GCE A/L results: how to check, re-correction and what next
A guide to the days after the G.C.E.
Status
2026 A/L results: not yet released
No release date had been announced as of 12 October 2026. On 10 August 2026 the Commissioner General of Examinations said measures would be taken to release the results before the end of this year. That is a target, not a date. Practical tests for the 2026 examination are scheduled between 24 September and 21 October 2026, according to the Department's notice of 16 September 2026 as reproduced on guruwaraya.lk.
Key facts
- Where to check
- The official channels are doenets.lk and results.exams.gov.lk, using the index number (reports say re-scrutinised results also open with the NIC). The Department's hotline for result queries is 1911.
- Re-correction
- In the last three sittings the online re-correction window opened 5 to 6 days after the results and closed 14 to 16 days after it opened. The 2024 sitting's portal was reopened for a few days at the end of May 2025. The Department's notice for each year sets the real dates.
- University minimum
- At least an S in all three approved subjects in one sitting, within three attempts, and at least 30 percent in the Common General Paper. Meeting it makes a candidate eligible to apply, not selected.
- Cut-offs come later
- The UGC published its cut-offs 112 to 123 days after the results in the last three cycles (the latest PDF file was created on 31 July 2026 and was first reported on 1 August).
- Which exam is which
- The Department names an examination by the year it belongs to. The results released in March 2026 are for the 2025 examination; the 2026 examination was held in 2026.
Where and how to check
- On the web
- The two official channels are doenets.lk (Department of Examinations) (results are under its results section) and Examination Results (results.exams.gov.lk). Both ask for the index number; news reports say the re-scrutinised results can also be opened with the NIC. The Department's online services portal, onlineexams.gov.lk, has also been named as a place to download result sheets by NIC (The Morning, 28 April 2025).
- By SMS
- The official results page says the same service is available through GovSMS: type "exam" followed by the exam code and the index number, and send it to 1919. The page gives no exam code for the A/L, so read the instruction there on the day. Older articles describe other SMS routes; follow the official page.
- Questions about a result
- The Department's hotline for result queries is 1911.
- When
- The last three sets of results were reported at about 3:51 pm (31 May 2024), 6:55 pm (26 April 2025) and late in the evening (31 March 2026). Past gaps after the last paper were about 120 days (2023 sitting, counted from the Agricultural Science papers rescheduled to 1 February 2024), about 116 days (2024 sitting, whose last papers were rescheduled to 31 December 2024 after weather postponements) and 70 days (2025 sitting, whose remaining papers, postponed by Cyclone Ditwah, ran from 12 to 20 January 2026). That is history, not a forecast for 2026.
Reports for the last-paper dates: Newswire, 17 Jan 2024: Agriculture Science papers on 1 February, Daily Mirror, 29 Nov 2024: papers moved to 21 to 31 December, Newsfirst, 4 Dec 2024: missed subjects on 21 to 31 December, Newsfirst, 12 Jan 2026: postponed papers resume, until 20 January, Ada Derana: postponed papers 12 to 20 January 2026.
This page does not look up results, has no field for an index number, and does not name candidates or list top rankers. Individual results are for the candidate, on the official channels above.
Reading your result
Each subject carries a grade, and the UGC's minimum for university entry is expressed in them: at least an S in all three approved subjects in one sitting, within a maximum of three attempts, plus at least 30 percent in the Common General Paper. Check those three things first.
We do not list what else appears on the result sheet, such as ranks or a Z-score. The reports we found disagree and no Department page describes the sheet, so read the sheet you receive, and call 1911 if something is unclear.
Some results are withheld; 111 were in the 2025 sitting. The Department's published statistics leave withheld results out and use the figures from before re-scrutiny. A re-scrutiny can change a result, and the UGC publishes its cut-offs after re-scrutiny.
