What happens after you get bad predicted grades in UCAS exam?
Hi! Im in year 12 and predicted geog C/D, psychology B/C, and Art B in my school reports.
I'm currently doing my year 12 mocks/UCAS exams and tbh, I think I did terribly, like poor time management, poor knowledge, so its very unlikely my UCAS predicted grades will turn out amazing even if they consider both the exam and my school attitude to learning points in my report.
I'm just think whats the worst that could happen if I get bad grades, like will universities still give me an offer? Or would I have to resit year 12? Or apply to uni through other methods later on or after Year 13 results day?
I've asked teachers at school what I should do and most of them said "apply for an apprenticeship/ degree apprenticeship/ a gap year", but I really want to go to a university and if possible that would be my end goal
Yeah basically my UCAS grades are most likely not good and I want to be mentally prepared on what is going to happen and what I will have to do and what to expect
Please give me advice, thank you
))
I'm currently doing my year 12 mocks/UCAS exams and tbh, I think I did terribly, like poor time management, poor knowledge, so its very unlikely my UCAS predicted grades will turn out amazing even if they consider both the exam and my school attitude to learning points in my report.
I'm just think whats the worst that could happen if I get bad grades, like will universities still give me an offer? Or would I have to resit year 12? Or apply to uni through other methods later on or after Year 13 results day?
I've asked teachers at school what I should do and most of them said "apply for an apprenticeship/ degree apprenticeship/ a gap year", but I really want to go to a university and if possible that would be my end goal
Yeah basically my UCAS grades are most likely not good and I want to be mentally prepared on what is going to happen and what I will have to do and what to expect
Please give me advice, thank you
))Scroll to see replies
What do you mean UCAS exam? Do you mean the internal exams that decide your predicted grade or your actual A-Level / AS exams?
Your school decides your predicted grades. They may consider your end of your exams but they don't have to
Your school decides your predicted grades. They may consider your end of your exams but they don't have to
Reply 2
11
Original post
by melancollegeWhat do you mean UCAS exam? Do you mean the internal exams that decide your predicted grade or your actual A-Level / AS exams?
Your school decides your predicted grades. They may consider your end of your exams but they don't have to
Your school decides your predicted grades. They may consider your end of your exams but they don't have to
Yeah the year 12 end of years that determines predicted grades
My school has said that for our UCAS predicted grades used for uni applications, they would consider both the end of year grades and our attitude to learning (school report grades), and both of mine arent great so I don't know what to do and what to expect
Reply 3
Original post
by JollybeansssYeah the year 12 end of years that determines predicted grades
My school has said that for our UCAS predicted grades used for uni applications, they would consider both the end of year grades and our attitude to learning (school report grades), and both of mine arent great so I don't know what to do and what to expect
My school has said that for our UCAS predicted grades used for uni applications, they would consider both the end of year grades and our attitude to learning (school report grades), and both of mine arent great so I don't know what to do and what to expect
If you end up getting predicted grades that aren't ideal I would speak to your teachers to see if there's anything you could do to bring the grades up (e.g. I needed higher predicted grades so I did extra work over the summer and did "resits" (like half a paper) when I got back in year 13. I got two raised by a grade). They might not raise the grades as it is ultimately up to the school and what they think you can achieve but it's worth a try as they could be sympathetic if they see you're willing to put work in. Another option you could consider is doing a foundation year at uni or going through clearing. A foundation year provides a basis for learning for rest of your uni course to make sure you're starting at the same level as everyone else and will let you in with lower grades than the main courses requirements (this is a course by course basis not every uni or course will offer this). Clearing you generally go through after alevel results day and you can ring up unis to see if they let you in with your grades (similar to foundation it's dependant on the uni, course and amount of spaces they have left) clearing gets very busy and is a difficult process but there are unis that accept people with lower grades. If you go the clearing route it's still worth applying to unis as they may still give an offer (this could be with an added foundation year) and depending on certain circumstances you could qualify for contextual. To sum up basically it's not the end of the world just talk to your teachers express you're willing to put in work and maybe look at alternative pathways of getting into uni
Reply 4
Hiya, so i was told the same information as you (that our yr 12 mocks would be used for our predicteds and they will be if you're a med/dent/vet student) BUT if u aint applying to a course or uni that has an earlier deadline than 31st of, chances are you're skls gonna use the mock grades for your year 13 Oct-Dec mocks or even hold class mocks b4hand to help you.
