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Bad AS results - Will I get offers?

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Original post by Mr boombang
okay so i want to do medicine it was always my dream.... but my as grades were like awful i was literally in tears yesterday.

so i thought of a couple of options that can work for me but i have a few questions can you please help!!!

how does clearing work? because i have awful as grades i dont see the point of applying in october but can i still try for the clearing?!?

or would it be better to retake some modules and improve the grades by the end of my A level and then apply with a gap year?


When you talk about clearing are you talking about clearing for medicine? If so I'd warn against using this as an option as medicine courses are so over subscribed they are pretty much never in clearing.

If you are dead set on medicine and you don't believe you have the As grades you have two main options: spend the next year improving your current grades and getting very good A2 grades (we are talking all A's at least) then take a gap year and apply the following year or apply to uni in a science based course (Biology, biomed, etc) and try and get into graduate medicine. Both are very hard options but are possible. It is sometimes worth looking into other subjects though as although you may think medicine is the only thing you want to do at the moment there are other subject that you may enjoy just as much and have career possibilities that although aren't being a doctor they are still related to being a doctor. A friend of mine was absolutely set on doing medicine this time last year and got pretty decent As grades, applied and got rejected from all four but decided to take up one of the uni's up on their offer of a different course- he is now off to study Biomed and after reading up on the subject and possibilities he's decided he's not really bothered about medicine at all anymore.

In answer to your question though clearing is pretty much the option people have if they miss their firm and insurance because their grades weren't good enough (or if someone decides they want to switch course/ uni) but still want to go to uni that year. If uni's still have places they offer it to these pupils, sometimes on the normal offers but they do sometimes lower them a little. Uni's can only do this though if there is space on the course so won't generally be the very popular courses (e.g. Medicine) and certain universities won't go at all because they either don't have any space or for reputation (Oxbridge). Adjustment may be more what your talking about and is pretty much the same as above but when an individual exceeds their offer and wants to try and go somewhere a bit better. The course vacancies are generally the same as clearing so again certain subjects/ universities won't be on it but it is a much safer option than clearing as you keep your firm offer until (if) you find somewhere else.

Spend some time on the med applicants threads and look at what different people have done in previous years and get to know what uni's ask for in a med applicant. Spend some time talking to teachers/ family/ med students and get their opinion. Think about what you wanna do and what you'll need to do to get there and then what you'll do if you don't achieve them. Best thing to do is work very hard this year and see how you do, defiantly try for med if that's what you want to do but at the same time be realistic.
(edited 10 years ago)
Original post by Mickey2909
I don't personally know if it's true but I was always told that you can only really go up or down one grade from AS to A2—hence why you need a D or else it skews the school's perfomance. I could very well be wrong but, surely, it's a little safer to retake a little?


It'll be my second retake lol
Btw I study at home so barely have study support :unimpressed:

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Original post by figuresk8rstudent
It'll be my second retake lol
Btw I study at home so barely have study support :unimpressed:

Posted from TSR Mobile


Haha, that just means you should know your course all the better if you've been through it twice.
Can't you find some online resources / revision guides to help you with exams? Plus, you have TSR which can be great during exam season.
Original post by ash0210
I got U U in maths and chemistry! And just passed bio even though I was sure I did quite well in that. I don't want to repeat year 12. is it possible for me to resit all AS level modules in bio, maths and chemistry, as well as continue into A2? Please tell me this is possible, I just need to know if anyone has done this before. :frown: I am willing to drown myself in my studies this year. There are three reasons I didn't do well in my AS levels 1) my family moved abroad and I changed from the irish curriculum to british. I had never done GCSE's or even started AS until March of this year. 2) I became more focused on making friends rather than studying, and became lazy. 3) My school has extremely bad teachers, everyone in my class got U's :frown: Please give me advice on what to do!!!


It will depend on your college/ school really and their re-acceptance policy, mine wouldn't let anyone continue a subject with anything lower than a D or with a lot of pleading sometimes an E. If you can talk the college (mention your circumstances from last year) into letting you continue then it is possible but it is going to be extremely hard. I've resat a lot of my modules from As in my A2 and during exam time it was hell and if I'm honest it probably did affect my overall performance as I was doing a lot of exams in a very small amount of time and there just physically wasn't enough time to get a good amount of revision in for each, I worked really hard but ultimately it wasn't great just because there was so much I had to learn/ relearn and there wasn't enough time- A-levels are designed to be done in a year. Plus with no January exams you'd be looking at doing all As and A2 exams in one go, which I really wouldn't recommend. The other option would be just to sit one resist from each As as it will still knock the grade up but won't be as big a work load, though obviously you'll still have the other grade pulling you down.