Re-correction: how the window has run
Re-correction is also called re-scrutiny. Applications are made online through the Department of Examinations online services (onlineexams.gov.lk); news reports give its entry point as onlineexams.gov.lk/eic. The table shows the last three sittings. Do not read it as a promise: the Department announces the dates each time, and for 2026 it has announced nothing.
| Sitting | Results released | Applications | Opened after results | Closed after opening | Re-correction results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 (2026) | 31 March 2026 | 6 to 22 April 2026 | 6 days | 16 days | About 5 July 2026 |
| 2024 | 26 April 2025 | 2 to 16 May 2025 (one outlet) | 6 days | 14 days | 7 August 2025 |
| 2023 (2024) | 31 May 2024 | 5 to 19 June 2024 | 5 days | 14 days | 3 September 2024 |
The 2025 sitting's window is reported by three outlets and the 2023 window by two. The 2024 window rests on one outlet (The Morning, in two articles). The table counts only each first window: the portal for the 2024 sitting was reopened for 28 to 30 May 2025, according to Ada Derana and The Morning. Re-correction results arrived 95 to 103 days after the original results.
2025 (2026) sitting: Newswire: results, 31 Mar 2026, Newsfirst: results and window, 1 Apr 2026, Sunday Times: window, 5 Apr 2026, Newswire: re-scrutiny results, 5 Jul 2026, Daily Mirror: re-scrutiny results, 5 Jul 2026, UGC notice 2026 (PDF), UGC cut-offs 2025/26 (PDF file created 31 Jul 2026), Newsfirst: cut-offs released, 1 Aug 2026, Hiru News: cut-offs released, 1 Aug 2026.
2024 sitting: Newsfirst: results, 26 Apr 2025, The Morning: re-correction window, 28 Apr 2025, The Morning: re-correction window, 29 Apr 2025, Ada Derana: window extended, 26 May 2025, The Morning: portal reopened 28 to 30 May, 28 May 2025, Hiru News: re-scrutiny results, 7 Aug 2025, Ada Derana: re-scrutiny results, 7 Aug 2025, UGC notice 2024/25 (PDF), UGC cut-offs 2024/25 (PDF).
2023 (2024) sitting: Newswire: results, 31 May 2024, Ada Derana: re-scrutiny application window, 2024, The Morning: re-scrutiny application window, 6 Jun 2024, Daily Mirror: re-scrutiny results, 4 Sep 2024, The Morning: re-scrutiny results, 4 Sep 2024, UGC notice 2024 (PDF), UGC cut-offs 2023/24 (PDF).
The first 24 hours
Use the official sites only
Open your result on doenets.lk or results.exams.gov.lk, the two official results websites. This page never asks for your index number. Enter it only on official government sites and the official channels listed on this page, and nowhere else.
Read the SMS instruction on the day
The official results page describes a GovSMS service on 1919: type the exam code and the index number and send it to 1919. It gives no exam code for the A/L, and older articles describe other SMS routes, so follow the instruction printed on that page when the results are out.
Check the university minimum
The UGC asks for at least an S in all three approved subjects in one sitting, within a maximum of three attempts, and at least 30 percent in the Common General Paper. Read each subject grade against that before anything else.
Keep your index number and NIC to hand
The official result sites ask for the index number, and reports say the re-scrutinised results also open with the NIC. The national identity card number is mandatory on the UGC application. For re-correction, read the Department's notice for what it asks you to provide.
If something looks wrong, call 1911
The Department's hotline for result queries is 1911.
Decide about re-correction after you have the result
In the last three sittings the window opened 5 to 6 days after the results. The Department's notice for 2026 sets the real dates. Applications are made online on the Department's online services portal, onlineexams.gov.lk.
Do not post or send your result sheet or index number
The index number is what unlocks a result. Keep it off social media and away from sites that promise early or easy results.
Do not judge your chances from last year's cut-offs yet
The UGC says a candidate cannot predict a course before the cut-offs are released, and advises applying to as many eligible courses as possible regardless of last year's cut-off.
Watch for the UGC notice
The Commissioner General tells candidates whether they satisfy the minimum requirements, and the UGC then takes applications. In the last three cycles they opened 13 to 28 days after the results and closed 21 days after they opened.
