We're here to help you, no matter what your results are.
Find out how our Results Helpline can answer your questions. We also have information about further support and what your options might look like.
Got your results and want to speak with someone? You may have questions about your grades or be considering what to do next. The Skills Development Scotland Results Helpline is here for you.
Our careers advisers can offer you information, advice and guidance to support you.
Our helpline is now open, call 0808 100 8000.
There's lots of things you can chat about with our advisers, including:
The 2022 Results Helpline opening hours are:
There are SDS career centres across Scotland.
You can get help on a wide range of subjects, including SQA results. You can also talk to careers advisers about:
BSL users can use Contact Scotland. You can use their app to sign with an interpreter who will make the phone call for you.
SDS results help is a key contribution to the Scottish Government’s Young Person’s Guarantee. This supports every 16 to 24-year-old in Scotland into a work or learning opportunity.
Got your results and feeling a bit worried? Perhaps you did not get the grades you expected or maybe you're having second thoughts about your chosen course. We've got lots of resources and different options to help you with your next steps.
Find out from SQA what happens on results day and how to find out your results if you did not receive a text or email with your results.
You can find out from SQA about the appeals process and how to request an appeal.
UCAS have advice on what to do in different circumstances, depending on your exam results.
The level of the qualification is an indicator of its difficulty. You can find out more on the SCQF's website.
Our adviser Pauline Graham, who helps run the Results Helpline, answers some of the most common questions that come up about results.
Courses at National 2, National 3, and National 4 levels are not graded — the units that make up the course are assessed as pass or fail.
Courses at National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher are graded A to D. These courses are usually assessed by a combination of internally assessed units and an external (graded) assessment. External assessments are graded by SQA markers as either A, B, C or D, and this is the grade that will appear on your certificate on Results Day.
Your place at your insurance choice will be confirmed and UCAS will send you a letter in the post. This letter will confirm the course you'll study and explain if there’s anything else you need to do.
If you have not met the conditions, they may still be considering your application. Whether or not they can make you an offer will depend on whether there are remaining places and the performance of other applicants. Bear in mind that not all applicants get their results at the same time and the university or college may have to wait a few days to see if there are any spaces.
If you have met all the conditions, but still have not heard from them, check they’re not waiting for further details from you – for example, your exam certificates or health checks.
If the university or college has everything they should need, contact them directly to find out what's happening.
As soon as you were accepted by your 'firm choice', your 'insurance choice' would have been informed – this means that your insurance place will no longer be held for you.
Firstly, you'll need to contact your insurance choice college or university to see if they can still offer you a place on the course of your choice. Once they have agreed to this, you should contact your firm choice institution to advise them of your plans. If your firm choice agrees to withdraw your offer, you'll be entered into Clearing where your insurance choice can then make you an offer.
When making this decision, remember that there are no guarantees. Once your firm offer has been cancelled, you cannot automatically go back to this. If you wish to explore what's out there, discuss your options with a careers adviser on the Results Helpline.
You should contact your insurance choice university or college to discuss your situation. If they agree to withdraw your offer, you can then apply for another course in Clearing.
Make sure to check the course you want to apply to is willing to offer you a place. Once you withdraw your insurance choice, you cannot go back.
Even if you did not meet the conditions, the university or college might still be prepared to accept you or may be considering whether to offer you a place on an alternative course. Speak to them directly to discuss your options.
My World of Work can help you explore your options if you're unsure about what you want to do next.
Find more than 30,000 jobs, courses, apprenticeships and volunteering options all in one place with the Opportunity Finder. The Young Person's Guarantee aims to connect every 16 to 24 year old in Scotland to an opportunity.
Explore opportunities
If you're feeling overwhelmed, anxious or worried, that's okay. If you're not ready to look at options right now, that's also okay. We have support and resources available for your wellbeing that you can access any time you need.
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