Jared Evitts
BBC Newsbeat, reporting from South Wales

Friends Jake and Haydn are happy with their GCSE results as they’ve secured the grades needed for their upcoming college course.

The pair, both 16, who studied at Lewis School Pengam in South Wales, will now enter into a pre-apprenticeship course in engineering together.

And after interviewing at the college this afternoon, they’re off for a round of golf to celebrate.

"We're not good [at golf] but it’s a good laugh," they tell BBC Newsbeat.

They also give a shout-out to the parents who helped them get through the exam period.

James Platford
Careers adviser, National Careers Service

We have experts answering your questions.

It is really hard to have a plan at your age, especially with the changing environment in various career sectors due to AI and other technologies.

My advice is to pick what feels right for you now. Set yourself up with the best education you can get as this will help you for the rest of your life.

Try to get work experience from different career sectors to test the water and see what fits. Use your network and contact companies directly to help find different work experience.

I had no idea what I wanted to do, ended up working behind a bar when I left school, and five years later was running my own gastropub.

Twenty-five years later, I switched careers and became a careers adviser. I will probably change career again before I retire.

Good luck with your choices.

Niki McKenna
Head of the 14+ Academies at Leeds City College

We have experts answering your questions.

If you can’t pick up your results in person, you may be able to get them online using the government’s new app, the Education Record.

Around one in five secondary schools in England have access to the app, but it requires an individual QR code - so if you’ve not already heard from your school about it, it may not be available there.

I’d encourage young people to collect their results in person where possible.

A parent or carer can also collect them on your behalf.

You’ll usually need to provide a signed letter giving your permission, and some form of ID may be required.

Every school and college has its own process for when pupils cannot collect their results in person, so it’s best to check with them.

Emily Doughty
Reporting from Lees Brook Academy in Derby

Image source, Handout

In between answering your questions, we've also been looking into whether there have been any issues with the new app which has been delivering results to pupils at 750 schools in England today.

Having already opened them in person at his school in Derby this morning, it was a bit of a wait for student James to be able to see his results on the app too.

He had expected to see them from 11:00, but when he opened the app at 11:30 he couldn’t see his results.

They are through now though, and he's happy with the confirmation of his grades.

We've not had reports of wider technical issues, and the government told us it had always said results would be available from 11:00, rather than at 11:00 exactly.

It's also only about one in five schools which have signed up to get their results on the app, so most people won't be able to use it this year.

Tilly Taylor
Educational content creator

We have experts answering your questions - this one came through our BBC News TikTok account.

The biggest mistake is panicking before finding out what the results actually mean for your next step, and making a rash, impulsive decision.

Students can see one disappointing grade and immediately think everything has gone wrong, when they may still have their sixth-form place or plenty of alternative routes available.

Check what grades you need to move on to the next step, then speak to your school or college, understand your options, and then make a decision.

Niki McKenna
Head of the 14+ Academies at Leeds City College

We have experts answering your questions - we've had quite a few asking about options for if you don't pass or get the grades you need.

There are still plenty of options for you to explore, so please don’t panic!

If you don't get a grade four - a standard pass - especially in English or maths, you'll have the chance to resit those subjects.

Most colleges will support you through this.

Depending on what you want to do next, you could look into alternative qualifications like Functional Skills, or consider an apprenticeship, which allows you to earn and learn at the same time.

There’s no one-size-fits-all path. Talk to your school or college for advice that's right for you. And remember that grades alone do not define your success.

Madeleine Lake
Live reporter

Image source, Rob Darling

When someone tells you they're afraid of heights, the last thing you'd expect them to do is strap themselves into a harness and abseil off a cliff.

But after getting just four GCSEs in 2018 - one grade short of getting into sixth form - Rob Darling did just that.

He says he had no interest in pursuing an academic pathway so became an apprentice butcher.

At 20 he dreamed of working abroad, so he completed a weeklong rope access course which taught him how to abseil, perform rescues, and how to climb.

From there, he secured a job in New Zealand and was on his way to the other side of the world.

Image source, Rob Darling

"I was scared of heights,” he laughs. “But I knew I needed to get out of my comfort zone. The academic route just wasn't for me and that's fine. I wanted a career where I could see the world."

As well as New Zealand, Rob has worked in Australia, Papua New Guinea, Kazakhstan and Singapore.

"Don't let the results rule you, I wanted to earn money, explore and see the world. Get out of your comfort zone and try new things,” he says.

“For me, travel was the best gift I gave myself."

James Platford
Careers adviser, National Careers Service

We’ve got experts answering your questions.

GCSEs are important but it very much depends on what type of jobs and education you wish to progress into.

Employers often require English and mathematics grades four to nine so I would make this my first focus. These can be retaken in November or the following year and can be taken alongside college or while doing an apprenticeship.

I would then focus on whether you are doing A-levels, T-levels, Vocational Technical Qualifications, apprenticeships or starting work alongside study or training. These qualifications, alongside your GCSEs, will be considered by employers.

Speak to your school and someone within the careers team, as well as your parents or guardians to help make these decisions.

If you are one of the lucky people who has an idea of what career you wish to do, then use this to inform your choices.

Tilly Taylor
Educational content creator

We have experts answering your questions - this one came through our BBC News YouTube account.

Absolutely. If your results are stronger than you expected, it’s worth looking again at your options.

You might now meet the entry requirements for different A-levels you hadn't considered, another sixth form or college in your local area, or a higher-level course than you had considered.

Speak to your school, sixth form or college as soon as possible, because places can be limited, but don’t feel you have to change your plans just because you can.

A better result gives you more choice, but you don't have to choose something different.

Jacqui Maher
Deputy principal, South & City College, Birmingham

Over the next few posts, we're going to be answering some of your questions. First up, can you get a paper remarked?

