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A-Level results day: Didn't do as well as you'd hoped? Advice here - 13 August 2015

Thursday 13th August 2015 A-Level Results Day: Didn't do as well as you hoped?
It's almost A-Level results day and on behalf of TSR, we hope that you all achieve the grades that you are hoping for! We do recognise, however, that there will be a mixture of feelings on the day. If you don't quite achieve the grades that you are aiming for, try not to worry - there are still plenty of options available to you. This thread will aim to give you an idea of what you can do if you're in that situation, hopefully making it easier for you to decide what to do next.

If you would like to have a general chat about A-Level results day, have a look at the A-Level Results Day 2015 Discussion thread. If you have just collected your AS results, a number of common queries have been answered on the AS-Levels: what next after results? thread. When released, you can find grade boundaries for this year's exams on the Grade Boundaries thread. If you feel up to it, there is also a thread where you can post your results for both AS students and A2 students.

If your question is not answered here or you'd like any further information, please feel free to post in this thread.

All the best with results. :biggrin:


I'm an AS student and my results aren't as high as I was hoping!
If you are in this situation, the first thing to realise is that it is not the end of the world. AS Levels currently count towards 50% of your overall A-Level grade so if you work very hard next year, you could make up in your A2 modules to score the grade that you're aiming for. Some common questions have been answered below.

Is it a good idea to bank on the idea that I'll be able to make up at A2?
Many people find the jump between AS and A2 to be just as bad or even worse than the jump between AS and GCSEs. It is therefore important to note that whilst it is perfectly possible to make up in your A2 examinations, it is risky and you will need to be prepared to work extremely hard. In general, if you have missed the grade that you were aiming for by a substantial amount, it is better to consider retaking some AS modules as opposed to relying too heavily on your A2 modules.

I missed the grade required in order to continue studying a subject at A2.
Many Sixth Forms/Colleges will require you to score a certain grade at AS in order for you to continue studying a particular subject at A2. If you are in the position where you did not meet the minimum grade required, the first thing to do is to consider why you feel this was the case:

If it was due to a lack of understanding of the content at AS, you may wish to reconsider whether or not you want to continue with that subject for A2. As stated above, the jump between AS and A2 is quite large and so you could potentially be making life much more difficult for yourself if you do decide to continue to A2.

If you feel that there were other, outside circumstances that prevented you from meeting the subject requirement, you should try to speak to your subject head as soon as possible . If possible, try to speak to him/her before term starts. It may be the case that they will let you continue with that subject at A2. Unfortunately, this is not guaranteed and so you will need to be prepared to convince your subject head to let you continue.

If you feel as though one or more of your papers were marked incorrectly, you could consider getting your paper(s) remarked. There is more information regarding retakes and remarks below.

I am adamant on continuing a subject to A2 but my Sixth Form/College aren't letting me as I didn't meet their requirements.
If you're in this position and feel that it would be in your best interest to continue a particular subject to A2, it would be best to try to contact other institutions with lower entry requirements to see if they'd be willing to take you on. You will need to do this as soon as possible as places may fill quickly.

It is important to also note that your new institution may not teach the same specification (i.e. may have different exam boards for your subjects), so the content of your AS levels may not correspond to the content at A2. If this is the case, you will also need to submit an application to switch exam boards by the 21st October . The application to switch exam boards as well and further information regarding the process can be found here: http://www.jcq.org.uk/exams-office/entries/gce-entry-information-incltransfer-of-credit

I am aiming for an A* overall at A-Level. I didn't score 90% at AS. Should I retake?
To score the A* at A-Level, you need to average at least 80% over the full A-Level and at least 90% over the A2 modules. The exception is for Maths, where you need to average at least 80% over the full A-Level and at least 90% over C3 and C4.

Having a 90% average at AS therefore makes no difference to your chances of scoring an A* overall. Instead, it would be better to concentrate on your A2 levels and aim to average 90%.

I want to retake year 12.
After reflecting upon your results, it may be the case that you wish to retake the whole of year 12. If this is the case for you, you should speak to the Head of Sixth Form/College to see if they will be willing for you to do this. It may also be the case that you'll be allowed to change your subjects completely (although you will still have to declare your other results on UCAS if they have been certificated). Also note that some universities/courses only consider applicants who have completed their A-Levels in 2 years, so you may be limiting your options for the future by studying for them in 3 (or more) years. If you decide to change your A-Levels completely, it won't count as you having spent three years to complete them.

