Access to Data - exam results

 
 

As GCSE and A-Level results have been released, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) confirms on its website: “If you’ve just received your exam results, data protection law allows you to ask for information about you and your performance”. Exam results | ICO.

 

However, before schools and sixth forms are inundated with requests for large volumes of information, please be aware, that whilst students have a right to access their personal data about their exam performance, there is no such right to obtain copies of their written answers.

 

 

 

 

There is an express exemption in the Data Protection Act 2018, which seeks to protect the integrity of the examination process.

 

The UK GDPR provides the right to request and receive:

 

  • Your mark
  • Comments written by the examiner
  • Minutes of any examination appeals panels

 

These items are considered personal data because they relate directly to you and your performance.

 

 

For help preparing a data subject access request, responding to an exam board, or advising an organisation on compliance with these rules, KPDP Consultancy can provide expert support grounded in data protection law and ICO guidance.

 

This article is for general information only. It does not constitute legal advice and should not be relied upon as such. If you require further information regarding its content, please contact us at info@kpdpconsultancy.co.uk. Law as of August 2026