GCSE Exam Dates 2026: Exam Timetables And Key Information

Here’s your guide to the key GCSE 2026 dates. Understanding the key dates and provisional timetables now will help you prepare effectively for another year of examinations.

This comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know about GCSE timetables, deadlines, and essential information for the 2026 exam series.

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We’ve got all the GCSE dates 2026 and we will be reviewing the contents of each of the GCSE maths papers in 2026 and taking a good look at the GCSE results 2026 in August.

Key dates for GCSE exams 2026

In the 2025–26 academic year, GCSE exams run throughout May and June, across all exam boards.

• First exam: Monday 4 May 2026
• Last exam: Friday 26 June 2026
• Results day: Thursday 20 August 2026

Here we look at dates for all major GCSE examinations in England, focusing predominantly on the Edexcel, OCR, and AQA exam boards. Students and teachers can find the latest exam dates and timetables by checking the official exam board websites or school communications.

We start with the dates for the maths exams, as these are the GCSE papers that our GCSE AI maths tutoring programme prepares students for. But, for completeness, we’ve also included dates for English and Science.

Provisional timetables and planning

Understanding and tracking timetables key dates is essential for students, parents and school centres in preparing for exams. Provisional timetables are made available to download on awarding organisations’ websites well in advance of the exam period to allow schools and exam officers time to review and highlight any potential issues, such as timetable clashes or resourcing constraints.

Official documents containing timetables and key dates are provided by exam boards to help centres and candidates stay informed. Provisional timetables key dates are typically released before final versions and provide an opportunity for centres to submit feedback.

In addition to the provisional timetables, other key dates are published by awarding organisations that should be noted throughout the academic year. Key dates include:

• Exam timetable publication: Initial dates made available to support early planning
• Entry deadlines: When candidates must be registered for each exam
• Internal assessment deadlines: Deadlines for coursework or non-exam assessment submissions
• Exam windows: Timeframes during which certain subjects will be examined
• Results day: When students will receive their GCSE grades

Students, parents and teachers should regularly check awarding body websites to stay informed of any changes or updates to the timetable. Staying up to date ensures no key deadline is missed and enables effective revision planning aligned to each subject’s exam date. Further information on exam schedules and procedures can be found in the official documents or on awarding body websites.

Maths GCSE exam dates 2026: summary

Here’s a summary of the timetables key dates your students will sit the three maths papers:

• Thursday, 14 May 2026: First paper for Edexcel, OCR & AQA – Non-Calculator
• Wednesday, 3 June 2026: Second paper for Edexcel, OCR & AQA – Calculator
• Wednesday, 10 June 2026: Third paper Edexcel, OCR & AQA – Calculator

For maths, Eduqas, WJEC (Wales) and CCEA (Northern Ireland) follow the same dates.

Edexcel GCSE 2026 dates

According to the Edexcel Pearson GCSE 2026 examination timetable, the Edexcel Maths Paper 1, Maths Paper 2 and Maths Paper 3 exams will begin on Thursday 14th May 2026.

• Edexcel mathematics paper 1 (Non-Calculator) for both the Foundation Tier and Higher Maths Tier is on Thursday 14th May.
• Edexcel mathematics paper 2 (Calculator) will take place on Wednesday 3rd June for both Foundation Tier and Higher Tier.
• The third and final Edexcel mathematics paper 3 (Calculator) for both Foundation Tier and Higher Tier is on Wednesday 10th June.

All Edexcel maths papers last for one hour and thirty minutes and take place in the morning session. Edexcel also publish formulae and equation sheets for students to access before the exams.

READ MORE: Edexcel Pearson GCSE page

OCR GCSE 2026 dates

The OCR GCSE 2026 exam timetable runs throughout May and June 2026. OCR labels mathematics papers 1, 2, and 3 as Foundation Tier and mathematics papers 4, 5, and 6 as Higher Tier.

• OCR papers 1 and 4 (the first Foundation Tier and the first Higher Tier papers) will take place on Thursday 14th May.
• The second exam for both Foundation and Higher Tiers, OCR papers 2 and 5 will take place on Wednesday 3rd June.
• Students will sit the final paper for both Foundation and Higher, OCR papers 3 and 6 on Wednesday 10th June. 

All OCR maths exams take place in the morning session and are each one hour and thirty minutes long.

READ MORE: OCR GCSE page

AQA GCSE 2026 dates

The AQA 2026 GCSE exam timetable is similar to Edexcel and OCR for the maths exams.

• AQA GCSE maths paper 1 (Non-Calculator) for both Foundation Tier and Higher Tier will take place on the morning of Thursday 14th May, lasting one hour and thirty minutes.
• AQA GCSE maths paper 2 (Calculator) for both Foundation Tier and Higher Tier is set for the morning of Wednesday 3rd June, lasting one hour and thirty minutes.
• AQA GCSE maths paper 3 (Calculator) for both Foundation Tier and Higher Tier will be in the morning on Wednesday 10th June, also lasting one hour and thirty minutes. 

