The exam board Edexcel is to give A-level students at up to 50 schools the chance to find out their results online this summer.
The students will then be able to decide whether or not to go into school and face their friends.
A spokeswoman for Edexcel said the results would be for the 75 per cent of A-level papers marked on screen and would cover the full range of subjects.
“We are also considering making the students’ scripts available online, together with the detailed analysis we have sent in the past only to teachers,” she said. “This would allow students to compare their results with others in their class, across the whole school and across the country.
“The results would come with a health warning, including where to go for advice. We do not want to leave students in isolation.”
The spokeswoman said GCSEs might be included in this summer’s pilot following discussions with schools. Edexcel said 61 per cent of the 160 students aged 16-24 it contacted said they would prefer to receive exam results at home.
A National Union of Teachers spokeswoman said: “Young people support each other in success or failure when they get their results at school. This move could wipe that out.
“If young people were to end up finding out their results in isolation, their families would see the joy, but those who lacked success would not get the same support.”
