A very common question that comes up after exam sessions: someone asks where their certificate is, and what they already have, without realising it, is the Statement of Results. Those are two different documents, released at two different points, and mixing them up is probably the single most frequent source of confusion once a session's results start coming out.
Here's the actual sequence, and what changed recently that's worth knowing about if you're waiting on either document right now.
Stage one: the Statement of Results
This is the document that tells you whether you passed and what grade you got. It arrives digitally, through the candidate's online results account, and it's the fast part of the process. For computer-based exams, this typically shows up somewhere around two to three weeks after the exam date. Paper-based sittings usually take a bit longer, often four to six weeks, since physical scripts need to be collected and distributed to examiners before marking can even begin.
The Statement of Results is the document universities, employers, and most official processes actually accept as proof of your result. If you need to show a score quickly for an application deadline, this is almost always what gets used, not the certificate.
Stage two: the physical certificate
The certificate is a separate, later step. It's a printed document, usually posted to the exam centre for collection or occasionally mailed directly depending on the centre's process, and it takes considerably longer to arrive than the digital results. For computer-based exams, this generally lands somewhere in the four to five week range after the exam date. Paper-based sittings tend to run longer still, often eight to eleven weeks, because the certificate production step happens after marking is fully finalised and verified across the whole session, not just for one candidate.
What to actually use while you wait
If a university or employer needs proof of your level before the physical certificate arrives, the digital Statement of Results is normally accepted on its own. Very few institutions insist on the physical certificate specifically, so there's usually no need to delay an application while waiting for it to arrive in the post.
What actually changed this year
For exams taken from 6 April 2026 onward, Cambridge updated both documents in a couple of specific ways. The Statement of Results now shows the candidate's test day photo, which is mandatory for B2 First, C1 Advanced, and C2 Proficiency specifically, so that institutions checking the result can confirm it belongs to the right person. The wording explaining what a grade A actually means was also revised for clarity, along with some layout adjustments, on both the Statement of Results and the certificate itself. The photo appears only on the Statement of Results, not on the certificate.
This isn't a change that affects timing. It's worth mentioning mainly because candidates who sat exams before that date and candidates sitting them now will notice their documents look slightly different, and that difference is expected rather than a sign something went wrong with their particular result.
About these timeframes
The ranges above are approximate and can shift slightly depending on the specific exam session, the centre, and occasional delays during particularly busy periods of the year. If you need an exact date for your own results or certificate, your exam centre or your online Cambridge results account will have the most accurate information for your specific session.
Does either document expire
No. Both the Statement of Results and the certificate are valid indefinitely once issued. There's no renewal process and no expiry date printed anywhere on either document, which is one of the genuine advantages of a Cambridge qualification over some other language certificates that do require retesting after a fixed number of years. Individual institutions can still set their own policy about how recent a result needs to be for their specific purposes, but that's a decision made on their end, not a limitation of the certificate itself.
If you're waiting on results right now, check your online Cambridge account before assuming nothing has happened yet. The Statement of Results tends to appear there quietly, without much fanfare, well before the physical certificate becomes relevant to anyone but a candidate's own filing cabinet.
Sources
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