22 August 2013 GCSE results: Didn't do as well as you'd hoped? Advice here!

Thursday 22 August GCSE results day - Didn't do as well as you hoped?

GCSE results day is just round the corner and we hope that you each receive the grades that you want! Unfortunately, this won't always be the case for everyone. If you are in this situation and haven't done as well as you hoped, the first thing to realise is that it is not the end of the world. There are still several options available to you. This thread will aim to give you an insight into these options, hopefully allowing you to make an informed decision of what to do next.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to post in this thread.

If you wish to have general discussion about results day, please visit the the GCSE Results Day discussion thread. On results day, you can, if you want to, post your results in the No Discussion thread. When available, grade boundaries will be posted on the Grade Boundaries thread.

Advice regarding A-Level results can be found on the A-Level results: Didn't do as well as you hoped? thread.

Good luck with results!

Help! I didn't score a C grade in English/Maths!
Achieving at least a grade C in GCSE English and GCSE Maths is very important. It is needed to apply for many jobs and is a requirement for most degree courses at university. However, if you haven't achieved at least a C grade in either of these subjects, don't panic - there are still options available.

Firstly, try to contact your desired Sixth Form/college as soon as possible. It may be the case that your Sixth Form/college will allow you to retake these exams alongside studying for your A-Levels/IB/Level 3 qualification. In addition, some colleges may offer additional classes to help you prepare for retaking these GCSEs.

If your college does not offer this or you do not intend to go to college, speak to your current subject teacher to see if they have any advice for you. You may still be able to retake these GCSEs at your previous school or at another college. Another option is to get a remark. This will be discussed in more depth later.

I didn't achieve the necessary grades to go to Sixth Form/college.
It is still possible that your Sixth Form/college will let you in even if you haven't achieved the required grades. The first thing you need to do is contact your desired Sixth Form/college to see if they are still willing to enrol you. If they are, congratulations! If not, read on - you still have various options:

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One option for you is to retake the whole year in order to score the necessary grades to eventually get into your desired Sixth Form/college. However, it is important to make sure that your Sixth Form/college will accept your retake grades.

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If you feel that your papers have been marked incorrectly, another option is for you to get your papers remarked. It is important that you let your desired Sixth Form/college know that you're intending to get your papers remarked as the results for your remark may come after enrolment day.

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Lastly, you could search for another Sixth Form or college which has lower entry requirements. You'll need to contact this Sixth Form/college to see if they still have a place available for you. Your current school's careers advisor will be able to provide you with help for this.

Retakes and Remarks
If you didn't get the grades you expected, you have the option of retaking your paper or getting your paper remarked.

Retake Information
If you feel you didn't perform as well as you could have, you have the option of retaking the paper the following exam season. For most subjects, this will be in June 2014. For some subjects such as Maths, however, you may be given the option to retake in November 2013.

But in previous years I could retake in January?
January exams have now been scrapped. This means that you will no longer be able to retake in January.

How many times can I retake a unit?
If you plan on retaking a unit BEFORE the GCSE has been "cashed in" (i.e. completed so that a certificate can be awarded), you can retake each unit only once .

If, however, you plan on retaking a unit AFTER the GCSE has been "cashed in" then you can have two further attempts at each unit.

If I do worse on my retake, can I keep my original grade?
Before answering this, it is important to explain what is meant by the terminal rule. The terminal rule states that for an overall GCSE grade to be awarded, at least 40% of the GCSE needs to be completed in the same exam season as when the final grade is awarded.

Usually, it is the better of the last two attempts at a unit that will be kept. However, if the last retake attempt is needed to satisfy the terminal rule, then the retake grade will be final even if it's worse than the previous attempt.

Examples provided by OCR can be found here . Please note that although these particular examples come from OCR, the terminal rule applies to all boards.

Can universities see that I retook units? If so, do they care?
If you retake a GCSE unit after the GCSE has been certificated, then you must declare both grades that received on your UCAS application. For example, if you score a D grade in June 2013 which is then cashed in (i.e. certificated) but then retake the following year to score a C grade, both results must be declared. If, however, you retake a unit before the GCSE has been certificated, then universities will not be able to see that you resat any units. For example, if you scored a C grade in a GCSE Maths unit in November 2012, but then resat it in June 2013 to get a B grade and an overall mark, then universities will not be able to see you resat it.

If you plan on applying for a competitive course at university where there are strict GCSE requirements in addition to A-Level requirements, then universities may frown upon retakes. In most cases though, GCSE retakes are not looked upon negatively.

