GCSE exam dates 2026: timetables and key information

After five years studying at secondary school, students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will take their GCSE exams this summer term.

So, when exactly will their exams take place? And what other information about this year’s GCSEs do schools need to bear in mind?

Here’s Tes’ handy guide to the upcoming exam period.

When are GCSE exams in 2026?

GCSE exams in 2026 are scheduled to run between the week beginning Monday 4 May and Friday 26 June.

GCSE results day for students will be on Thursday 20 August. Schools will receive the results the day before on Wednesday 19 August.

GCSE timetables from each of the exam boards, or “awarding bodies”, are available via the links below:

• AQA exam timetable
• CCEA exam timetable (Northern Ireland)
• Edexcel exam timetable
• Eduqas and WJEC exam timetables (Wales)
• OCR exam timetable

When are the GCSE maths exams in 2026?

GCSE maths exams will take place on Thursday 7 May, Thursday 14 May, Wednesday 3 June and Wednesday 10 June:

Thursday 7 May

• WJEC maths unit 1 - foundation, intermediate and higher

Thursday 14 May

• AQA maths paper 1 - foundation and higher
• CCEA mathematics units 1 and 2 - foundation
• CCEA mathematics units 3 and 4 - higher
• Edexcel maths paper 1 - foundation and higher
• Eduqas maths paper 1 - foundation and higher
• OCR maths paper 1 - foundation
• OCR maths paper 4 - higher

Wednesday 3 June

• AQA maths paper 2 - foundation and higher
• CCEA maths unit 5 - foundation
• CCEA maths unit 6 - foundation
• CCEA maths unit 7 - higher
• CCEA maths unit 8 - higher
• Edexcel maths paper 2 - foundation and higher
• Eduqas maths unit 2 - foundation and higher
• OCR mathematics paper 2 - foundation
• OCR mathematics paper 5 - higher
• WJEC maths unit 2 - foundation, intermediate and higher

Wednesday 10 June

• AQA maths paper 3 - foundation and higher
• Edexcel maths paper 3 - foundation and higher
• OCR maths paper 3 - foundation
• OCR maths paper 6 - higher
• WJEC maths unit 2 - foundation, intermediate and higher

When are the GCSE English language exams 2026?

GCSE English language exams will take place on Thursday 7 May, Thursday 21 May and Friday 5 June:

Thursday 7 May

• CCEA English language unit 1

Thursday 21 May

• Edexcel English language paper 1
• AQA English language paper 1
• OCR English language paper 1
• CCEA English language unit 4
• WJEC English language unit 1
• Eduqas English language 1

Friday 5 June

• Edexcel English language paper 2
• AQA English language paper 2
• OCR English language paper 2
• WJEC English language unit 2
• Eduqas English language 2

When are the GCSE English literature exams 2026?

GCSE English literature exams will take place on Monday 11 May, Tuesday 19 May and Thursday 28 May:

Monday 11 May

• Edexcel English literature paper 1
• AQA English literature paper 1
• OCR English literature paper 1
• CCEA English literature unit 1
• WJEC English literature unit 1
• Eduqas English literature paper 1

Tuesday 19 May

• Edexcel English literature paper 2
• AQA English literature paper 2
• OCR English literature paper 2
• WJEC English literature unit 2
• Eduqas English literature paper 2

Thursday 28 May

• CCEA English literature unit 2

When are the GCSE science exams 2026?

Biology

GCSE biology exams will take place on Tuesday 12 May and Monday 8 June:

Tuesday 12 May

• Edexcel biology paper 1
• AQA biology paper 1
• OCR biology paper 1
• CCEA biology unit 1
• WJEC biology unit 2

Monday 8 June

• Edexcel biology paper 2
• AQA biology paper 2
• OCR biology paper 2
• CCEA biology unit 2
• WJEC biology unit 1

Chemistry

GCSE chemistry exams will take place on Monday 18 May and Friday 12 June:

Monday 18 May

• Edexcel chemistry paper 1
• AQA chemistry paper 1
• OCR chemistry paper 1
• WJEC chemistry unit 2
• CCEA chemistry unit 1

Friday 12 June

• Edexcel chemistry paper 2
• AQA chemistry paper 2
• OCR chemistry paper 2
• WJEC chemistry unit 1
• CCEA chemistry unit 2

Physics

Physics GCSE exams will take place on Friday 22 May, Tuesday 2 June and Monday 15 June:

Friday 22 May

• CCEA physics unit 1

Tuesday 2 June

• Edexcel physics paper 1
• AQA physics paper 1
• OCR physics papers 1 and 3

Monday 15 June

• Edexcel physics paper 2
• AQA physics paper 2
• OCR physics paper 2 and 4
• CCEA physics unit 2
• WJEC physics unit 1

Will GCSE students get equation sheets for exams?

Students taking exams in 2026 and 2027 will not be expected to recall all the formulae and equations that students were expected to recall before Covid in GCSE mathematics, physics and combined science.

Ofqual plans to continue requiring exam boards to provide support materials for exams in 2026 and 2027, as happened in previous years since the pandemic.

What happens if a student misses an exam due to illness?

If a student misses an exam because they are unwell, then paperwork needs to be completed to ensure that they still receive a grade. The student should provide the school with sufficient evidence of the illness.

A grade will then be calculated using either the marks from the other papers taken or their non-exam components (if applicable).

If a student misses an exam due to misreading the timetable, they will receive no marks for that paper.

What adjustments can be made for students with disabilities?

Exam boards can make a range of “reasonable adjustments” to assessments if a student has a disability. These include adjusted papers, access to software or additional time.

Schools and colleges should apply to exam boards for reasonable adjustments.

Find more information on reasonable adjustments for exams.

When are the mock GCSE exams?

It is up to individual schools to decide when they run their mock GCSE exams, but many run them at the end of the autumn term or at the beginning of the spring term.

The Department for Education asks schools to ensure that students sit mock exams and that the papers are retained. This helps to mitigate against any disruption during the summer exam period and allows an alternative way of awarding grades.

When are GCSE resits?

Students who don’t obtain at least a grade 4 (a “standard pass”) in either maths or English will need to resit.

Resits generally happen in the November following the summer’s exams, with the deadline for entry in October.

However, in November 2025, the government’s review of curriculum and assessment recommended changing the current “inflexible approach” to compulsory GCSE resits in maths and English.

How can schools help students with GCSE revision?

Looking for revision guidance you can trust? Tes columnist Mark Enser shares his top revision techniques for students.

You can also find revision strategies, research and best practice on our dedicated revision hub.

Or find a range of GCSE revision resources here.

Will GCSE exams go digital soon?

The major exam boards AQA, OCR and Pearson Edexcel have all previously announced plans to introduce on-screen GCSE exams - but all three have delayed their proposals.

Colin Hughes, chief executive of AQA, said digital exams may not be ready until 2028, and not for a major subject until at least 2035 - five years later than originally planned.

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