GCSE Exam Dates 2027: The Full AQA, Edexcel and OCR Timetable
The GCSE exam dates 2027 are now fixed in the JCQ common timetable, which means schools can publish provisional candidate timetables and families can plan around them. The summer 2027 series runs from early-to-mid May to Friday 18 June, with a contingency day on Wednesday 23 June and results on Thursday 19 August.
When are the 2027 GCSE exams?
The summer 2027 GCSE series opens with the formal written exam window in early May and the first main papers on Monday 10 May 2027. The final scheduled paper is Friday 18 June 2027. JCQ has designated Wednesday 23 June 2027 as the contingency day, and results day is Thursday 19 August 2027.
Key dates at a glance
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Written exam window opens | Early May 2027 (schools may schedule papers from 5 May) |
| First main GCSE papers | Monday 10 May 2027 |
| Last scheduled GCSE paper | Friday 18 June 2027 |
| JCQ contingency day | Wednesday 23 June 2027 |
| A Level results day | Thursday 12 August 2027 |
| GCSE results day | Thursday 19 August 2027 |
One caution on the start date: some school timetables list the exam window as opening on 5 May while others give 10 May as the first paper. The two are not in conflict — the window is wider than the first main subject. Your school’s personal candidate timetable is the only document that tells you when your papers are.
Do AQA, Edexcel and OCR share the same dates?
Mostly. JCQ publishes a common timetable so that the same subject is examined in the same slot across AQA, Pearson Edexcel, OCR and WJEC Eduqas. This exists for a practical reason: a student entered for AQA Biology and Edexcel Maths must be able to sit both without a clash.
Where differences appear:
- Less common subjects and some options within a subject can sit outside the common slots.
- Tiered papers (foundation and higher) are usually in the same session, but confirm.
- Non-exam assessment deadlines are board-specific and are not on the JCQ timetable at all.
Download the provisional timetable from your own board — AQA, Pearson Edexcel and OCR all publish them — and then wait for your school’s candidate timetable, which is the version that counts.
Why the contingency day matters more than families realise
Wednesday 23 June 2027 is not a spare day for the exam board. Under JCQ rules, every candidate must be available to sit any exam up to and including the contingency day. It exists so that if a paper is disrupted nationally — a security incident, severe weather, an IT failure — there is a slot to run it.
In practice this means:
- Do not book flights, holidays or family travel before 24 June 2027.
- Do not assume your last paper on, say, 9 June means you are finished.
- Schools are required to tell candidates this in writing; many families still miss it.
How 2027 compares with 2026
The shape of the series is unchanged from the 2026 GCSE exam dates: a May start, a mid-June finish, a late-June contingency day and results in the third week of August. What changes each year is the detail of which subject falls on which day, and that detail is what wrecks revision plans made from last year’s timetable.
Two common planning errors:
- Assuming science papers are spread out. For Combined Science, six papers can land inside a fortnight. Check that block first.
- Ignoring the back half. Students front-load revision for the early May papers and arrive at the mid-June papers under-prepared. Build the plan backwards from 18 June, not forwards from 10 May.
What to do with these dates now
- Get the personal candidate timetable as soon as your school issues it, usually in the spring term.
- Mark the clusters. Find the three-day stretches with two or more papers — those are the weeks that need the most front-loading.
- Count backwards. Work out how many weeks of revision each subject actually gets, then allocate rather than improvise.
- Protect the contingency day. Tell whoever books family travel, in writing.
- Use the mock season. Mocks between now and February are the rehearsal for this timetable — see GCSE mock exams: what to revise first.
Sources and a caveat
Dates here are drawn from the JCQ June 2027 key dates and commentary on the June 2027 timetable, published May 2026, together with provisional board timetables and school-issued timetables for summer 2027. Provisional timetables can change. Your school’s exams officer receives the final version first, and your personal candidate timetable overrides everything on this page.
Primary sources
- JCQ — key dates, June 2027 (PDF)
- JCQ — commentary on the June 2027 timetable (PDF)
- AQA — exam dates and timetables
- OCR — key dates and timetables
- Pearson — exam timetables
Next step: put 18 June and 23 June 2027 in the family calendar today, then build a subject-by-subject revision plan backwards from the last paper rather than forwards from the first.
Frequently asked questions
When do GCSE exams start in 2027? +
The summer 2027 GCSE series is expected to begin in the week commencing 10 May 2027, with the written exam window formally opening in early May. Published school timetables for 2027 give Monday 10 May as the first main paper.
When do GCSE exams finish in 2027? +
The last scheduled GCSE paper in summer 2027 is Friday 18 June 2027, with Wednesday 23 June 2027 held as the JCQ contingency day.
What is the JCQ contingency day for 2027? +
Wednesday 23 June 2027. Every candidate must remain available to sit an exam up to and including that date in case of national or significant local disruption. Do not book travel before it.
When is GCSE results day 2027? +
GCSE results day in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is Thursday 19 August 2027. A Level results day falls the week before.
Do AQA, Edexcel and OCR have the same GCSE exam dates? +
Largely yes. JCQ sets common timetable slots for the main GCSE subjects so that students entered with different boards can sit the same subject on the same day. Minor papers and less common subjects can differ, so always use your personal candidate timetable.
Ready to Excel in Your Studies?
Get personalised help from Tutopiya's expert tutors. Whether it's IGCSE, IB, A-Levels, or any other curriculum — we match you with the perfect tutor and your first session is free.
Book Your Free TrialWritten by
Mahira Kitchil
Project Head of AI Buddy
Mahira Kitchil is Project Head of AI Buddy at Tutopiya, where she works with schools and families across the UK, Malaysia, India and the Gulf. She follows Cambridge, Pearson Edexcel, AQA, OCR and IB announcements as they land in each market, and writes these guides from published syllabuses, board timetables and regulator guidance rather than second-hand summaries.
Related Articles
Edexcel IAL January 2027 in the UAE: Key Dates and a Revision Plan
Edexcel IAL January 2027 for UAE students: the timetable, international start times, how the unitised structure works and a revision plan built for the January window.
Edexcel IAL January 2027 Exams: Key Dates and a 10-Week Revision Plan
Edexcel IAL January 2027: when the series runs, how the unit structure affects your plan, and a 10-week revision schedule built around the January timetable.