Has anyone got excellent A level grades but bad GCSE grades?

If so, please comment below.
Mention:
-how you revised to achieve those grade
-what your GCSE & a level grades are
-and have you been rejected by Unis due to your 'bad' GCSE grades?

Scroll to see replies

Reply 1

Kevin De Bruyne

Original post by Fatimabibi_

If so, please comment below.
Mention:
-how you revised to achieve those grade
-what your GCSE & a level grades are
-and have you been rejected by Unis due to your 'bad' GCSE grades?

Starter for 10...

I believe that people can change after GCSEs and before A-levels, as long as they make the effort to and are aware how to. They should think about how/what they could improve on and ask around at A-level on tips on how to do well, and then voila, if they work hard enough throughout the year and engage in the material / with teachers then they can do it.

Reply 2

Dnkz7

Original post by citycompusci

got into a top 20 uni with just one b at gcse and the rest c's.

is the uni kent btw, if so, or if not how did you do it. I need help writing my personal statement and I wonder if you could review it with me for compsci

Reply 3

Fatimabibi_

Original post by citycompusci

got into a top 20 uni with just one b at gcse and the rest c's.

That's amazing! What did you get in your A levels?

Reply 4

ImagineCats

I've just got my AS grades but I got amazing GCSEs (4A* 3A 3B- Amazing for me) but really bad AS results- BCD :frown:

Reply 5

imran_

well my gcses were 4bs and 5cs
A level grades were AAC, not excellent but id say an improvement from gcses
A in Maths, iCT and C in Business

Reply 6

nwmyname

Someone in my school did.
A few C and Ds but came out with 4A*s.

Reply 7

Fatimabibi_

Original post by imran_

well my gcses were 4bs and 5cs
A level grades were AAC, not excellent but id say an improvement from gcses
A in Maths, iCT and C in Business

That's a huge improvement! Congratulations!
What did you get in your maths GCSE? And what exam board are you doing your A level maths with?

Reply 8

Fatimabibi_

Original post by nwmyname

Someone in my school did.
A few C and Ds but came out with 4A*s.

Wow!!! What subjects?

Reply 9

imran_

Original post by Fatimabibi_

That's a huge improvement! Congratulations!
What did you get in your maths GCSE? And what exam board are you doing your A level maths with?

got a B at GCSE maths
AS I had a C for A level maths and then retook the entire AS as well as doing a2 and got an A in the end. It was for edexcel :biggrin:

Reply 10

mythical.6

if i'm honest, my revision was a mess. for GCSEs i basically did none and this year i did the same.

my GCSEs were ABBBBCD and AS were ABBC. i've essentially not changed! when i drop the C subject, however, i'm planning to bump the ABB to A*AB (at least) so... something's gotta change lmao

Reply 11

Just a Bloke

Not really atrocious, but pretty bad by Studentroom standards.

Revision: I never worked at school, from year seven all through my a-levels. Quite often actually I'd chose to play-sick and skip altogether.

Grades: As a consequence my A-levels were ABBb, and my GCSE's were comprised of a one A*, two A's, a smattering of B's, and a single C.

Rejections: None. I had decided that the only thing worse than writing school work was having to actually 'work', so I made sure that my personal statement was far more informed and excited than I was.

Outcome: I'm entering my third year of studying (loving) politics at a RG institution, and am actually planning on shooting for a PhD after a couple of years earning money with Teach First. Funny how life works.

Reply 12

NotYaboy

Not Excellent but I got 1A 5Bs 3Cs at GCSE then I got AAB at A level then ended up getting a first in my degree (lower tier russel group)

I got an offer from UCL even with those terrible GCSEs (though i didn't get in it still shows GCSEs are overrated)

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 13

Elastichedgehog

I wouldn't say excellent grades but they're better than my GCSE ones.

A*ABBBBBBC < GCSE
AAAC < A Level

Going to Sheffield University :biggrin:

Reply 14

Fatimabibi_

Original post by Elastichedgehog

I wouldn't say excellent grades but they're better than my GCSE ones.

A*ABBBBBBC < GCSE
AAAC < A Level

Going to Sheffield University :biggrin:

Great A level results!! What subject did you take and what will you be studying in Sheffield

Reply 15

anyone14

I had 2A* 2A's 2B's and 2C's in my GCSE.
I had sciences- bio, chem and phy-in A levels and got my results. I HAVE STRAIGHT D's (AS level)
Now I don't know where to go with them. I dreaded resitting my exams but that seems like the only option if I want to make a better grade in A2.
Can someone give me any advice on this?

Reply 16

Noodlzzz

AAAAAABBBCC at GCSE
A*A*A*a*a at A-level

Reply 17

JoshMacc

I had about CCC in Maths,English and Numeracy. And then Bs in triple science and ten an A in computer science and was told I would never get to university because I would struggle with a levels. Well today just got ABB in my a levels with 2 marks of a A in my politics A level. Never felt so good with my self.

Reply 18

anyone14

Original post by JoshMacc

That's great!! Me on the other hand, 3 D's....that was extremely disappointing for me as I had prepared so well and performed so good in physics and biology but didn't get a good grade. I'm in A2 now but I feel the need to repeat AS to make better grades.

Reply 19

anyone14

I have 3D's (sciences) in my AS level and I'm not sure if these grades would improve to better ones in A2. Can someone give me any sort of advice on what I should do? Because I'm losing all hope.