Yes, you can ask for a paper to be checked, although the official process is called a "review of marking" rather than a remark.

Speak to your teachers or tutors as soon as possible. They can request your marked paper, see how close you were to the grade boundary and advise whether there appears to be an error or realistic scope for your mark to change.

Being close to a boundary doesn’t automatically mean that a review will result in additional marks.

If you decide to proceed, your school or college will usually submit the request to the exam board and explain any deadline or fee involved.

You'll also need to provide written consent. It's important to understand that a review does not guarantee an improvement - your mark, and potentially your overall grade, could go down as well as up.

You've been asking us questions by getting in touch on email, WhatsApp and social media, and it's almost time for us to start answering them.

In a moment, we'll have a panel of experts here to tackle your queries about exam results.

The experts are:

• Niki McKenna - Head of the 14+ academies at Leeds City College
• James Platford - Careers adviser, National Careers Service
• Jacqui Maher - Deputy principal, South & City College, Birmingham
• Tilly Taylor - Educational content creator

Laura Foster
Reporting from Mayflower High School, in Billericay

A deputy headteacher in Essex says he hopes the GCSE results app doesn't "kill results day".

This year, for the first time, pupils at more than 750 schools in England will also be able to see their grades on their phones.

Deputy headteacher Luke Kilvert, at Mayflower High School, in Billericay, says it’s great that pupils have a digital record, but it’s not the same as coming into school to collect results.

“It’s a chance to celebrate with staff and parents but, most importantly, they can get the support they need if they don’t get the grades, or if they need to make changes to some of their plans," he says.

“The results apps hopefully won’t kill results day because I think it’s really important that students are able to come in and access that support - but we’ll wait and see."

Grace Wood
Reporting from Oasis Academy Lister Park, in Bradford

At Oasis Academy Lister Park, in Bradford, student Hisham says teacher Mr Ahmed "changed his life".

"I was going to fail before I met [him]," says Hisham, who got nines and eights in his exams, and wants to become a corporate lawyer one day.

"He’s responsible for these grades. He taught me how to revise.

"When I was on a very dark path in my life, he was there - like a shining light."

Mr Ahmed says he was "so worried" about results day, especially with his own daughter collecting her results too.

"We’ve gradually made it up the slope," he says.

"I’ve been ill a few times and the students have looked after me as much as I’ve looked after them."

Lola Mayor
Reporting from Caldicot School, Monmouthshire

Yaroslav, who moved to Wales from Ukraine in 2022 with his mother, received an A in English and a B in Welsh language despite speaking neither fluently when he arrived in Wales.

“It was a hard time to keep studying with everything going on at home," says the Caldicot School pupil, who previously said he wanted to become an engineer to "help my own country".

Perhaps even more impressively, he got A*s across the board in his other subjects.

"I think my mum will ask why I didn’t get an A* in English," he jokes.

He says since moving he has been able to return to Ukraine to visit family members who are "in a safe place".

"I’ve been trying to make my family proud and happy, and my results are amazing," Yaroslav adds.

"English language is not easy for me, so I’m really proud."

It's a few hours now since students began tearing open results envelopes, so whether you're happy or disappointed with how you scored, we'd love to hear your thoughts.

And we've got a panel of experts on hand to answer your questions later this morning.

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James Kelly
Your Voice

Image source, Sian Hamlet

Sian Hamlet, 39, wanted to make sure she could help her son Lucas with his maths exams, so she decided to take the test herself.

"I passed with a grade four, which I’m very happy with," Sian, from Tamworth, says.

"Lucas is 12 and about to go into Year 8, and I wanted to be able to help him with his homework and, when the time comes, his GCSE revision."

Sian is also a learning support assistant at Tamworth's South Staffordshire College, and says she's now able to "support the students better".

In Rochdale, Year 11 pupil Isla is wearing a sash that reads: "I smashed my GCSEs, I’m going to Ibiza."

Her parents surprised her with the trip after she opened her results and the family will be heading to the airport this evening.

"I’m really happy, I passed everything," Isla says.

She's going to study chemistry, biology, and psychology in sixth form, but says she'll enjoy her "party weekend" first.

Emily Holt
Reporting from Ormiston Sandwell Community Academy, West Midlands

Here in the West Midlands, twins Daniel and Joshua have passed all their exams and are delighted.

"I wasn’t nervous before, but today I was," Daniel says.

"But I got what I wanted and passed."

Joshua says he wasn't expecting to get the grades he got and is very happy.

Daniel is going on to do a BTec in music and performance, while Joshua is going to pursue musical theatre.

Alex Taylor
Education reporter

Image source, Getty Images

If you've opened your results this morning and they aren't quite what you were hoping for, it's easy for panic to set in.

Here are a few practical steps from Tom Egleton, better known online as Teacher Tommy T, who's been giving advice on the BBC News livestream:

• Take a deep breath: A simple but important first step. It'll help you calm down

• GCSEs are not the only key: Don't think this is the be-all-and-end-all - it's not. GCSEs are like keys to open different pathways, but they are one of many. Your personality and resilience are just as important in shaping your success

• Talk to your teachers: They know you well, in school at least. Today is the day to use that knowledge as you consider what to do next. They can advise on resit options and, potentially, remarks

• Go to your enrolment appointment: It's still worth going to any enrolment meetings you have scheduled at your local school or college, where staff can help you look at the available alternatives

• Don't compare yourself to others: Some friends may be celebrating or have recieved better grades, but try not to let that define how you feel about yourself. Your journey is your own. You're on your own timeline

BBC Radio 1Xtra's Kaylee Golding has popped out of the booth to wish everyone opening their results today a "massive well done".

"I know it can be so scary and so much pressure," she says.

"I hope you got the result that you wanted, if not - don't worry. Regardless, you are a superstar."