Do I have to pay?
There usually is a small charge you will have to pay. It's best to confirm with your examinations officer how much you need to pay as the price can vary between centres.

Remark information
If you feel your paper was marked incorrectly, you have the option of getting your paper remarked. The deadline for requesting a remark is the 20th September 2013.

If my remark mark is worse than my original mark, can I keep my original mark?
No - the result of the remark is final, even if it's lower than the original mark.

How likely is it that my grade/mark will change?
There's no definitive answer to this, but subjects in which the marking is less subjective due to the following of a strict markscheme (such as in Maths or the sciences) are unlikely to be marked incorrectly. It is therefore unlikely that marks will change in these subjects.

In subjects such as English where the examiner has to make a bit more of a judgement in the marking, there may be a difference in what one examiner considers A grade material in comparison to another examiner. As a result, it is more advisable to request a remark in subjects where the marking is more subjective. Before making a final decision though, do bear in mind that your mark can go down as well as up.

Can I request to see my script to help decide if I want a remark?
For GCSE, it is not possible to see a copy of your script before requesting a remark. You can request access to your original paper (though this would mean that a remark cannot be requested), or to receive a remarked copy of your paper after remark has been completed.

What is a clerical check?
This is simply where an examiner looks through your paper and recounts all the marks that you were awarded, just to ensure that no marks were missed out. It is very rare for marks to change through a clerical check, so it is more advisable to get a remark instead.

Do I have to pay?
Again, there's usually a small charge that you will need to pay for your exams to be remarked. The exact charge can vary between exam boards and different schools. It is best to speak to your examinations officer to confirm how much it will cost you. Also note that if your grade changes, your money will be refunded.

For a guide to post-results fees, have a look at these links (note: you may require a .pdf viewer):

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AQA

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OCR (page 79)

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WJEC

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Edexcel

The table below summarises the price guide for each exam board:

Which option is better for me?
It's hard to give an answer to this as it depends on your circumstance. However, some common situations are described below. It may be a good idea to make a post in this thread asking for other people's opinions on what may be best for you. Better still, you could ask for advice from your subject teacher.

next boundary. I was just a couple of UMS marks short the

external factor I didn&#039;t perform as well could have because understand the content/because of some other

boundary either. I don&#039;t think I&#039;ll have enough time to retake a GCSE alongside my A-Levels. My UMS marks aren&#039;t close the next

I want to study Medicine.

If you're considering studying medicine, you may wish to have a look at the Medicine GCSE Discussion Thread.

I don't want to go into further education.
After reflecting on your GCSE results, it may be the case that you no longer want to go into further education. If this is the case for you, one option for you is to seek a vocational course rather than pursuing A-Levels. For more information, have a look here . Another option for you may be to go straight into work and get an apprenticeship or go into employment. For more information, have a look at our Apprenticeship forum or at our Careers and Employment forum.

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 1

usycool1

OP

19

Original post by algorithm

Firstly, I wanted to know if it's possible to get only certain subjects remarked, or must I get every single subject I took remarked as a whole?

Yeah, that is possible - you don't have to get every subject you took remarked.

So if I get everything remarked (I did 8 subjects in total) it's not likely that the results could get worse, right? Cuz they are high As??

If they are high A's, it is quite unlikely that they will go down.

And is there a fee?

There is - have a look at the OP. Speak to your examinations officer/school to get an idea of the exact fee. Some schools may also pay for you to get your papers remarked.

I know these are good results but I'm really really upset at the fact that I was so close to an A* - could've easily had 4 A*s rather than just one.

It can be very frustrating when you're just a few marks off the next grade :sadnod:

But do remember that an A grade is still fantastic!

Since you're a few marks off, it is unlikely that you're mark will go down so it may be worth considering a remark. However, I suggest you talk to your teachers first to see what they think. :smile:

Reply 2

Causton97

6

Apologies in advance for the long-winded post! :P

Hey guys, my first post here on TSR! I've been lurking around but never really bothered joining the forum until now! To cut a long story short, in February 2012 (roughly halfway through Year 10) I moved schools (better life where I am now, better quality of education etc.) and I should probably add that I was totally aware of the ramifications of doing so. I've caught up just fine, attended after school revision and catch-up sessions etc. and as a result of my hard work, hopefully I'll be coming out with mostly B/A grades (precisely what I was hoping for)! I'll begin my A Level studies at my Sixth Form in September.