Statistics
2026 results: awaiting
Candidates, qualified, share qualified, withheld and the split by stream appear here after the Department of Examinations releases them. Nothing is estimated in the meantime.
Earlier sittings
Only figures we could confirm from the Department's own report (read through a mirror on slexams.lk, because the Department's copy was unreachable) or from several news reports that agree. Sittings are labelled as the sources write them: the Department's report uses the plain year, and news reports add the later calendar year in brackets for some sittings. "Sat" is the Department's count of candidates who sat the three core subjects, and "qualified" is its count of those who passed in three subjects, the number reported as qualifying for university admission. The UGC's further 30 percent condition on the Common General Paper is applied at registration and is not in these counts. All figures are before re-scrutiny.
| Sitting | Sat | Qualified | Share qualified | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 (2026) | 281,810 | 176,527 | 62.64% | News reports |
| 2024 | 274,361 | 177,588 | 64.73% | Department report |
| 2023 (2024) | 269,613 | 173,444 | 64.33% | Department report |
| 2022 | 263,933 | 166,938 | 63.25% | Department report |
| 2021 | 272,682 | 171,497 | 62.89% | Department report |
2025 (2026) sitting: Newswire, 31 Mar 2026, Newsfirst, 1 Apr 2026, Sunday Times, 5 Apr 2026.
2024 sitting: Department of Examinations, Performance of Candidates A/L 2024 (mirror on slexams.lk), Sunday Times, 4 May 2025.
2023 (2024) sitting: Department of Examinations, Performance of Candidates A/L 2024 (mirror on slexams.lk), Newswire, 31 May 2024.
2022 sitting: Department of Examinations, Performance of Candidates A/L 2024 (mirror on slexams.lk).
2021 sitting: Department of Examinations, Performance of Candidates A/L 2024 (mirror on slexams.lk).
Withheld results: 111 in the 2025 (2026) sitting (68 school candidates and 43 private candidates), per the news reports above. The Department leaves withheld results out of its statistics.
By stream, 2024 sitting
| Stream | Sat | Qualified | Share qualified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bio Science | 52,867 | 31,094 | 58.82% |
| Physical Science | 35,722 | 22,512 | 63.02% |
| Commerce | 56,691 | 39,463 | 69.61% |
| Arts | 93,897 | 61,226 | 65.21% |
| Engineering Technology | 19,367 | 13,191 | 68.11% |
| Biosystems Technology | 8,447 | 6,282 | 74.37% |
| No stream | 7,370 | 3,820 | 51.83% |
From the Department's Performance of Candidates report for 2024. We did not obtain stream tables for other sittings, so there is no by-stream trend here.
What next: the steps to a university place
Qualify
At least an S in all three approved subjects in one sitting, within three attempts, and 30 percent in the Common General Paper. A candidate below 30 percent can still be selected on Z-score but cannot register until reaching 30 percent in a later attempt within the three allowed.
Apply to the UGC online
The online application is compulsory. A printed copy must then go by registered post, with no hand delivery, and the NIC is mandatory. The last three windows opened on 14 June 2024, 9 May 2025 and 28 April 2026 and closed on 5 July 2024, 30 May 2025 and 19 May 2026, each 21 days after it opened.
List every course you would accept
Only the Uni-Codes you list are considered. The order of preference can be changed within two weeks of the closing date, online and then by a printed copy sent by registered post.
Wait for the cut-offs
The UGC publishes the minimum Z-score for each course in each district after re-scrutiny, on its website and in newspapers. A candidate who wants a different course can appeal, using the form at the end of the handbook with evidence of payment. The two handbook editions we read differ: the 2025/26 FAQ says within three weeks of the cut-offs being released and names no amount, while the 2024/25 handbook (Section 4.4) said within four weeks and a payment of Rs. 500 per appeal. Confirm the period and the amount in the current handbook before paying. Separately, registering as a student after receiving the letter of selection carries a Rs. 50 fee.