Ofc tho if ur skls being srs then you'd have to go thru a foundation year or get good results and take a gap year xx
Ofc tho if ur skls being srs then you'd have to go thru a foundation year or get good results and take a gap year xx
Reply 5
11
Original post
by limbobimboHiya, so i was told the same information as you (that our yr 12 mocks would be used for our predicteds and they will be if you're a med/dent/vet student) BUT if u aint applying to a course or uni that has an earlier deadline than 31st of, chances are you're skls gonna use the mock grades for your year 13 Oct-Dec mocks or even hold class mocks b4hand to help you.
Ofc tho if ur skls being srs then you'd have to go thru a foundation year or get good results and take a gap year xx
Ofc tho if ur skls being srs then you'd have to go thru a foundation year or get good results and take a gap year xx
Reply 6
Original post
by Jollybeanssshow does taking a gap year work? Like when would be the best time to take one and what do i do after it?
So on results day, say you:
A. Get a better/worser grade and you try to enter via clearing, if it doesn't work out then u take a gap year:
- apply that same sept-dec for uni and then attend Uni from sept 2026 (if u get ur results in august 2025)
B. Feel drained from studying and you got ur results and you got into ur firm you take a gap year:
- defer ur entry (studying in sept 2026 when ur meant to be in sept 2025)
During a gap year people do lots of things, they go on holiday, chill n bed rot.
The smartest thing to do would be to work and save money (perhaps for tuition or expenses when uni gets too much) and to get a job related to to ur course helps
Reply 7
11
Original post
by limbobimboSo on results day, say you:
A. Get a better/worser grade and you try to enter via clearing, if it doesn't work out then u take a gap year:
- apply that same sept-dec for uni and then attend Uni from sept 2026 (if u get ur results in august 2025)
B. Feel drained from studying and you got ur results and you got into ur firm you take a gap year:
- defer ur entry (studying in sept 2026 when ur meant to be in sept 2025)
During a gap year people do lots of things, they go on holiday, chill n bed rot.
The smartest thing to do would be to work and save money (perhaps for tuition or expenses when uni gets too much) and to get a job related to to ur course helps
A. Get a better/worser grade and you try to enter via clearing, if it doesn't work out then u take a gap year:
- apply that same sept-dec for uni and then attend Uni from sept 2026 (if u get ur results in august 2025)
B. Feel drained from studying and you got ur results and you got into ur firm you take a gap year:
- defer ur entry (studying in sept 2026 when ur meant to be in sept 2025)
During a gap year people do lots of things, they go on holiday, chill n bed rot.
The smartest thing to do would be to work and save money (perhaps for tuition or expenses when uni gets too much) and to get a job related to to ur course helps
If i want to try enter via clearing, do I still have to submit my uni application stuff in year 13 dec-jan with the rest of my year?
Reply 8
Original post
by limbobimboHiya, so i was told the same information as you (that our yr 12 mocks would be used for our predicteds and they will be if you're a med/dent/vet student) BUT if u aint applying to a course or uni that has an earlier deadline than 31st of, chances are you're skls gonna use the mock grades for your year 13 Oct-Dec mocks or even hold class mocks b4hand to help you.
Ofc tho if ur skls being srs then you'd have to go thru a foundation year or get good results and take a gap year xx
Ofc tho if ur skls being srs then you'd have to go thru a foundation year or get good results and take a gap year xx
That honestly depends on the school though. We had yr 13 mocks in February. Ours did do some resists though for the yr 12 exams in September of yr 13. But those we were told could only boost our grades by one.
Reply 9
Original post
by GenKun1311That honestly depends on the school though. We had yr 13 mocks in February. Ours did do some resists though for the yr 12 exams in September of yr 13. But those we were told could only boost our grades by one.
Hey I have the mocks in a month, let’s say I do bad.
And I get predicted ABC
I also have mocks in November of year 13
Will the school use both mocks for our predicted or only the year 12 mocks
I’m really behind in terms of content
Reply 10
11
Original post
by Depressed44Hey I have the mocks in a month, let’s say I do bad.
