GCSE Results: Didn't do as well as you hoped? Advice here! 25 August 2016

GCSE Results Day - Thursday 25th August 2016 - Didn't do as well as you hoped?

It's that time of year again! GCSE Results Day is almost here, and while the TSR Support Team and Community Team wish everyone the best of luck there will be some of you who are disappointed with your results. But fear not, for all is not lost! Hopefully this thread will provide you with the advice you need to take the next step forwards and how everything works.

While this guide covers the most common questions, feel free to reply on here with individual cases and queries. Members of the Support Team will be around on the day waiting to answer your questions - just post in the GCSE forum and someone will help you out.

Please try to keep other chat to a minimum on this thread, so people can get help quickly. We have a GCSE Results Day discussion thread for this. You should also have a look at our Grade Boundaries thread, where the Grade Boundaries will be updated as the exam boards release them. The Retake and Remark information thread is also available if you're thinking about either of those things.

From myself, the rest of the TSR Support Team and the CT- best of luck in your results! :woo:

What if I didn't get grade C in English/Maths?
The grade C in GCSE Maths and English is important and you'll see it mentioned a lot in requirements- whether for degree courses and university or in job offers. While a lot of these do have a minimum of grade C needed in both of these subjects there are ways to make sure you have it, so don't worry!

Planning on going into Further Education?
If you want to go into FE (A Levels, IB, any other Level 3 Qualifications) and your Sixth Form/College has a C in English and Maths as a requirement, then you need to let them know ASAP. They may accept you anyway and let you retake during your time there to gain the C grade. In some cases, you may be able to go to a GCSE class in a free period, or additional help/classes may be offered.

I don't want to go into Further Education or my Sixth Form/College won't let me retake next year!
In this case, your subject teachers are the ones to talk to. Even if your Sixth Form/College won't let you retake while you study there, your previous school or another may still allow you to do it there. If you don't want to go to Sixth Form/College, it is still strongly recommended that you try to attain this grade C, as it will be useful in your career. While it may be possible to retake these exams by yourself, talk to your teachers and make sure you have a tutor or subject teacher to help you prepare for the exam.

Is there anything else I could try?
If you don't want to retake, you may be able to get your exam remarked. All of the information about this is in the Retake and Remark thread, which I linked above.
What if I didn't get the grades I need to study at my chosen Sixth Form/College?
The first thing you need to do is contact this Sixth Form/College. In some cases, they may even let you study there anyway, without the required grades! However, if they don't, then you still have a lot of options:

- You can retake the whole year to achieve a new set of grades to meet the requirements you need. In this case you need to contact this Sixth Form/College to tell them this. Also make sure that they accept retake grades, as some institutions don't.
- If you feel as though you did better than the grade you got, you can get your paper remarked. Again, check out the thread on this, linked above, for all of the information. You still need to tell your desired Sixth Form/College that you are doing this, just in case you don't get the remark grade until after enrolment day.
- You could look at another Sixth Form/College with lower entry requirements. Your current school's career adviser should be able to help you make decisions about this, so you'll need to talk to them. Contact the Sixth Form/College you are now considering as soon as possible to see if they have any spaces left.
- You could consider something outside of Further Education. There are loads of options with this, that I'll cover at the end.
What if I didn't get the grades I need to study a particular subject at Sixth Form/College?
To continue studying a subject at a higher level (A Level, IB etc), most institutions will ask for at least a grade B in that subject. If you were unable to get this grade, then you need to consider why you couldn't.

If you didn't get the grade you need due to a lack of understanding of the subject, a lack of dedication to it, or a lack of interest, then it might be the case that this isn't the subject for you. You'll have heard about the jump from GCSE to A Level (or other Level 3 qualifications) countless times, and the subjects do get more difficult. If you do take this subject, you may not be prepared for the step up and you won't enjoy the A Level. With the A level reforms it's also going to be much harder to take a subject you aren't dedicated to.