I mean this in the nicest way possible but there's no point trying to justify your grades to people on a forum, if they had an affect then you should have mentioned them (probably only number 1) to the school's exam department and generally universities/ employers won't take laziness as a good enough excuse for bad grades. If you feel they actually did affect you enough to cause your grades and you feel you can fix them then talk to your college and see how they feel, but be realistic I spent ages last year convincing myself that I'd just been an idiot the first year slacking off (which I had) and that I'd be able to greatly improve my grades but ultimately this wasn't possible- I did work a lot harder but A2 is also a lot harder.

I advice spend a lot of time thinking this over and talking to teachers/ guidance councillors. If you feel you can make it work and you can find a college that will take you go for it but be prepared to work very, very hard. Alternatively there is no shame in retaking the year, it's defiantly annoying but is the better option than wasting another year. Either way it would be worth trying to get into another college if you feel your current one isn't going to help you get the grades you need. From personal experience I've found a lot of colleges/ schools will have pretty bad As results just because students don't realise the jump so try and find out A2 results overall- obviously some schools just aren't very good though. Learn from your mistakes from last year though whatever you do.
Original post by figuresk8rstudent
That's the thing though - I don't want to retake. I'm wanting to work harder (If that's even possible as I have busted my gut in Psychology) on my A2 to boost my overal A Level Grade to be a B! But I don't get how it works UMS points wise :colondollar:


It is sometimes possible to move a D up to a B without resits but it will be a lot of work. You'd probably be looking at getting A's in your A2 exams but this does depend on what your current UMS is. One thing I would say though is that it is a lot easier to score higher on As exams than A2 so they can sometimes be an easier way to pick up some extra marks, but then you are looking at extra work overall and extra exams during what will already be a pretty stressful time. Start your A2 year and see how it goes- talk to your teachers about your options and what you'd need to get to get a B, they should be able to give you a better idea of if resitting any would be a good idea . Biggest thing will be to work out where you went wrong last year and try and resolve it. In terms of UMS you'll (normally) have 50%<60% with a D overall but need 70%<80% for a B overall, so possible without resits but not easy.
Reply 25
Avatar for Jayqwe
Jayqwe
1
Can anyone give me some advice? I got:
Applied ICT-B
Chemistry-B
Economics-C
Maths-D
I want to do economics at uni and apply to ones with ABB requirements, I am going to drop chemistry because I started to dislike it during my first chem exam and came out with a U, then I retook it and got an A in that module somehow, anyway I am going to go into A2 doing Applied ICT, Economics and Maths. I am starting revision for all the modules in Maths for AS retakes tomorrow and can someone pass on some awesome revising tips, as I only revised like two weeks for each subject except for econ and ict but ran out of time a bit for two modules in maths :/ So hopefully I am planning to finish revision for maths by the end of september and start practice papers in October so this time I will actually work hard and with plenty of time left over for an econ retake and A2 modules. I will try to get rid of my bad habits this year and see how that gets me
Reply 26
Avatar for Minerva
Minerva
17
Original post by Tracy Swissroll
What does that mean?

I got
Biology: B
Chemistry: C ( four ums away from a b)
French: C
Maths: E!!! :frown:

as there are no jan exams anymore does this mean that it will be too late?
im thinking of retaking a chem module to get atleast a b,
i wanted to do chemistry at uni but im worried i wont get a place anywhere.
Help!
Even if there were resits in January still, the application deadline is 15 January, so you wouldn't have the results before you applied.

Check out the Wiki for information about the applications process - or look at the UCAS site, where you will find videos as well.

In a nutshell, if you apply in the 13-14 round, you will have to declare the AS results you have, and any plans for resits, together with your planned A levels. Your referee will include predictions as to the A level grades s/he thinks you will end up with. If you research the courses available properly you should be able to identify universities whose entry requirements for chemistry you are likely to be able to meet.
Reply 27
Avatar for Minerva
Minerva
17
Original post by Jayqwe
Can anyone give me some advice? I got:
Applied ICT-B
Chemistry-B
Economics-C
Maths-D
I want to do economics at uni and apply to ones with ABB requirements, I am going to drop chemistry because I started to dislike it during my first chem exam and came out with a U, then I retook it and got an A in that module somehow, anyway I am going to go into A2 doing Applied ICT, Economics and Maths. I am starting revision for all the modules in Maths for AS retakes tomorrow and can someone pass on some awesome revising tips, as I only revised like two weeks for each subject except for econ and ict but ran out of time a bit for two modules in maths :/ So hopefully I am planning to finish revision for maths by the end of september and start practice papers in October so this time I will actually work hard and with plenty of time left over for an econ retake and A2 modules. I will try to get rid of my bad habits this year and see how that gets me
To apply successfully to ABB unis you will need to improve on those grades - as you will be resitting, the unis will want to see what your referee says about your prospects for doing so, and it will need to be convincing. In your shoes I'd apply this year - including some choices with lower entry requirements - but you may find that to get to the places with higher expectations in practice you will need to reapply with your actual grades.