And I get predicted ABC
I also have mocks in November of year 13
Will the school use both mocks for our predicted or only the year 12 mocks
I’m really behind in terms of content
And I get predicted ABC
I also have mocks in November of year 13
Will the school use both mocks for our predicted or only the year 12 mocks
I’m really behind in terms of content
my school said predicted grades for UCAS applications will use year 12 mock grades as the ucas applications have to handed in Y13 december and our Y13 mocks are after the UCAS submition deadline
But your Y13 mocks are in november so they might use the Y13 mock grades instead of Y12 or they might use both??
try talk to a teacher at school and ask though
Reply 11
Original post
by Depressed44Hey I have the mocks in a month, let’s say I do bad.
And I get predicted ABC
I also have mocks in November of year 13
Will the school use both mocks for our predicted or only the year 12 mocks
I’m really behind in terms of content
And I get predicted ABC
I also have mocks in November of year 13
Will the school use both mocks for our predicted or only the year 12 mocks
I’m really behind in terms of content
Ask your teachers, as your yr 13 mocks are in November they might use them, if you're not an early applicant your deadline for submitting your application should be end of January so they have time to alter your predicted grades. If you get a predicted ABC there's plenty of unis that will take that check the unis you could be interested in and what their requirements are
Reply 12
Original post
by JollybeansssHi! Im in year 12 and predicted geog C/D, psychology B/C, and Art B in my school reports.
I'm currently doing my year 12 mocks/UCAS exams and tbh, I think I did terribly, like poor time management, poor knowledge, so its very unlikely my UCAS predicted grades will turn out amazing even if they consider both the exam and my school attitude to learning points in my report.
I'm just think whats the worst that could happen if I get bad grades, like will universities still give me an offer? Or would I have to resit year 12? Or apply to uni through other methods later on or after Year 13 results day?
I've asked teachers at school what I should do and most of them said "apply for an apprenticeship/ degree apprenticeship/ a gap year", but I really want to go to a university and if possible that would be my end goal
Yeah basically my UCAS grades are most likely not good and I want to be mentally prepared on what is going to happen and what I will have to do and what to expect
Please give me advice, thank you))
I'm currently doing my year 12 mocks/UCAS exams and tbh, I think I did terribly, like poor time management, poor knowledge, so its very unlikely my UCAS predicted grades will turn out amazing even if they consider both the exam and my school attitude to learning points in my report.
I'm just think whats the worst that could happen if I get bad grades, like will universities still give me an offer? Or would I have to resit year 12? Or apply to uni through other methods later on or after Year 13 results day?
I've asked teachers at school what I should do and most of them said "apply for an apprenticeship/ degree apprenticeship/ a gap year", but I really want to go to a university and if possible that would be my end goal
Yeah basically my UCAS grades are most likely not good and I want to be mentally prepared on what is going to happen and what I will have to do and what to expect
Please give me advice, thank you
))Hi @Jollybeansss ,
I'm sorry to hear you're not confident in your predicted grades, however there are multiple options to still get into university!
1) Additional Mock Exams 🧾 - Communicate your concerns with your school and request to take additional tests to improve your predicted grades. While there is no guarantee your sixth form will agree to this, it's 100% worth asking your teachers. The school could use a combination of these additional exam papers and the mock papers to improve your predicted grades.
2) Gap Year 🌍️ - If you end up not receiving the offers from university that you desire, it may be worth taking a gap year and retaking your exams. These can be great opportunities to improve skills and figure out what you desire for a career.
3) Clearing 📞 - Once you receive your results, you may wish to go through clearing. This will provide you with the opportunity to call the universities you are interested in and request to be considered for your desired course, or an alternative. Clearing does open earlier than results day but often only to certain groups of students so I recommend looking into this further.
4) Foundation 📚️ - This can be an excellent pathway onto a course while also building some vital knowledge that will help you thrive across your degree.