If you feel as though there were other factors affecting your results, then you need to speak to the department head of this subject. You may be able to convince them to consider the circumstances of your results and let you study the subject anyway. Sadly however, there is no guarantee that they will. If you still wish you study this subject, you may wish to look into other Sixth Forms/Colleges that may accept you. The other approach would be to take the subject as an external candidate, or at a different Sixth Form/College to the one you study at normally. If you do decide to become an external candidate, this will be very tough and expensive. You also need to consider the effect that taking another subject will have on the rest of your subjects, and how well you will be able to self teach.

I don't think my grades are good enough for Oxbridge/Medicine/Veterinary/Dentistry!

Oxbridge
There is a higher emphasis on GCSE grades at Oxford than there is at Cambridge, where in the past, your average UMS at AS is much more important . Time will tell how Cambridge change their admissions after the A Level changes, but at the minute we don't know how this will work so keep your eyes peeled for more information from them. There are, however, no set GCSE entry grades at either, but most applicants tend to have multiple A* grades. If you need any further advice on this, then post on these threads:
Are my grades good enough for Oxford?
Are my grades good enough for Cambridge?

Medicine/Veterinary/Dentistry
While a lot of people think that to get into any of these courses, you need at least 8 A*s to stand a chance, this is completely not the case for most universities. Even if you didn't do as well as you hoped in your GCSEs, you still have a chance at getting into these. Have a look at these links and make sure you check with your universities before applying in case any information is out of date:
Medical school GCSE requirements
Dentistry requirements
Veterinary requirements [font="Arial"]

Maybe Further Education isn't for me?
If after your GCSE results, you're having second thoughts about Further Education, or you never wanted to do it in the first place, then don't worry! Here are some other things you might consider:
- You might want to do a vocational course instead
- You could go straight into work
- You can do an apprenticeship

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 1

d.h16548

So happy with my GCSE results

Reply 2

The Learn Ranger

Original post by d.h16548

So happy with my GCSE results

Great

- what did you get?

Reply 3

Falselashflik

Hi I am wondering if you could offer any advice. Long story short, I was a private candidate taking GCSEs. I took Maths (my weakest subject) and iGCSE Biology. I worked very hard and studied everyday. After each exam i came out feeling pleased that i had done a good job and i was satisfied i would pass. I wasn't expecting any A* but yesterday I failed Biology. I failed badly. I passed Maths with a great score but failed Biology. Almost instantly i thought there has to be a mistake.
.
I have contacted the exam centre where i took my GCSEs and asked for a priority remark on my Biology exam as i honestly feel that i did a lot better and someone has made a mistake. Do you think I am just clutching at straws? Or can mistakes like this happen?

Reply 4

The Learn Ranger

Well, mistakes can happen .... but not very often.

It's hard as a private candidate to know exactly how you're getting on and it may be that you misunderstood one or two things or not got the exam technique quite right.

You can only wait for the re-mark ....

Don't be disheartened though - you did really well to teach yourself Maths - not many people could manage that. :smile:

Reply 5

Starlight2000

I just wanted to know whether a controlled assessment could be redone or at least remarked as I came out with a c in bio -something wasn't expecting. Is it worth a remark
I got a:
B in the first exam (b1,2,3)
C in the second exam ( b4,5,6)
C in the controlled assessment

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 6

hantsbenn

Thanks for the advice.

I got 9 GCSE's over with a D in Maths (with only a few marks away from a C) and a C in English (again, only a few marks away from what I need - a B). Since a C in Maths and a B in English is required for what I want to do, is there any chance I'll be accepted?

~Thanks :smile:

Reply 7

Starlight2000

Original post by hantsbenn

You'll definitely have to retake maths but I'm sure you could try and convince your sixth form about English otherwise I would retake that too but that would have to be done privately as you don't meet the criteria for a free retake because you did pass English

Reply 8

usycool1

Original post by Starlight2000

You can retake it, but then I believe you will have to retake the exams again too. It can't be remarked on it's own - the whole cohort's will have to or nobody's.

Reply 9

Starlight2000

Original post by usycool1

You can retake it, but then I believe you will have to retake the exams again too. It can't be remarked on it's own - the whole cohort's will have to or nobody's.