I don't think I want to continue with A-Levels
It may be the case that you no longer want to go into Further Education after receiving your results. It is important not to make this decision rashly, however - if possible, speak to your teachers/careers advisor to see if they have any advice for you. If after discussing your options you are sure that you don't want to continue, you could:

- Seek to pursue a vocational course instead. See here for more information: http://www.cityandguilds.com/qualifications-and-apprenticeships#fil=uk

- Go straight into work. If so, have a look at our Careers and Employment forum: http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/forumdisplay.php?f=8

- Take up an apprenticeship. Have a look at our Apprenticeships forum: http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/content.php?r=14241-Apprenticeships




I'm an A2 student and I missed the offer for my firm/insurance!
If you're an A2 student and you find yourself in the position of having missed your offer, you still have some options available. In some cases, your firm or insurance may let you in even if you have missed your offer. In this case, Track will update to reflect this and you won't need to worry.

If you find that your firm/insurance are unwilling to take you, you will go into clearing. You can find more information on our Clearing page , which includes a 2015 Clearing Directory with details of most Universities in the United Kingdom. If you are in Clearing, you can make life easier for yourself by having:

1) Your previous results slips with all of your modular results.
2) A mobile phone that is fully charged and that has plenty of credit. Or better, use a landline to make outgoing calls and take incoming calls from Universities on your mobile. That way, the line is free.
3) Internet access.
4) The Telegraph paper, which will give you the full list of universities in clearing.

Alternatively, if you've missed your offer by just a few UMS, you could consider getting one or more of your papers remarked (more information below). You will need to let your firm/insurance know that you are getting a paper remarked as soon as possible.

Finally, if you do not want to go through the process of clearing and do not feel that a remark would result in your grade increasing, you may wish to take a gap year. There are several things that you can do in your gap year which include (but are by no means limited to) retaking some exams to boost your grades for a reapplication. There is more information regarding retakes below and you can find more information on gap years in our Gap Year forum.




Remark information
If you feel that one or more of your papers were marked incorrectly and/or you were just a couple of UMS points off the next grade for a particular subject, you may wish to look into getting some papers remarked.

Which post results services are available?
There are various services available for an EAR (enquiry about results) and the availability of some services may differ between exam boards. Click the blue writing below to expand information regarding each service:

EAR Service 1: Clerical Check



EAR Service 2: Post-results review of externally marked components (exams)



Priority EAR Service 2: Post-results review of externally marked components (exams)



EAR service 3: Post-results review of internally assessed/externally moderated coursework



To use any of these services, you will need to speak to your Examinations Officer. If you are a private candidate, you can apply for an EAR directly. You'll need to have a look at your exam board's website for information on how to apply in this case.

I have a university place at stake. Will I be able to get a remark on time?
As explained above, it is vital that you first of all tell your university that you're getting a remark. You will also need to request a priority remark to get the outcome as soon as possible - you will have until the 31st August to inform your university if your grade has changed.

If the result of my remark goes down, can I keep my original result?
Unfortunately not - the outcome of your remark is final, even if it is lower than the original mark.

How likely is it that my mark will change?
It is obviously impossible to give a certain to this as none of us have seen how well you have answered questions on your paper. In general though, subjects in which the marking is less subjective due to the following of a strict markscheme (e.g. Maths) are less likely to have been marked incorrectly and so it is unlikely (but not impossible) for marks to change in these subjects. On the other hand, in subjects where the marking is more subjective (e.g. English), there may be a difference in what one examiner considers A grade material to another examiner. Therefore, it is more likely (but not certain) that marks will change in these subjects.

I had extenuating circumstances at the time of my exam but didn't reveal these to the exam board. Can I reveal them now to get a remark/extra marks/special consideration?
Unfortunately, it is not possible to apply for special consideration once results are out. The deadline to apply was a while ago.

Can I request to see a copy of my paper to help me decide if it's worth getting a remark?
Yes, it is possible to request to see a copy of your paper by speaking to your examinations officer. If, however, you have a university place at stake, it is best not to request a copy of your paper as you will require an urgent remark. It is also important to make sure that you request for a photocopy of your script and not the original . This is because requesting the original will make you ineligible to use an EAR service.

Will I have to pay?
In most cases, you will have to pay for a remark. If your mark goes up, however, you will be refunded the full price. The table below shows prices for each exam board:



I'm still not happy with my result after the EAR. Is there anything else I can do?
You could consider appealing the outcome of the EAR. It is only possible for appeals to go through centres, however, so you'll need to speak to your examinations officer/teacher to get more information regarding this.




Retake information
In order to try to boost their marks, many people decide to retake one or more exams. Now that January exams don't exist for most candidates, the earliest opportunity to retake will be in Summer 2016.

With the A-Level reforms scheduled to go ahead for some subjects next year, will I still be able to retake the current specification?
Yes - there will be an opportunity to retake papers of the current specification next summer.