PS - you have realised that you can't resit in January?
Original post by Mickey2909
Haha, that just means you should know your course all the better if you've been through it twice.
Can't you find some online resources / revision guides to help you with exams? Plus, you have TSR which can be great during exam season.


Hey. I found out my grades. In Psychology I got an overall E. English language I got a D. I'm extremely proud and happy with these. I think tonight im going to really assess what I can potentially achieve with the results I have and then really go for it! Any advice on my decision would be appreciated :-)

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Reply 29
Avatar for Minerva
Minerva
17
Original post by figuresk8rstudent
Hey. I found out my grades. In Psychology I got an overall E. English language I got a D. I'm extremely proud and happy with these. I think tonight im going to really assess what I can potentially achieve with the results I have and then really go for it! Any advice on my decision would be appreciated :-)

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I'm not entirely clear what stage you are at? Are these completed A levels?
Original post by figuresk8rstudent
Hey. I found out my grades. In Psychology I got an overall E. English language I got a D. I'm extremely proud and happy with these. I think tonight im going to really assess what I can potentially achieve with the results I have and then really go for it! Any advice on my decision would be appreciated :-)

Posted from TSR Mobile


What kind of course / Uni are you thinking of? Some of them only look at your UCAS points and, if you really work hard at your two subjects—I'm assuming you have two, correct me if I'm wrong—you could achieve a good score for that.
Original post by Mickey2909
What kind of course / Uni are you thinking of? Some of them only look at your UCAS points and, if you really work hard at your two subjects—I'm assuming you have two, correct me if I'm wrong—you could achieve a good score for that.


Hey.

I'm wanting to do a BA in Primary Education ... anywhere that'll have me LOL

I'm doing Religious Studies this year - in one year!

Iget muggled up with the whole UMS / UCAS points - So PSYB1 I got 43 UMS Points; PSYB2 I got 46 UMS Points. Now with regards to UCAS Points and AS Grade E is worth 20 UCAS Points. Now, from my calculations, in Psychology I will only be able to ever achieve is a A Level grade C. I've worked that out by using the UCAS Points and coming to the conclusion for PSYB3 and PSYB4 I would need to get Grade A 's in both (Worth 60 UCAS Points) Add the 60 and the 20 = 80 UCAS Points which in the tariff states C!

Is that correct or am I way off? Any advice would be appreciated
Original post by Minerva
I'm not entirely clear what stage you are at? Are these completed A levels?


No they are my AS Grades :smile:
Reply 33
Avatar for Minerva
Minerva
17
Original post by figuresk8rstudent
Hey.

I'm wanting to do a BA in Primary Education ... anywhere that'll have me LOL

I'm doing Religious Studies this year - in one year!

Iget muggled up with the whole UMS / UCAS points - So PSYB1 I got 43 UMS Points; PSYB2 I got 46 UMS Points. Now with regards to UCAS Points and AS Grade E is worth 20 UCAS Points. Now, from my calculations, in Psychology I will only be able to ever achieve is a A Level grade C. I've worked that out by using the UCAS Points and coming to the conclusion for PSYB3 and PSYB4 I would need to get Grade A 's in both (Worth 60 UCAS Points) Add the 60 and the 20 = 80 UCAS Points which in the tariff states C!

Is that correct or am I way off? Any advice would be appreciated
To achieve a C grade at A level you would need to achieve a minimum of 240/400, of which you already have 89. This leaves you with needing to get at least 151/200 for the remaining modules, in fact slightly less than A grades in both. A C grade at A level is worth 80 UCAS points, as you say.
I think a friend of mine just got into Huddersfield to study Biology with CCE which is what, 200 points, + another a or b at AS which is going to mean about 250-260.
Reply 35
Avatar for dactung93
dactung93
3
Retake any of them as you wish on your A2.
No matter how good your prediction would be, your overall result would be dragged down by low A2 modules.
As I am heard, there would be no January exam anymore so it possibly would be a hard time for you next year. I'd like to suggest you working doubly hard next year to keep pace with your situation.
Reply 36
Avatar for Jayqwe
Jayqwe
1
I am so annoyed at myself, i decided to do a practice paper that i haven't done in c1, c2 and s1 and got AAC and havent revised since april/may time and did badly in the actual ones...

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Reply 37
Avatar for Mollymod
Mollymod
15
Original post by DZhessika11
Ok so my AS results are as follows:
Chemistry - B
English lit/lang - C
Biology - D
Physics - D

I wanted to study biology or biochemistry in uni, but most places ask for 300 UCAS points, including a C or B in biology and chemistry.
I'm planning on dropping physics, and my predicted grade for biology was a B... Something must have gone bad in the exams but I donno.

