Exams are almost over, and students across the UK are beginning to look forward to their much-anticipated summer holidays.

But that also means that A Level results day will be upon us before we know it!

The day itself can be almost as confusing as your last physics paper, so we've put together a guide for students (and parents!) on everything you need to know before results are released and you need to sort out your university place.

When are A Level results released?

This year, A Level results are released on Thursday August 18.

You could receive your results by going to pick them up from your school in person, or they may be sent out to you in the post.

Check with your school to find out how you will get them on the day.

What do I do if I don't meet my firm offer?

If you've just missed out on your firm offer, check your UCAS Track online or contact the university direct as they may have already offered you a place anyway.

If you check your UCAS Track and you have been accepted, that's great. If your UCAS Track says conditional, contact the university and check whether you have been accepted.

This may also give you a chance to sell yourself and mention the subjects you have done well in, your extra AS grades and any other information which could help your application progress.

If your UCAS Track says unsuccessful, unfortunately you have not been accepted and should enter Clearing.

What if I don't meet my firm offer, but I do meet the insurance offer?

You don't need to do anything if you have been successful in getting your insurance offer.

Will it be smiles for west London students this year?

What do I do if I've missed my firm offer and my insurance offer, but the university have offered me a place on another course?

If you are unsuccessful in getting either of your choices, but your chosen university has offered you a place on an alternative course, this will show up in your UCAS Track with UCC, meaning Unconditional Changed Course.

You will then have five days to respond to the university and tell them whether you will be accepting the changed course.

What happens if I want to defer my offer?

If you get a place at the university of your choice but decide that you want to defer your offer, you MUST contact the university directly as soon as possible.

If you need some time to decide, you do have until the start date of your course to let the university know that you want to defer your offer.

What is Clearing?

After exploring the other options, you may find that the Clearing system is your best step forward.

Clearing is a service provided by UCAS which allows you to see what courses have places remaining.

On results day, all Clearing vacancies will be available on their search tool , and you'll know you've started the Clearing process as it will tell you or say "you are in Clearing".

You will then search for a course against the subject you are interested in or the university that you want to study at.

Remember to contact the universities directly with your Clearing number and see if they will accept you. You can get a number of informal offers over the phone and then decide which one you want to study.

Desperate to celebrate after your results? Check out our guide on how to blow off some steam in west London!