The delivery of thousands of GCSE and A-level results could be impacted as workers at exam board AQA prepare for a 72-hour strike.

The walkout was announced by Unison over pay, with the union saying staff are struggling to make ends meet because of successive below-inflation pay awards.

The employees, including those involved in organising the awarding of grades, will walk out for three days from Friday 29 July to Sunday 31 July – with warnings that industrial action could escalate unless talks are reopened.

This year, GCSE students will get their results on Thursday 25 August, while A-Level results will be released on Thursday 18 August.

Currently there are four exam boards: AQA, OCR, Pearson and WJEC Edugas.

While results can be mailed to students or available on email, most students collect their results in person.

Many of the 180 staff affected say they’re struggling following successive below-inflation pay awards. The AQA workers involved in the dispute work in England.

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Staff were given an increase of 0.6% last year, with 3% offered this year, which Unison said is a real-terms pay cut.

Unison official Lizanne Devonport said the workers have been left with “no other option” but to strike.

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GCSE and A-level examiners have been asked to be more generous this year, with advanced information released to help students with assessments.

The decision to publish details of topics that appeared was taken to mitigate the pandemic’s impact on education.

Last year, A-Level students received more A and A* grades than ever before after A-level, AS-level and GSCE exams exams were cancelled for a second time due to the pandemic.

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