The Student Room Group

Flopped A2 and school won't let me retake.

Hi

I did crap in my A2s this year because I was lazy, did 4 A-levels AND did AS retakes.

This means taking a gap year to retake 4 of my exams (I got a few Ds so retakes will give my grades a much needed boost).

Thing is my school won't let me, they told me to look through clearing. I will look at clearing BUT I'm not making a last minute decision on £27k. I have no idea what I want to do at uni (i got rejected from medicine, I will NOT be applying a second time).

If my school is being serious, then I'll have to consider entering for my exams privately. How do I go about doing that? (I'm on the OLD specification btw).
(edited 7 years ago)
Sorry to hear that your grades were not what you were hoping for. At least you've identified why you didn't do as well as you could have done.

To sit exams privately you'll have to find a exam centre where you can sit at a private candidate. Some colleges (specifically those that aren't attached to high schools) allow this. The exam boards have information on their websites for external candidates, possibly including lists of places where you can sit exams, so I would suggest reading those pages.
Take a gap year, find some employment and resit your exams privately- in a private centre, so you'll enter yourself as an external candidate- if possible get a tutor to mark some of your work and check ur progress- about a hour a week?

Remember this is 27k or more (plus interest) don't settle for mediocrity!!!!! Investment in your future matters. Good luck
Reply 3
Original post by Little Tail Chaser
Sorry to hear that your grades were not what you were hoping for. At least you've identified why you didn't do as well as you could have done.

To sit exams privately you'll have to find a exam centre where you can sit at a private candidate. Some colleges (specifically those that aren't attached to high schools) allow this. The exam boards have information on their websites for external candidates, possibly including lists of places where you can sit exams, so I would suggest reading those pages.


Original post by lulucoco98
Take a gap year, find some employment and resit your exams privately- in a private centre, so you'll enter yourself as an external candidate- if possible get a tutor to mark some of your work and check ur progress- about a hour a week?

Remember this is 27k or more (plus interest) don't settle for mediocrity!!!!! Investment in your future matters. Good luck


Thank you for the speedy replies!

Last time I checked, old specification A2/AS papers end in summer 2017, has there been any change to that?

Also do you know whether or not universities discriminate against people taking gap years to increase their grades?

--

And yeah I am not settling for some random course on clearing and i definitely will be working through my gap year!
Original post by melanin101
Last time I checked, old specification A2/AS papers end in summer 2017, has there been any change to that?I wouldn't know, sorry.

Also do you know whether or not universities discriminate against people taking gap years to increase their grades?

As long as you can show that you've used your gap year wisely/usefully (which you are), it shouldn't be a problem.
Reply 5
Original post by Little Tail Chaser
I wouldn't know, sorry.


As long as you can show that you've used your gap year wisely/usefully (which you are), it shouldn't be a problem.


Thank you!!!!! I would rep you but I already did. I was in 100% panic mode for a bit haha.
Original post by melanin101
Thank you for the speedy replies!

Last time I checked, old specification A2/AS papers end in summer 2017, has there been any change to that?

Also do you know whether or not universities discriminate against people taking gap years to increase their grades?

--

And yeah I am not settling for some random course on clearing and i definitely will be working through my gap year!


Legacy specs will still run! - call a exam centre and ask !!! No I'm pretty sure it's a positive thing, as during your gap year you will grow in wisdom and intellectual maturity. Many people take gap years to resit- and get into better and amazing unis- you are not at a disadvantage.
Original post by melanin101
Thank you for the speedy replies!

Last time I checked, old specification A2/AS papers end in summer 2017, has there been any change to that?

Also do you know whether or not universities discriminate against people taking gap years to increase their grades?

--

And yeah I am not settling for some random course on clearing and i definitely will be working through my gap year!


Very top unis like UCL, Edinburgh, St Andrews do, but the majority do not, including most RG unis- I got offers from Leeds & Birmingham in my 3rd year of A-Levels. It's worth dropping university admissions an email when you come to do UCAS again.*
Reply 8
Original post by melanin101
Hi

I did crap in my A2s this year because I was lazy, did 4 A-levels AND did AS retakes.

This meant that I ended up with ABCC.

I want to retake the BCC and get it to AAB/ABB. This means taking a gap year to retake 4 of my exams (I got a few Ds and a U so retakes will give my grades a much needed boost).

Thing is my school won't let me, they told me to look through clearing. I will look at clearing BUT I'm not making a last minute decision on £27k. I have no idea what I want to do at uni (i got rejected from medicine, I will NOT be applying a second time).

If my school is being serious, then I'll have to consider entering for my exams privately. How do I go about doing that? (I'm on the OLD specification btw).


