GCSE Results: Didn't do as well as you hoped? Advice here! 21 August 2014

I would check individual university's requirements for GCSE but from where I've been applying this year (admittedly for natsci not economics) they want a C as a minimum in English. Of course you're a year if not more off applying and they seem to be constantly changing what they want.
I would wait to hear back from OCR on your Eng lit paper before getting worried about it though.
Your results are really amazing though good luck next year

Hi,
Is it possible for the grade given to be wrong? As in my Graphic Products GCSE (Edexcel) I got an A overall, which I'm content with, BUT: I got 95/100 on my Controlled Assessment, yet the grade listed was a B (I got an A* in the exam, hence the A overall). I thought this was a bit weird, as 95% is usually an A* and so I looked at this http://pastpapers.edexcel.com/content/dam/pdf/Support/Grade-boundaries/GCSE/1406_GCSE_Grade_Boundaries_v5.pdf (D&T: Graphic Products), which states that a mark of 92/100 or more is an A*, so I should have got one? I'm a bit annoyed as I worked so SO hard on it, which is why it bothers me, but don't know if I should pursue it - could it just have been a misprint, am I being stupid... I just don't know. Any advice would be appreciated!

I don't have a UMS listed at all? It just says D&T: Graphic Products 1: mark95 gradeb and that is definitely the CA part, as the max mark in the exam is 80.

Thursday 21st August 2014 GCSE Results Day - Didn't do as well you hoped?

GCSE Results Day is fast approaching and there will be a mixture of feelings on the day. We hope that all of you achieve the grades that you are hoping for but we do realise that, unfortunately, there will be some who may be slightly disappointed. If you end up in that position, the first thing to realise is that all is not lost. There are still several options available for you. This thread will aim to give you an insight into those options, with the intention of then allowing you to make an informed decision of what to do next.

If your query is not answered in this post or you have any further questions, please feel free to make a post in this thread. To get the attention of the mods looking after these threads, just copy and paste the following into your post:

[noparse]


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If you wish to have a general chat about GCSE Results Day, please visit the GCSE Results Day 2014 Chat thread. When the exam boards release them, grade boundaries will be posted on the Grade Boundaries thread. On results day, if you are considering retaking papers or getting some of your papers remarked, you may wish to have a look at the Retakes and Remarks thread.

Good luck for results day!

I didn't score at least a C grade in English/Maths! What do I do?
Achieving at least a grade C in GCSE English and GCSE Maths is very important. Most degree courses at university and many jobs have a minimum requirement of a C grade in these subjects. If, however, you've not achieved this, don't panic - there are ways to rectify this.

If you are planning on continuing on to Further Education (A-Levels, IB, other lever 3 qualifications etc.) then you should 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 next set of qualifications. Some institutions may also offer additional classes to help you prepare for retaking these GCSEs.

If you do not intend to continue to Further Education or your Sixth Form/College does not offer this, you should speak to your English/Maths teacher to see if they have any advice for you. You may well be allowed to retake these GCSEs at your previous school or at another institution. It is strongly recommended that you have a subject teacher/tutor to help you in preparation for your retake, though.

Another option that may be worth considering is to get a remark. Remarks are discussed in more detail on the GCSE Retake and Remark thread (click the orange link above).

I didn't meet the grade requirements to study at my chosen Sixth Form/College
If you are in this position, the first thing you should do is try to contact your desired Sixth Form/College. It is still possible that they will let you in even if you have not achieved the required grades. If they do, congratulations! If not, read on - there are still plenty of options:

- You could consider retaking the whole year in order to achieve the necessary grades required to study at your desired Sixth Form/College. You will, however, need to contact your Sixth Form/College to make sure that they will accept your retake grades.

- If you feel that your grade on a paper does not reflect how well you think you performed on it, one option for you is to get a remark for that paper. It is very important for you to let your Sixth Form/College know that you're getting a paper remarked though as the result for the remark may come after enrolment day.

- You could search for another Sixth Form or College which has lower entry requirements. You'll need to contact this institution to check to see if they still have places available for you. Your current school's career advisor will be able to provide you with guidance in regards to this.

- You could consider alternative options to Further Education if you feel that this is not for you. There is more information regarding this below.

I missed the grade that I needed in order to continue studying a particular subject
To continue studying a particular subject at a higher level (A-Level, IB etc.) most subject departments ask for at least a grade B in that subject at GCSE. If you didn't meet this requirement, the first thing you need to consider is why you were unable to do so.

If it was due to a lack of understanding of the content or because you didn't have enough passion for the subject, then you may wish to reconsider your options. It's not untrue when people say that A-Levels (or other level 3 qualifications) are quite a step up from GCSE. As a result, it may be in your best interests to reconsider studying that subject, as life could become very hard for you at Sixth Form/College.

If you feel that there were other, outside factors that meant that you were unable to perform as well as you should have, you should try speaking to the department head. You will need try you best to convince them to let you continue with the subject and, unfortunately, there is no guarantee that they will let you. If they are unwilling to take you on, you could consider studying the subjects as a private candidate or at a separate Sixth Form. Bear in mind though that studying as a private candidate will not be easy - you may have to self teach yourself the subject (which is not easy, and could have impact upon your other subjects) and it will be expensive.

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

Oxbridge
Oxford place a much larger emphasis on GCSE grades than Cambridge (where the UMS average at AS plays a greater role). Although there are no specific GCSE requirements for Oxford (or at Cambridge), successful applicants tend to have a string of A* grades at GCSE.

You may wish to post in the following threads to seek advice on applying to Oxford and Cambridge:

"Are my grades good enough for Oxford?"
"Are my grades good enough for Cambridge?"

Medicine/Dentistry/Veterinary
A common misconception amongst Medicine/Dentistry/Veterinary Medicine applicants is that you need at least 8A*s at GCSE in order to stand a chance in securing a place. It is important to realise that this is not the case for almost all universities offering these courses. If your GCSEs aren't as strong as you think they could be, you can still get into Medicine/Dentistry/Veterinary but when the time comes, you will need to apply smartly.

You may wish to have a look at the following links (please note that it is important that you also check with Universities before applying, as some of the information may go out of date when you apply):

Medical School GCSE Requirements
Dentistry Entry Requirements (including GCSE requirements)
Veterinary Medicine Entrance Requirements for 2014

I don't want to go into further education.
After reflecting upon your GCSE grades, it may be the case that you no longer want to go into Further Education. If so, 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/forumdisplay.php?f=516

How long does it take for your new marks from a remark to come back? My school is contacting the exam board on Monday (OCR) to get it remarked, so when do you reckon it'll be back?

Posted from TSR Mobile any chance you are getting history re-marked?

No geography, I did OCR history and got 3 A*s, which was absolutely a shock because I had the most appalling teacher. But I was 2 UMS off an A* in geography

Posted from TSR Mobile omg well done!! I got A* C and E in history ?!?! I was predicted an A at history since i always had A/B in mocks without doing much revision but i ended up with an overall C, (E in the germany paper) about 8 people in my class got E/D in the germany paper but A's in the other 2 units , i've seen people on TSR having 2 A*'s and an F on one unit, is there a chance OCR might have ****ed up?

Thank you! I was predicted a C, in every subject, but didn't get any Cs haha! Woah! Yeah about 10 people in my class got D/E on the British Society paper, I think OCR must have! I know a lot of people who got like an A* in the courswork, a B in Germany and then like a U and I thought it was really weird!