Anyway, I have a query about possibly getting a remark done on an exam I did last year. I don't know if it's been cashed in yet (I assume it would've been by now) but I'm hoping I can get it remarked. Basically, I studied Edexcel English Language (for those who don't know, it is a one-year course) and came out with a B grade with an overall score of 238 UMS.

Now, I was quite happy with this final grade, although I was hoping for an A. In my old school I had achieved an A grade in one of the exams that I had done for my English GCSE, but due to having different exam boards (my old school used AQA), I could not carry it over. This is what made me hope I would come out with an A grade overall.

This year, we have been given access to ResultsPlus Direct to check our results online. Now, I'm not someone that looks at the grade boundaries to see how close I came to reaching the next highest grade. I'm quite happy to be done with it and not look back (although I can see how important it is now to check) as I usually feel guilt at not doing better. Only when I check the website, do I realise that I was TWO MARKS away from 240 UMS! I was so close to achieving that A grade that I had wanted so much!

My question is this: am I too late to get it remarked? After all, a year has passed and I've only realised this now. I have a hunch that I'm probably too late.

Oh and it might be worth adding that by quite a strange coincidence, on my AS level English Lang.& Lit. course that I studied a year early, I received an overall C grade with a score of 138 UMS. TWO MARKS from a B grade and a 100 point difference from my English GCSE UMS score. My C grade at AS was what I was targeted at, but I was hoping for a B grade! I think I'll be able to get this remarked considering how recently I completed it though.

Reply 3

usycool1

OP

19

Original post by Causton97

Apologies in advance for the long-winded post! :P

Hey guys, my first post here on TSR! I've been lurking around but never really bothered joining the forum until now! To cut a long story short, in February 2012 (roughly halfway through Year 10) I moved schools (better life where I am now, better quality of education etc.) and I should probably add that I was totally aware of the ramifications of doing so. I've caught up just fine, attended after school revision and catch-up sessions etc. and as a result of my hard work, hopefully I'll be coming out with mostly B/A grades (precisely what I was hoping for)! I'll begin my A Level studies at my Sixth Form in September.

Anyway, I have a query about possibly getting a remark done on an exam I did last year. I don't know if it's been cashed in yet (I assume it would've been by now) but I'm hoping I can get it remarked. Basically, I studied Edexcel English Language (for those who don't know, it is a one-year course) and came out with a B grade with an overall score of 238 UMS.

Now, I was quite happy with this final grade, although I was hoping for an A. In my old school I had achieved an A grade in one of the exams that I had done for my English GCSE, but due to having different exam boards (my old school used AQA), I could not carry it over. This is what made me hope I would come out with an A grade overall.

This year, we have been given access to ResultsPlus Direct to check our results online. Now, I'm not someone that looks at the grade boundaries to see how close I came to reaching the next highest grade. I'm quite happy to be done with it and not look back (although I can see how important it is now to check) as I usually feel guilt at not doing better. Only when I check the website, do I realise that I was TWO MARKS away from 240 UMS! I was so close to achieving that A grade that I had wanted so much!

My question is this: am I too late to get it remarked? After all, a year has passed and I've only realised this now. I have a hunch that I'm probably too late.

Oh and it might be worth adding that by quite a strange coincidence, on my AS level English Lang.& Lit. course that I studied a year early, I received an overall C grade with a score of 138 UMS. TWO MARKS from a B grade and a 100 point difference from my English GCSE UMS score. My C grade at AS was what I was targeted at, but I was hoping for a B grade! I think I'll be able to get this remarked considering how recently I completed it though.

Welcome to TSR :smile:

Unfortunately, it's too late to remark papers from last year. :sadnod:

Reply 4

Causton97

6

Original post by usycool1

Welcome to TSR :smile:

Unfortunately, it's too late to remark papers from last year. :sadnod:

Ah well, guess I'm stuck with my B grade. If only I'd checked sooner! I'll make sure to check boundaries on all my exams this time round!

On the plus side, at least with ResultsPlus Direct I've been able to easily compare my raw marks and UMS to see how close I was to the next grade up! I'll make sure to see if I can get my AS paper remarked ASAP! :biggrin:

Reply 5

VotzAppenin

4

I'm not sure what to do; I want to study medicine at university and so I need to take sciences for A level. I've applied to a grammar school sixth form and I need to get As in my sciences in order to study them at the school. However, I've also applied to another sixth form and I only need to get Bs for my sciences in order to study them at A level at the sixth form. I'm unsure of whether it would be better to study at the grammar school with subjects that I get As in or would it be alright for me to take sciences at the other sixth form even if I get Bs?

