjustment. Browse through UCAS or Northumbria University courses and find a course you’d like to do. 

  6. Know the Clearing Hotline number.  Once you’ve found the course you want to study at, make a note of that university’s Clearing Hotline number. Northumbria University’s Clearing Hotline is  0800 085 1085

  7. Talk through your options. You’ll need someone to talk to on the day. Speak with your parents/guardian or your teachers/career advisors about your options. They’ll provide support and the clarity you need to make a decision.

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Page last updated 05/05/26

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