READ MORE: AQA GCSE page

English exam dates 2026

GCSE English literature

• Paper 1 (AQA, CCEA, Edexcel and OCR): Monday 11 May
• Paper 1 (Eduqas and WJEC foundation and higher): Monday 11 May
• Paper 2 (AQA, Edexcel, Eduqas and OCR) : Tuesday 19 May
• WJEC Unit 2 option a and b foundation and higher: Tuesday 19 May
• CCEA Unit 2: Thursday 28 May

GCSE English language

• CCEA Unit 1: Thursday 7 May
• Paper 1 (Edexcel, OCR, AQA, Eduquas): Thursday 21 May
• WJEC Unit 2: Thursday 21 May
• CCEA Unit 4: Thursday 21 May
• Paper 2 (Edexcel, OCR, AQA, Eduquas): Friday 5 June
• WJEC Unit 3: Friday 5 June

Science exam dates 2026

Biology

• Paper 1 (AQA, Edexcel, OCR and CCEA): Tuesday 12 May
• WJEC Unit 2: Tuesday 12 May
• Paper 2: (AQA, Edexcel, OCR and CCEA): Monday 8 June
• WJEC Unit 1: Monday 8 June

Chemistry

• Paper 1 (AQA, Edexcel, OCR): Monday 18 May
• WJEC Unit 2 & CCEA Unit 1: Monday 18 May
• Paper 2 (AQA, Edexcel and OCR): Friday 12 June
• WJEC Unit 1 & CCEA Unit 1: Friday 12 June

Physics

• Paper 1 (AQA, Edexcel and OCR): Tuesday 2 June
• WJEC Unit 2 & CCEA Unit 1: Friday 22 May
• Paper 2 (AQA, Edexcel and OCR): Monday 15 June
• WJEC Unit 1 & CCEA Unit 2: Monday 15 June

(All dates apply to Edexcel, OCR and AQA combined and single science.)

Other subject exam dates

Exam dates for French, German, Spanish, Religious Studies, Computer Science, Design & Technology, PE and others are available on each exam board’s website.

The Joint Council for Qualifications provides more information on key dates, including special consideration requests, contingency days and official result release dates. Access arrangements are adjustments made for students with disabilities or temporary injuries to help them access exams; students should discuss and request access arrangements through their school or exam centre as early as possible.

Support for the GCSE exams in 2026

Third Space Learning’s extensive library of free secondary maths resources supports students with coursework, homework, revision, and preparation for GCSE Maths exams. Our free resources include GCSE maths worksheets, GCSE maths past papers, GCSE maths questions and GCSE maths revision lessons.

One-to-one GCSE maths support with Skye

For students who need targeted support in maths spoken AI tutor, Skye, built by teachers, provides flexible one-to-one practice at scale. Skye supports the same lesson structure as traditional tutoring, but with greater flexibility; sessions can be scheduled every 5 minutes, before, during or after school.

Schools using Skye report improved confidence in pupils and greater consistency in delivery. Skye adapts to individual student responses, scaffolding each session using an I do, we do, you do approach to supporting students’ progress with GCSE maths concepts.

With a fixed cost and no session limits, Skye makes it easier to provide GCSE preparation for every student who needs it, without increasing teacher workload.

Find out more about our GCSE AI maths tutoring programme.

Planning and revision

Use the 2026 GCSE exam dates to help students take control of their revision early and plan effectively throughout the academic year. Knowing the dates in advance allows pupils to:

• Build a clear revision timetable: Students can plan study sessions across the months leading up to exams, helping them manage their time and reduce last-minute cramming. A balanced timetable also allows for regular breaks and revision of challenging topics.
• Manage exam entries and deadlines: It’s essential to keep track of exam entries, ensuring all registration deadlines are met. Private candidates should coordinate with exam centres or institutions to secure their entries and make necessary arrangements for assessments.
• Prepare with effective maths revision strategies: Using resources such as practice questions, past papers, and structured revision lessons can help students deepen their understanding and build confidence ahead of exam day.
• Understand how GCSE grade boundaries work: Awareness of how final grades are calculated, including how individual papers contribute to overall outcomes, helps students prioritise their efforts and avoid unnecessary exam anxiety.
• Maintain health and wellbeing throughout the year: Spacing out revision and managing workload effectively helps reduce stress. Encouraging sleep, physical activity and down-time is important for sustaining performance over time.

Using our GCSE 2025 maths papers analysis is a good place to start when deciding where to focus your lesson planning and revision.

Other key dates

GCSE results day 2026

GCSE results 2026 will be available across all exam boards in the summer on Thursday 20th August 2026.

GCSE appeals

If students are unhappy with their GCSE grade or qualification, there is a chance to appeal. Edexcel appeals, OCR appeals and AQA appeals must be submitted within 30 days of the results.

Appeals must meet specified criteria; often, the head of the test centre or school administration must submit the appeal.

GCSE resits 2026

For those who did not achieve their desired qualifications, GCSE resits are possible during the 2026 GCSE exam season.

Maths and English GCSE resits are sat slightly earlier in November 2026. At the end of the registration period, private candidates must ensure they have selected an appropriate exam centre and fully understand the registration procedures for their qualification to successfully register for resits.

Planning for the GCSE exams

A crucial part of exam preparation is organisation. Students should note the 2026 GCSE exam dates and use this information to create a revision timetable. This should form part of their plan for how to revise for GCSE. 

In the run up to exam season, it’s also worth reminding your students how to revise, specifically how to revise for maths most effectively, what exam techniques they can utilise to make the most of each mark, what they can start reading within or in addition to the specification, and how individual marks can affect the GCSE grade boundaries.

Finally, we remind all students of the importance of maintaining good health and well-being during a year of exam preparation.

We wish all students sitting GCSE exams in 2026 the best of luck!

GCSE exam dates 2026 FAQs