Either way, I'm now scared that I won't get any offers from any of the universities I want to go to, so does anyone know the chances of me getting an offer with these grades?

You're in a better position than I was last year. I got exactly the same. BCDD except my D's were in Biology and Chemistry. I'm doing Biochemistry this year at University. Biology A-Level is a lot about exam technique which you can pick up with practice and past papers. Take detailed notes and go over them several times throughout the year. Test yourself on topics that you find difficult and correct errors that you spot early. Folder organisation is paramount, and try and do some resits in the units you got lower grades in if possible. You're in good stead with a B in Chemistry, this should make applications to University a little bit easier since you have one good grade in a science. What universities are you looking at? I only got one rejection, and I managed to convince my interviewers that I'm not actually that bad and that I can improve. I did three retakes (2 in Chemistry, 1 in Biology) and ended up with B's in both of them. So pushing a D up to a B will take work but it is very possible. Really, once you master exam technique in Biology, you should be fine. That tiny change in my writing style stopped me getting C's and D's in past papers, and in the real exam I had an A* in one of the units, and a B in the second A2 unit, so don't give up :smile:
Reply 38
Avatar for ash0210
ash0210
Original post by Coconutter
It will depend on your college/ school really and their re-acceptance policy, mine wouldn't let anyone continue a subject with anything lower than a D or with a lot of pleading sometimes an E. If you can talk the college (mention your circumstances from last year) into letting you continue then it is possible but it is going to be extremely hard. I've resat a lot of my modules from As in my A2 and during exam time it was hell and if I'm honest it probably did affect my overall performance as I was doing a lot of exams in a very small amount of time and there just physically wasn't enough time to get a good amount of revision in for each, I worked really hard but ultimately it wasn't great just because there was so much I had to learn/ relearn and there wasn't enough time- A-levels are designed to be done in a year. Plus with no January exams you'd be looking at doing all As and A2 exams in one go, which I really wouldn't recommend. The other option would be just to sit one resist from each As as it will still knock the grade up but won't be as big a work load, though obviously you'll still have the other grade pulling you down.

I mean this in the nicest way possible but there's no point trying to justify your grades to people on a forum, if they had an affect then you should have mentioned them (probably only number 1) to the school's exam department and generally universities/ employers won't take laziness as a good enough excuse for bad grades. If you feel they actually did affect you enough to cause your grades and you feel you can fix them then talk to your college and see how they feel, but be realistic I spent ages last year convincing myself that I'd just been an idiot the first year slacking off (which I had) and that I'd be able to greatly improve my grades but ultimately this wasn't possible- I did work a lot harder but A2 is also a lot harder.

I advice spend a lot of time thinking this over and talking to teachers/ guidance councillors. If you feel you can make it work and you can find a college that will take you go for it but be prepared to work very, very hard. Alternatively there is no shame in retaking the year, it's defiantly annoying but is the better option than wasting another year. Either way it would be worth trying to get into another college if you feel your current one isn't going to help you get the grades you need. From personal experience I've found a lot of colleges/ schools will have pretty bad As results just because students don't realise the jump so try and find out A2 results overall- obviously some schools just aren't very good though. Learn from your mistakes from last year though whatever you do.


Thank you for the advice. What was your end result, like your overall grades?

I considered telling edexcel about this, through my school examination officer, but she thought my circumstances wouldn't change anything. I could have pushed it but at the time I didn't even know AS level grades were important. I thought it was year 13 results that universities looked at. My school failed to tell me this important detail, which I can't forgive them for. Yes, I shouldn't have been lazy, but like I said I had no idea it was this important. I have been accepted in a new, much better college, but I'm afraid they might kick me out after seeing my results...

I'm fully aware that this will be extremely difficult but I really am prepared to work hard and give it my all. In fact I've already started repeating Bio and Chem. I just hope I am able to convince my new college to give me a chance!
Reply 39
Avatar for Alexok
Alexok
8
Original post by DZhessika11
Ok so my AS results are as follows:
Chemistry - B
English lit/lang - C
Biology - D
Physics - D

I wanted to study biology or biochemistry in uni, but most places ask for 300 UCAS points, including a C or B in biology and chemistry.
I'm planning on dropping physics, and my predicted grade for biology was a B... Something must have gone bad in the exams but I donno.

Either way, I'm now scared that I won't get any offers from any of the universities I want to go to, so does anyone know the chances of me getting an offer with these grades?


I got BCD and wanted to study Physics at uni. The D was in maths. I ended up with ABC and could go into clearing and apply to most places. I got into Royal Holloway though. You will get offers from uni's offering BBB places and quite often ABB because i got all of mine which were like that.

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