Tests and registration
Some courses need a practical or aptitude test run by the university; passing it is not enough without the required Z-score. Registration at a state university can be done only once.
How the UGC steps fell in the last three cycles
| Sitting | UGC applications | Opened after results | Closed after opening | Cut-offs published | After results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 (2026) | 28 April to 19 May 2026 | 28 days | 21 days | About 31 July 2026 (first reported 1 August 2026) | 122 to 123 days |
| 2024 | 9 to 30 May 2025 | 13 days | 21 days | 25 August 2025 | 121 days |
| 2023 (2024) | 14 June to 5 July 2024 | 14 days | 21 days | 20 September 2024 | 112 days |
In each of these cycles the UGC application window closed before the re-correction results were out. The UGC has not announced the 2026 sitting's dates, and third-party guesses for them are guesses.
University cut-off marks, 2025/2026, by course and districtUGC handbook index (page titled 2023/2024)UGC admission notice 2026 (PDF)UGC handbook, Section 8 (FAQ)Younger child? Grade 6 school cut-off marks (302 schools)
About this page
A guide to the days after the G.C.E. Advanced Level results: where to check them (the official sites only), how the re-correction window has worked in past years with dates, what a Z-score is, and what the University Grants Commission asks for next. This page never looks up a result and never asks for an index number.
Z-scores and university selection
Selection to a state university uses a Z-score, not raw marks. According to the UGC Handbook 2024/25 (Section 1.3), the Z-score is a statistical calculation made by the Department of Examinations and given to the UGC, and it is based on three things: the candidate's raw mark, the mean of that subject for that year, and the standard deviation of that subject for that year. The 2025/26 handbook's Section 1 was not available to us, so check the current edition.
The UGC then calculates the cut-off marks, the minimum Z-score selected for each course in each district (Handbook 2024/25, Section 1.4). The UGC's cut-off PDFs say they are issued after re-scrutiny, and the 2025/26 handbook FAQ (question 9) says they are published on the UGC website, in newspapers and through the UGC Public Relations Office.
How places are allocated differs between subject streams (Handbook 2024/25, Section 1.1). For courses outside the Arts list, up to 40 percent of the places on a course are selected on all-island merit by Z-score, up to 55 percent are allocated to the 25 districts in proportion to population, and the remaining 5 percent go to students of 16 educationally disadvantaged districts. For the Arts courses the handbook lists, all-island merit is the main criterion and the district basis is not used, except for six categories (Music, Dance, Drama and Theatre, Visual Arts, Visual and Technological Arts, and Art and Design), which are selected on the district quota. A candidate's district is the district of the school attended for at least one year in the three years before the examination; if the candidate was enrolled in more than one school in that period, it is the school attended for the most days (2025/26 handbook FAQ 15 to 18). Permanent residence is the fallback, with documents required.
This page has no Z-score calculator. A Z-score needs the mean and standard deviation of each subject for the year, and we have not found those published. The site's A/L Z-score calculator therefore only estimates one from figures you enter and labels it as an estimate; with your official Z-score it shows the 2025/2026 courses it reaches in your district.
Common misunderstandings
Three S passes means a place
No. Three S passes in one sitting plus 30 percent in the Common General Paper only makes a candidate eligible to apply. Selection then depends on Z-score, district, preferences and the places available.
Last year's cut-off tells me if I will get in
The UGC handbook says a candidate cannot predict a course before the cut-offs are released, and advises applying to as many eligible courses as possible regardless of last year's cut-off, because cut-offs vary with performance and places.
I will be moved to the next course
The UGC considers a candidate only for the Uni-Codes listed on the application. A course left off the list is not considered, however high the Z-score.
A student's district is where they live
It is the district of the school attended for at least one year in the three years before the examination, or the school attended for the most days if there was more than one. Residence is the fallback.
Private candidates apply like everyone else
Private candidates must send the original school-leaving certificate or the application is rejected.
Cut-offs arrive with the results
In the last three cycles the cut-offs came 112, 121 and 122 to 123 days after the results (the latest PDF file was created on 31 July 2026 and was first reported on 1 August).