I still recommend applying to universities even if your grades are not what you expect as you may be pleasantly surprised or gain an idea of what you need to work towards! 😊
I hope this helps, please feel free to ask me any questions,
-Sophia (University of Central Lancashire)
Reply 13
Original post
by GenKun1311Ask your teachers, as your yr 13 mocks are in November they might use them, if you're not an early applicant your deadline for submitting your application should be end of January so they have time to alter your predicted grades. If you get a predicted ABC there's plenty of unis that will take that check the unis you could be interested in and what their requirements are
Hey do you think I can still apply to a lower russel group uni
I do meet contextual offers
And so far requirements are abb- bbb
Reply 14
Original post
by Depressed44Hey do you think I can still apply to a lower russel group uni
I do meet contextual offers
And so far requirements are abb- bbb
I do meet contextual offers
And so far requirements are abb- bbb
You can apply wherever you like if you meet the requirements.
Reply 15
Original post
by Depressed44Hey do you think I can still apply to a lower russel group uni
I do meet contextual offers
And so far requirements are abb- bbb
I do meet contextual offers
And so far requirements are abb- bbb
Reply 16
Original post
by Jollybeansssmy school said predicted grades for UCAS applications will use year 12 mock grades as the ucas applications have to handed in Y13 december and our Y13 mocks are after the UCAS submition deadline
But your Y13 mocks are in november so they might use the Y13 mock grades instead of Y12 or they might use both??
try talk to a teacher at school and ask though
But your Y13 mocks are in november so they might use the Y13 mock grades instead of Y12 or they might use both??
try talk to a teacher at school and ask though
yeah it could be, I had 2 sets of year 13 mocks and so did other skls around my area but I think that's just something skls within my councils do, unfortunate tht urs uses only yr 12s.
Reply 17
Original post
by JollybeansssYeah the year 12 end of years that determines predicted grades
My school has said that for our UCAS predicted grades used for uni applications, they would consider both the end of year grades and our attitude to learning (school report grades), and both of mine arent great so I don't know what to do and what to expect
My school has said that for our UCAS predicted grades used for uni applications, they would consider both the end of year grades and our attitude to learning (school report grades), and both of mine arent great so I don't know what to do and what to expect
me too I’m so stressed I’ve completely flopped ☹️
Reply 18
Original post
by nsmame too I’m so stressed I’ve completely flopped ☹️
Hey have u sat them already
Reply 19
Original post
by Depressed44Hey have u sat them already
(edited 10 months ago)
Quick Reply
Related discussions
- How do UCAS predicted grades work?
- Ive ruined my life
- bad predicted grades and applying for uni?!
- Got a bad grade in YEAR 12 mocks and teachers think i wont be able to get any higher
- Predicted a D in chemistry
- Predicted grades
- planning to resit alevels before i've even gotten my results
- Restart year 12 or gap year
- University options and dropping out to switch courses while also resitting an A Level
- Predicted grades
- Has anyone ever gotten a U before in their year 12 summer exams?
- Am I cooked? failed year 12 mocks
- Getting a U in my end of year 12 mocks
- A Level bad predicted grades
- Failed AS levels
- My school is refusing to predict us 1 up for our ucas grades
- Predicted grades lower than mock result
- a-levels 2.0 - resit journal
- Edexcel B Biology Predicted for Medicine
- Medicine application 2026
Latest
Trending
Last reply 7 months ago
How much do predicted grades matter for top universities?Last reply 8 months ago
The Ultimate Clearing Directory 2025 – lists and links for all unisLast reply 8 months ago
UCAS Applications + Uni Applicant Thread Directory for 2025 **Official Thread**Last reply 8 months ago
What happens on Results Day and Clearing - ** please read this first **Last reply 8 months ago
Are you, or did you consider, applying to a Scottish University?Last reply 8 months ago
Are you currently making your university choices for 2026? What help do you need?Last reply 9 months ago
Applying to geography at uni without having studied geography A-level?Last reply 9 months ago
What happens on Results Day and Clearing - please read this firstLast reply 9 months ago
Year 13s: how are you feeling about getting the grades you need for uni?Last reply 9 months ago
Common Misconceptions about University ClearingLast reply 9 months ago
does it really make a difference if i go to a non russell group uni??
How The Student Room is moderated
To keep The Student Room safe for everyone, we moderate posts that are added to the site.