Wow you're in the EXACT same position I was in last year. I ended up taking a gap year and sitting retakes at the college I went to as an external student (I only showed up for exams). Just ring up your school/college and ask if you can retake externally; if you can you'll have to pick up a form and return it and pay for the retakes.
Reply 9
Original post by lulucoco98
Legacy specs will still run! - call a exam centre and ask !!! No I'm pretty sure it's a positive thing, as during your gap year you will grow in wisdom and intellectual maturity. Many people take gap years to resit- and get into better and amazing unis- you are not at a disadvantage.

Thank you so much! I will still email every university I intend to apply to (just in case)
Original post by jelly1000
Very top unis like UCL, Edinburgh, St Andrews do, but the majority do not, including most RG unis- I got offers from Leeds & Birmingham in my 3rd year of A-Levels. It's worth dropping university admissions an email when you come to do UCAS again.*

That's what I thought and Imperial College got back to my email (I asked whether they discriminate for biochem) and they replied:

Dear

The Department of Life Sciences does not prejudice applications for re-sits, i.e. you could re-sit and reapply.
Best wishes
Natural Sciences Admissions Registry | Imperial College London


I don't intend on applying there but Imperial is the best non-Oxbridge uni I can think of. I'm not sure about the likes UCL but I will definitely email them on their policies for retakes.

Original post by Ketz31
Wow you're in the EXACT same position I was in last year. I ended up taking a gap year and sitting retakes at the college I went to as an external student (I only showed up for exams). Just ring up your school/college and ask if you can retake externally; if you can you'll have to pick up a form and return it and pay for the retakes.


I will definitely push my school to accept me as an external candidate. 4 exams to retake is nothing compared to the 13 this year! If I take a gap year, I will definitely not make the same mistakes I did this year!

Thank you for the replies guys!
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by melanin101
Thank you so much! I will still email every university I intend to apply to (just in case)

That's what I thought and Imperial College got back to my email (I asked whether they discriminate for biochem) and they replied:



I don't intend on applying there but Imperial is the best non-Oxbridge uni I can think of. I'm not sure about the likes UCL but I will definitely email them on their policies for retakes.



I will definitely push my school to accept me as an external candidate. 4 exams to retake is nothing compared to the 13 this year! If I take a gap year, I will definitely not make the same mistakes I did this year!

Thank you for the replies guys!


interesting, tbf my information is quite old now, a few of us on here emailed universities in 2010 and UCL, St Andrews and Edinburgh were the ones who said yes we do discriminate at the time but that might have changed.
Original post by jelly1000
interesting, tbf my information is quite old now, a few of us on here emailed universities in 2010 and UCL, St Andrews and Edinburgh were the ones who said yes we do discriminate at the time but that might have changed.


Maybe it was just Imperial then? I've just sent an email to UCL so we'll soon see. I'll let you know ^^
Original post by melanin101
Maybe it was just Imperial then? I've just sent an email to UCL so we'll soon see. I'll let you know ^^


thanks, will be interesting to know, best of luck with the year ahead
Reply 13
Original post by melanin101
Hi

I did crap in my A2s this year because I was lazy, did 4 A-levels AND did AS retakes.

This meant that I ended up with ABCC.

I want to retake the BCC and get it to AAB/ABB. This means taking a gap year to retake 4 of my exams (I got a few Ds and a U so retakes will give my grades a much needed boost).

Thing is my school won't let me, they told me to look through clearing. I will look at clearing BUT I'm not making a last minute decision on £27k. I have no idea what I want to do at uni (i got rejected from medicine, I will NOT be applying a second time).

If my school is being serious, then I'll have to consider entering for my exams privately. How do I go about doing that? (I'm on the OLD specification btw).


I'm in the same boat, I will be retaking in my gap year.
Original post by jelly1000
thanks, will be interesting to know, best of luck with the year ahead



Dear ...,
We can consider resit applicants but cannot hold your application over from this year, you will need to reapply to UCAS. The offer would still be AAA.
Best wishes, Hazel Smith

-- Dr Hazel Smith, Faculty Tutor,
Life Sciences, UCL, 74 Huntley St, London WC1E 6BT. Tel: 0207 679 0882/4 (internal 40882/4) E-mail: [email protected]
Original post by melanin101
Dear ...,
We can consider resit applicants but cannot hold your application over from this year, you will need to reapply to UCAS. The offer would still be AAA.
Best wishes, Hazel Smith

-- Dr Hazel Smith, Faculty Tutor,
Life Sciences, UCL, 74 Huntley St, London WC1E 6BT. Tel: 0207 679 0882/4 (internal 40882/4) E-mail: [email protected]


thats positive, best of luck

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