Frequently asked questions
When will the 2026 A/L results be released?
No date has been announced as of 12 October 2026. On 10 August 2026 the Commissioner General of Examinations said measures would be taken to release the results before the end of this year; that is a target, not a date. Practical tests for the 2026 examination are scheduled between 24 September and 21 October 2026, according to the Department's notice of 16 September 2026 as reproduced by guruwaraya.lk (we could not link the Department's own notice).
Where can I check my A/L results?
On the Department of Examinations websites, doenets.lk and results.exams.gov.lk, with the index number. News reports say the re-scrutinised results can also be opened with the NIC, and The Morning (28 April 2025) named the Department's online services portal, onlineexams.gov.lk/eic, as a place to download result sheets with the NIC. The official results page also describes a GovSMS service on 1919 and says to type the exam code and index number; it gives no code for the A/L, so read the instruction on that page on the day. The Department's hotline for result queries is 1911.
Why do results released in March 2026 belong to the 2025 examination?
The Department names an examination by the year it belongs to, which is not always the calendar year it was held: its results portal lists this one as "G.C.E. (A/L) Examination - 2025 (After Rescrutiny)". The 2023 A/L was held in January 2024 and the 2025 A/L from November 2025 to January 2026. The Department's portal also writes a bracketed later year for some examinations (for example '2025(2026)'), and news reports use the same form for A/L sittings such as 2023 (2024) and 2025 (2026); this page follows the reports for those two sittings. Both forms mean the same examination. The 2026 A/L was held in 2026 and is simply 2026.
What is re-correction, and when does the window open?
Re-correction is also called re-scrutiny. Applications are made online on the Department's online services portal, onlineexams.gov.lk (news reports give the entry point as onlineexams.gov.lk/eic, which now opens the portal's home page). In the last three sittings the window opened 5 to 6 days after the results and closed 14 to 16 days after it opened; the portal for the 2024 sitting was reopened for 28 to 30 May 2025 after that, according to Ada Derana and The Morning. The Department's notice for the 2026 results sets the real dates; do not plan around the pattern.
How much does re-correction cost?
Education blogs reported Rs. 250 per subject for the 2025 sitting. We found no Department notice that confirms it, so confirm the fee on onlineexams.gov.lk.
What do I need to be eligible for university?
The UGC minimum requirement is at least an S grade in all three approved subjects in one sitting, within a maximum of three attempts, and at least 30 percent in the Common General Paper. A candidate below 30 percent in the Common General Paper can still be selected on Z-score but cannot register until reaching 30 percent in a later attempt within the three allowed.
Does qualifying mean I will get a university place?
No. Qualifying makes a candidate eligible to apply. In the 2025 sitting 176,527 candidates qualified. Newsfirst reported on 17 June 2026 that 92,043 students had applied to state universities for 2025/26, a figure it attributed to the UGC, and that 42,937 were expected to be selected. Selection depends on Z-score, district, preferences and places.
What is a Z-score and who calculates it?
A statistical standardisation of a raw mark using the subject's mean and standard deviation for that year. The UGC Handbook 2024/25 (Section 1.3) says the Department of Examinations calculates it and gives it to the UGC, and Section 1.4 says the UGC calculates the cut-offs. The 2025/26 handbook's Section 1 was not available to us.
Can I calculate my Z-score here?
Not exactly. It needs each subject's mean and standard deviation for the year, which we have not found published. The A/L Z-score calculator in the Sri Lanka tools estimates one from figures you supply and says it is an estimate; an official Z-score comes only from the Department of Examinations.
Does the Z-score appear on the result sheet?
We have not been able to confirm this from a Department page, and reports we found disagree, so we do not say. Read the sheet you receive.
When do the UGC applications and cut-offs come?
