Results day can test minds in ways grades cannot show

With A-Level grades out today and GCSE results just around the corner, Childline has issued advice for those struggling with their mental health. 

‘Remember, results don’t define you: your worth extends far beyond exam grades’, the charity have said, and I couldn’t put it better myself. 

New research from Childline shows hundreds of young people are worried about their upcoming exam results. The data, published on Wednesday ahead of A-Level results day, shows the charity provided 728 counselling sessions to a young person worried about their exam results between April 2025 and March 2026 – a 3% increase compared to last year. 

Where the child’s age was known, 49% of counselling sessions involved 16 to 18-year-olds, while 43% involved 12 to 15-year-olds.

Shaun Friel, director of Childine, said: ‘We know that examine results day and the weeks surrounding it can be an incredibly stressful and anxious period for many young people.

‘Parents can play an important role in supporting young people during this difficult period by being supportive, listening without judgement and helping them to see alternative paths if they haven’t received the results they hoped for.’

Against this backdrop, the charity have issued advice for both parents and young people to help ease any stresses. These include: 

• Focus on what you can control – if your results aren’t what you hoped for, research alternative pathways rather than dwelling on what can’t be changed 
• Be reassuring about the the future – it’s important children feel supported by their loved ones and that failing isn’t the end of the world
• Manage your own expectations – most of the time children contacting Childline say they’re worried about letting their family down 

Michelle, a university student from London, explains she once put too much pressure on herself to overachieve in school, so much so that she didn’t know who she was outside of academia. 

‘From a young age I attached my self-worth to school, so if I didn’t do well in a maths test, I would be horrible to myself,’ she said. ‘Due to Covid, I wasn’t able to sit my GCSEs. This meant I had never experienced exams before and didn’t know what to expect. 

‘Leading up to A-Levels I became completely dedicated to revision. I was getting A grades in my mocks, but as exams got closer, I got very anxious. I became so anxious that I was physically frightened of the exam hall and panic would set in. My legs would shake so much that the desk would move, and my hands would sweat.’

Michelle continued: ‘When it came to results day, I opened my results and saw I hadn’t got what I needed to go to the university I had dreamed of. I hadn’t prepared for clearing as I didn’t think I would need it. As a result, I accepted the first university offer I was given.