You can expect your GCSE Certificate to be sent roughly four months following the completion of your subject tests to the schools or employers you identify. The Joint Council for Qualifications, which oversees the administration of the GCSE exams, requires all test-administrating institutions to hold your certificate for one year following issue. After this point, it can be destroyed, with a record of your certificate maintained for an additional four years.
If you’ve lost your original GCSE certificate, you can request the issuance of a Certifying Statement of Results, or CSoR, through your original exam provider. The JCQ mandates that the CSoR includes a disclaimer that it is not a GCSE certificate. This replacement document, however, will report all information provided on the original certificate and will also include a holographic authenticity seal.