Not announced for the 2026 sitting. In the last three cycles UGC applications opened 14, 13 and 28 days after the results and closed 21 days after they opened, and the cut-offs were published on 20 September 2024, 25 August 2025 and about 31 July 2026 (the PDF file was created on 31 July and the first reports are from 1 August). A candidate who wants a different course can appeal: the 2025/26 handbook FAQ says within three weeks of the cut-offs being released, while the 2024/25 handbook said four weeks, so confirm the period in the current handbook.
Does this site show individual results or top rankers?
No. Individual results are available to the candidate on the official channels with an index number (or the NIC, for re-scrutinised results). This page offers no lookup, asks for no index number and names no candidates.
Sources & references
- Department of Examinations, Sri Lanka
- Examination Results service and GovSMS instruction (results.exams.gov.lk)
- Department of Examinations online services, where re-scrutiny applications are made (onlineexams.gov.lk)
- Performance of Candidates, G.C.E. (A/L) 2024, Department of Examinations (mirror on slexams.lk, PDF)
- UGC admission notice 2026, English (PDF)
- UGC admission notice 2024/25, English (PDF)
- UGC admission notice 2024, English (PDF)
- UGC Handbook 2025/26, Section 8: frequently asked questions (PDF)
- UGC Handbook 2024/25 (PDF), Section 1: admissions policy, Z-score and cut-offs
- UGC minimum Z-scores 2025/26 (PDF file created 31 Jul 2026)
- UGC minimum Z-scores 2024/25 (PDF, published 25 Aug 2025)
- UGC minimum Z-scores 2023/24 (PDF, published 20 Sep 2024)
- Sri Lanka Mirror, 10 Aug 2026: 2026 A/L results to be released before year end
- Newswire, 6 Oct 2026: 2026 A/L Home Economics practical tests
- guruwaraya.lk: 2026 A/L practical test schedule, reproducing the Department's notice of 16 Sep 2026
- Newswire, 31 Mar 2026: 2025 A/L results released
- Newsfirst, 1 Apr 2026: 62.64 percent qualify, 2025 A/L results
- Sunday Times, 5 Apr 2026: 62 percent qualify in 2025 GCE A/L
- Newswire, 31 May 2024: 2023 A/L results released
- Newsfirst, 26 Apr 2025: 2024 A/L results released
- The Morning, 28 Apr 2025: 2024 A/L results and re-scrutiny
- Hiru News: 2024 A/L re-scrutiny results released
- Daily Mirror, 4 Sep 2024: 2023 A/L re-scrutiny results released
- The Morning, 4 Sep 2024: 2023 A/L re-scrutinized results released
- Ada Derana, 2024: deadline for 2023 A/L re-scrutiny applications (5 to 19 June)
- Ada Derana, 7 Aug 2025: re-scrutinized results of the 2024 A/L released
- Newsfirst, 1 Aug 2026: UGC releases university admission cut-off marks
- Hiru News, 1 Aug 2026: district-wise Z-score cut-off marks released
- Newsfirst, 17 Jun 2026: applicants and expected selections for 2025/26
- The Morning, 6 Jun 2024: 2023 A/L re-scrutiny applications until 19 June
- The Morning, 29 Apr 2025: 2024 A/L results online, re-scrutiny 2 to 16 May
- Ada Derana, 26 May 2025: 2024 A/L re-correction application period extended
- The Morning, 28 May 2025: 2024 A/L re-scrutiny applications reopened until 30 May
- Newswire, 17 Jan 2024: new date for the 2023 A/L Agriculture Science papers
- Daily Mirror, 29 Nov 2024: 2024 A/L papers rescheduled to December
- Newsfirst, 4 Dec 2024: postponed 2024 A/L subjects to be held 21 to 31 December
- Newsfirst, 12 Jan 2026: postponed 2025 A/L subjects resume, until 20 January
- Ada Derana: postponed 2025 A/L exams to be held 12 to 20 January 2026
- Newswire, 5 Jul 2026: 2025 A/L re-scrutiny results released
- Daily Mirror, 5 Jul 2026: 2025 A/L re-examination results released
- Tamilguru: A/L re-correction application 2025/26 (education blog, fee report)
Updated Oct 12, 2026
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