engineering gap year/ resitting a level advice + extenuating circumstances

Hi people, I currently have a dilemma.

I have an offer to study electrical and electronic engineering at a university I love, with a contextual offer of ABB at A-level. My A-levels are Further Maths, Maths, and Computer Science.

Unfortunately, I've recently done two further math papers and haven't done so well. The reason for this is that I have autism, and my school said that I wouldn't be able to wear ear defenders during the exams as it wasn't allowed. During my exam, it was so noisy outside of my exam hall as I was put in a separate venue from all of my peers due to me getting extra time in my exams. I became so overstimulated and panicked due to not having my ear defenders. Autistic people like me struggle to concentrate with noises happening around us, so it's vital we have things like ear defenders during the exams.

After a long phone call my mother had with the school, it turns out I can actually wear ear defenders in my exams. They just decided not to let me for... no reason! So I'll be able to wear them for the rest of my exams.

Anyway, I'm scared I've flopped further in maths and am going to get a C or a D at this point. Fortunately, I have a week off right now until all my other exams. I'm confident I'll at least get A's in comp sci and regular A-level maths.

If I call my university on results day and tell them what happened, do I have a chance to be let in with AAC or god forbid AAD? Can I take a gap year, resit further maths, and still get into good Russell group universities for electrical engineering?

Any advice on what to do with my current situation would be much appreciated especially if it's coming from people who've taken a gap year to reapply to uni for stem subjects.

Reply 1

McGinger

If you are going to ask for any 'extenuating circumstances' to betaken into account by either the exam boards or by your Unis, you must act now. Neither will be interested in any pleading once results are announced in August.

Ask your school to inform the exam boards asap, and contact both your F & I Unis to find out how they want to notified of this. Will they accept just an official email from your school, or do they want a specific form completed etc. All Unis have a cut-off date for this sort of thing - and they will not accept submissions after that date.

There are of course no guarantees that any Uni will accept you regardless of grades, but if you are a near-miss, it could make all the difference between a place / no-place.

And, you have probably done far better than you assume.

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