Will I have to retake the whole subject or can I just retake one paper?
It is possible to just retake one paper as opposed to the whole subject.

The rules for GCSEs, however, are a little bit different - have a look at the GCSE Retake and Remark thread (link coming soon) for more information.

If my retake mark is lower than my original mark, which mark will count?
Your highest mark will be the one that counts so in this case, your original mark will remain.

Would it be better for me to retake a paper as opposed to send it off for a remark?
This entirely depends on your circumstance and the answer will very between different people.

In general, you may wish to to consider retaking if you think any of the following apply to you:

- You have just one module mark that is pulling your overall grade down.
- You feel you had extenuating circumstances affecting your exam performance.
- You feel your paper was marked correctly.
- You think that you will have enough time to revise for your retakes along with your next exams if you have any.

If you feel that one of the following apply to you, you may wish to consider getting a remark instead:

- You have missed the next grade boundary by a few UMS.
- You feel as though your paper was marked incorrectly.

If you are unsure as to which option to pick, it would be best to speak to your teachers for their advice. You could also make a post on this thread to get advice from others.

How do universities see retakes?
For most universities, the odd retake is unlikely to have major issues with you retaking exams. For some competitive courses such as Medicine, however, you may be at a disadvantage if you decide to retake. The best thing for you to do is contact the universities you are interested in applying for and asking them if they're still happy to consider you.

If you want to apply for Medicine, you may wish to have a look at Medical School Resit Policies page. Some of it may be out of date, however, so it'd still be best to check with individual Medical Schools for their policy regarding retakes.

Will I have to pay to retake?
There is usually a charge associated retaking. To find out the price, you'll need to speak to your examinations officer as prices vary between centres.
(edited 8 years ago)

Scroll to see replies

Reply 1
Hi there,

Just wondering if anyone could help me.
My tutor emailed my Firm university and told them about my extenuating circumstances and told them that the exam boards had been informed. They replied saying that they would add this to my file for consideration closer to results day.
They're usually in clearing for this course, so I'm wondering whether they'll be more lenient on my grades, since I don't think I've met the requirements (BBB).
Does anyone know whether my extenuating circumstances will make much difference to the university's decision? I'm afraid that they'll still reject me. Also, do universities usually change their mind if you ring them up on results day and explain, or do they think extenuating circumstances are just an excuse?

Thanks in advance for any help
Reply 2
Original post by Petulia
Hi there,

Just wondering if anyone could help me.
My tutor emailed my Firm university and told them about my extenuating circumstances and told them that the exam boards had been informed. They replied saying that they would add this to my file for consideration closer to results day.
They're usually in clearing for this course, so I'm wondering whether they'll be more lenient on my grades, since I don't think I've met the requirements (BBB).
Does anyone know whether my extenuating circumstances will make much difference to the university's decision? I'm afraid that they'll still reject me. Also, do universities usually change their mind if you ring them up on results day and explain, or do they think extenuating circumstances are just an excuse?

Thanks in advance for any help


Hi.

In sorry to hear that you had extenuating circumstances. :frown: The best answer we can give is that they might be more lenient on your grades - unfortunately, it's impossible for us to say for certain if they will or not.

If on results day it turns out that you have missed your offer and your track still shows your place to be conditional, then it may be worth calling them up to find out what's happening. If your track shows your place to unsuccessful, there's nothing to stop you from trying to call them but sadly, it's unlikely to have any effect as Uni's will have had days to make a decision and they will know about your extenuating circumstances already.

Good luck, and I'll keep my fingers crossed that it all works out for you. :smile:
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by usycool1
Thursday 13th August 2015 A-Level Results Day: Didn't do as well as you hoped?
It's almost A-Level results day and on behalf of TSR, we hope that you all achieve the grades that you are hoping for! We do recognise, however, that there will be a mixture of feelings on the day. If you don't quite achieve the grades that you are aiming for, try not to worry - there are still plenty of options available to you. This thread will aim to give you an idea of what you can do if you're in that situation, hopefully making it easier for you to decide what to do next.



Hi Usycool1,

This is an amazing post - such useful information, you've must have put tons of effort it to put this all together!

Just wanted to add - we have put together a little guide for anyone who decides they want to enter clearing, such as what sort of questions to ask the unis you are looking at, as we thought this could be useful for everyone too. You can find it here.

Best of luck to everyone, we hope your hard work has paid off!

