THE GUIDE TO A LEVEL RETAKES + APPLYING TO UNIVERSITY
For some of you, A Level results day may not have been what you were expecting, you may have underperformed significantly or just got short of a grade or even a mark. If you're considering retakes, it's important to remember that there are steps to retaking and applying to university. I have written this specifically for those studying privately as they have a harder challenge if they retake at an exam centre, however this will still apply if you retake within your former school. If you need any advice, feel free to message me as I retook my A Levels and now study at university.
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1) Make a plan of what you're retaking and why. If you're self-studying another subject, make sure you understand the syllabus and exam board(s). If you've picked up a new subject, pace yourself and make sure you can do it in a year (if fast tracking)
2) Once you know which exams/subjects you'll be retaking, it's worth asking your former school if you can retake there. If they do not allow you to, you need to get in touch with private exam centres. If you're retaking coursework subjects like English, you may need to travel further afield as most exam centres will not authorise coursework. Your best bet is either the NEC (if you are studying with AQA then NEC will be fine as they can moderate your work), if you studied with OCR, please contact private exam centres that moderate coursework like Tutors and Exams in Coventry. I advise you to book your exams no later than December. For those of you resitting Science subjects, if you need to redo practicals, again like NEA coursework you will need to contact private exam centres or even schools if they will allow you to join in practicals. There are some specialists colleges and schools who do consider students for practicals mainly in London.
*Please note that if you are happy with your previous coursework mark, you can take forward these marks from the previous examination year. Costs may be high for practicals depending on where you perform them so be certain you need to re do these.
3) You may need to save up £500 plus if you are funding this yourself as retakes can be expensive depending on the subject or the exam centre itself. Also, further costs can be incurred if you require a hotel if you do not live close to an exam centre and travel costs.
4) If you are self-studying privately and not with your school, you will most likely need to contact your old school for a reference. Please do this early on, maybe November time or even October as schools will be busy and you will want to make sure they can write your reference. It's not always easy to get predicted grades for your application however it's worth asking your tutor if you can provide them with predicted grades especially if you know you can achieve your grades and if they believe you have the potential. Not all private candidates do have predicted grades so please remember this if you panic.
5) If you can afford to, it might be worth getting a private tutor to help you. If you study a subject like English and will be retaking coursework, most private exam centres will not be able to verify your work and such a private tutor can help you by working with the exam centre and yourself to moderate your work. Also, if you cannot get a reference provided by your school, your tutor may be able to write one for you but make sure you get a tutor early on in your self-studying days as then they'll be able to write about you.
6) Your personal statement is very important and forms the basis of your application. If you are reapplying for university you may be able to use the same PS. As you will be self-studying, it might be worth getting involved in extracurricular activities or volunteering. For some people, they may want to reference why they did not achieve the grades they did in their first A Level sitting; if you do this then be concise and relate it back to your degree if possible. However, this is not a requirement and its always important to show your passion for your degree.
7) Don't be afraid to apply for top universities just because of retakes, if you contact the admissions teams of your preferred universities, ask about their retake policy and make sure your predicted grades match up they will more than likely consider your application.
8) Once you're happy with your application and got everything sorted, it's time to send off your application and revise for your exams! A quick note, you will need to disclose all grades in UCAS regardless and remember to add your exam centre as your current place of study.