The Student Room Group

HELP Do I need to retake my IAL A-level exam?

I am a student from Hong Kong preparing for the IAS International A Level exam. I am studying physics, chemistry, biology, maths, and further maths. The level of competition in my region is absurdly high, with most of the people I know achieving at least 4A* grades. Many people even consider retaking papers in order to secure full UMS marks, even if they are only a few marks away. I really want to get into Cambridge or Oxford, or the top local universities (that require 4A* and 95+% UMS). Everything seemed to be going well until I flunked my Physics Paper 2. Although I managed to secure an A , I fell just a few marks short of getting a B. This is considered highly unsatisfactory not only by my school, teachers, and local universities but also by myself. The reason for my underperformance was not due to over capacity of taking 5 papers, but simply because I felt a bit sick before taking the exam. I am considering retaking the paper, but I am concerned about the implications. I was told that the record of retaking will remain and be visible. Will the retaking be shown if I cash in the physics unit after it? Will universities have access to my UMS scores and retake history? Thank you so much
Reply 1
Original post by John Ballot
I am a student from Hong Kong preparing for the IAS International A Level exam. I am studying physics, chemistry, biology, maths, and further maths. The level of competition in my region is absurdly high, with most of the people I know achieving at least 4A* grades. Many people even consider retaking papers in order to secure full UMS marks, even if they are only a few marks away. I really want to get into Cambridge or Oxford, or the top local universities (that require 4A* and 95+% UMS). Everything seemed to be going well until I flunked my Physics Paper 2. Although I managed to secure an A , I fell just a few marks short of getting a B. This is considered highly unsatisfactory not only by my school, teachers, and local universities but also by myself. The reason for my underperformance was not due to over capacity of taking 5 papers, but simply because I felt a bit sick before taking the exam. I am considering retaking the paper, but I am concerned about the implications. I was told that the record of retaking will remain and be visible. Will the retaking be shown if I cash in the physics unit after it? Will universities have access to my UMS scores and retake history? Thank you so much
um i don’t know if this helps you in anyway, but the universities will only receive your grade, so as long as you meet the entry requirements you should be okay!
Reply 2
Original post by eenie_49
um i don’t know if this helps you in anyway, but the universities will only receive your grade, so as long as you meet the entry requirements you should be okay!
Are you referring to UK universities? Most of them just receive grades from UCAS, but I think top universities require high UMS. I would like to know if the retaking record of the physics 2 paper can be "erased" by cashing-in only after retaking in June. I did not apply for cash-in when I took the physics 2 paper in January.

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