At this time of year the ‘A’ level exam results are released in England.  These exams are used to allocate University places and are required to enter certain professions.  In this article I give some practical thoughts about how you can use the results to your advantage.  Exam results provide more information about your life and personaility than the mere academic grade suggests.

1. First keep a level head.  Congratulations if you have achieved good grades and are able to follow your chosen career.  Commiseration and reassurance if you have not achieved the required grades – your path through a period of self discovery and growth may ultimately be more rewarding than a direct success.
2. Examine why you have achieved the quoted grades.  Do you think that they correctly state your ability? Self awareness is useful.  The exam result could be signalling that you are better at the subject than you realised.  In this case you should feel more confident.  On the other hand, the result could be unusual. You had a lucky paper.  In this case you should be careful.  Realise that you will have to work on your weak areas to maintain the same standard in the subject in the future. 
3. The results are a signal.  Look carefully at weak exam results.  How much change would have been required to pass the exam?  Consider retaking the exam if the fixes are relatively straightforward. We all have periods in our life were we do not work as hard as we should.  We all have offdays and we all second guess the questions that we should revise and sometimes get caught out. If there are genuine deeper problems, such as a failure to understand the subject, or peer pressure to succeed in a subject that you do not enjoy, cut your losses and do not take the exam again. 
4. The emotional response to the exam results is as much a part of the eductional process as the exams themselves.  Many famous people changed their career direction in response to A level results. At the end of the day persiverence and the ability to overcome obstacles are the most valuable skills possible in adult life.