Reply 6

Parx

9

Hmm what to do if your uni requires GCSE Maths A but you get B?

Reply 7

Illusionary

19

Original post by Parx

Hmm what to do if your uni requires GCSE Maths A but you get B?

Perhaps consider retakes? You could also contact the university to see whether there' any scope for flexibility on this requirement.

Reply 8

Parx

9

Original post by Illusionary

Perhaps consider retakes? You could also contact the university to see whether there' any scope for flexibility on this requirement.

My college don't fund for retakes. When you say contact is there a best way to contact them? Phone or email or ? I guess phone but just checking.

Reply 9

Illusionary

19

Original post by Parx

My college don't fund for retakes. When you say contact is there a best way to contact them? Phone or email or ? I guess phone but just checking.

There's always the option of self-funding a retake? I'd suggest that a telephone call would be better than an email if contacting the university about this.

Reply 10

JPL9457

10

so unis won't mind if i resat, say two GCSEs, one of which has nothing to do with what i intend to do at uni, and the other is slightly related?

Reply 11

Origami Bullets

19

Original post by JPL9457

so unis won't mind if i resat, say two GCSEs, one of which has nothing to do with what i intend to do at uni, and the other is slightly related?

They won't mind, but unless you need the grades eg you have a C in maths and they want a B then there's usually very little point - it's best to concentrate on your AS grades.

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Reply 12

JPL9457

10

Original post by Origami Bullets

They won't mind, but unless you need the grades eg you have a C in maths and they want a B then there's usually very little point - it's best to concentrate on your AS grades.

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im very very likely to be applying for maths (if not maths, something very mathematical), and i have an A* in it, but i think i am going to get a B in RE, and that doesn't reflect my true ability because, in my test, there were two sections at the end, and you are only supposed to answer one section, and yes, i answered both :banghead:

, meaning i didnt do half the exam i was supposed to do because i did not have time. so thats why i want to resit it, and my teacher was confident that i could get an A*, so i am aiming for that

and chemistry, i think i am going to be a mark or two off an A*

Reply 13

Origami Bullets

19

Original post by JPL9457

im very very likely to be applying for maths (if not maths, something very mathematical), and i have an A* in it, but i think i am going to get a B in RE, and that doesn't reflect my true ability because, in my test, there were two sections at the end, and you are only supposed to answer one section, and yes, i answered both :banghead:

, meaning i didnt do half the exam i was supposed to do because i did not have time. so thats why i want to resit it, and my teacher was confident that i could get an A*, so i am aiming for that

and chemistry, i think i am going to be a mark or two off an A*

Your RE grade is never actually going to impact your life from now on. Chalk it up to experience and move on.

With regards to chemistry, you need to pick up your grades before making any hasty decisions. If it is only a few UMS off then get it remarked, but if not an A is more than a respectable grade.

I promise you, GCSE grades are of really minimal importance when it comes to uni admissions.

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Reply 14

vivavangveing

1

Edexcel RE - overall total 4 marks off an A - really shocked at my second module low b grade. Is it worth remarking?

AQA Maths 4360 - overall total 2 marks off an A - i'm guessing this is unlikely to change due to the way maths is marked, is it worth asking for a remark?

I should add i'm a private candidate.

Thanks! :smile:

Reply 15

Pandora.

15

RE is more subjective, so if it really means that much to you you can get it remarked. Be aware that your result could also go down, though.

Maths marking is usually right, since the examiners follow a clear mark scheme. I din't think it's worth asking for a remark.

I hope the day went well! :smile:

Reply 16

vivavangveing

1

Original post by Pandora.

RE is more subjective, so if it really means that much to you you can get it remarked. Be aware that your result could also go down, though.

Maths marking is usually right, since the examiners follow a clear mark scheme. I din't think it's worth asking for a remark.

I hope the day went well! :smile:

Thanks!

Reply 17

LadyBunion

10

Original post by VotzAppenin

I'm not sure what to do; I want to study medicine at university and so I need to take sciences for A level. I've applied to a grammar school sixth form and I need to get As in my sciences in order to study them at the school. However, I've also applied to another sixth form and I only need to get Bs for my sciences in order to study them at A level at the sixth form. I'm unsure of whether it would be better to study at the grammar school with subjects that I get As in or would it be alright for me to take sciences at the other sixth form even if I get Bs?

Hopefully you will get good news today and get some As or A* in science as I think you may find the competition quite tough to get into medical school without such grades as GCSE level..
As for which school, comes down to which you like on visiting really - also how much help you get in careers etc