Becky :smile:
Reply 4
Hi I'm an A2 student awaiting my results. Would it be possible to resit any AS units next year (I chose not to resit them this year as I thought the workload would be too large) or would this not be possible due to the A level reforms, thanks!
Reply 5
Original post by FxNOG
Hi I'm an A2 student awaiting my results. Would it be possible to resit any AS units next year (I chose not to resit them this year as I thought the workload would be too large) or would this not be possible due to the A level reforms, thanks!


Yes - have a read of the OP:


With the A-Level reforms scheduled to go ahead for some subjects next year, will I still be able to retake the current specification?
Yes - there will be an opportunity to retake papers of the current specification next summer.
Hey guys, I have a dilemma here.

This is my second time doing Year 12. I did Chem, Physics and Maths. I really wanted to do a 4th subject for my own personal benefit. I considered accounting because my mum's an accountant and she can help me. However, is it really wise doing it as an AS alongside 3 A2s? I am most likely resitting a physics exam or an M1 exam.

Okay second problem. I obviously don't want to fail but if worst comes to worst, I have to leave college which I REALLY don't want to do if I get **** grades. What other options are there? I really want to do aerospace engineering, what are the alternate routes of getting there?

Thanks in advance!
Reply 7
hey everyone,

i just got AEU in photography,biology and chemistry.
it's my a-levels, and i don't know what to do.


is there anyone who through this and what do you think my options are\?


im on a holiday so there isnt much that i can do , so i just e-mailed my mentor...
@usycool1 @PQ
I'd like some advice.
I didn't get in to birmingham (my firm) but have got into my insurance (southampton.) But I would like the chance to go in to clearing for another course for Birmingham. Is it possible to ask Southampton for permission to do so? What reasons would I have to give?
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by Emily.97
@usycool1 @PQ
I'd like some advice.
I didn't get in to birmingham (my firm) but have got into my insurance (southampton.) But I would like the chance to go in to clearing for another course for Birmingham. Is it possible to ask Southampton for permission to do so? What reasons would I have to give?


I answered this on the other thread but for anyone else in this situation

Ring your former firm first - see if they can find you a space. Because you were firm they can speak to you about your options without having to arrange to get into clearing first.
if i got a D/C in economics and was aiming for a B overall would you reccomend i retake? what would i need at a2 to get a B overall?
Reply 11
Original post by scrawlx101
if i got a D/C in economics and was aiming for a B overall would you reccomend i retake? what would i need at a2 to get a B overall?


It's up to you but as A2 modules are a bit harder than AS modules, I'd personally retake an AS module to help bump the grade up. :smile:

In terms of what you need at A2 for a B overall, it depends on your UMS marks. To score a B, you need to score at least 70% over the whole A-Level (in terms of UMS). :smile:
I Didn't quite meet requirements for my firm choice but got in at my insurance. However ucas is not explicitly stating that my firm choice has rejected me
Reply 13
@usycool1 @Nirgilis


Guys i got into my insurance (warwick) missed my grades but unsuccesful for my firm on track.
Spoken to AQA- my grades for FM have not been cashed in correctly, I could get a B and I'm 1 UMS of an A* in maths, shall I ring my firm?
would they take me back?:frown:
Original post by Mitzy09
@usycool1 @Nirgilis


Guys i got into my insurance (warwick) missed my grades but unsuccesful for my firm on track.
Spoken to AQA- my grades for FM have not been cashed in correctly, I could get a B and I'm 1 UMS of an A* in maths, shall I ring my firm?
would they take me back?:frown:


You need to speak to your Exams Officer at school/college QUICKLY. Like, right now and explain the situation.
Reply 15
Original post by utilitycheese
I Didn't quite meet requirements for my firm choice but got in at my insurance. However ucas is not explicitly stating that my firm choice has rejected me


If your ucas stills hows your offer to be conditional, give your university a ring to ask what's happening. :smile:
Reply 16
Original post by Nirgilis
You need to speak to your Exams Officer at school/college QUICKLY. Like, right now and explain the situation.


I rang her, she said she'll ring me back but she hasn't? :'(
Shall I call my uni?
Original post by Mitzy09
I rang her, she said she'll ring me back but she hasn't? :'(
Shall I call my uni?


Don't call your University until you know, fully, what's going on. Your Exams Officer is your number 1 contact right now, so you should ring her again. Chances are she's trying to sort it out for you as we speak :h:
Reply 18
Hi,

I did IAL edexcel.
Got E in Phy, C in Bio, and a U in Chem.
for Chem obviously ill have to retake it all... what about physics? is it advisable to take it all again??
I'm been offered a foundation science course at Leeds (firm) instead of food science, or I could decline that and do the course at cardiff met (insurance) instead - any advice on this?

Was dissappointed with my grades overall - AQA moderated my coursework down by 27ums...

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