Surge in A-level retakes predicted
Cut backs and more applicants increase pressure on university places
With competition for university places fiercer than ever this year and many fewer opportunities anticipated to get a late place through the UCAS Clearing scheme, the colleges which specialise in A level resit courses and which are members of the Conference for Independent Education (CIFE) are reporting an early surge in enquiries, prior to A Level Results Day on Thursday, 19th August.
More students consider A-level retakes
In the last two months to date, compared with the same period last year the number of enquiries to the CIFE website helpline has risen by 66% (2009 : 2327; 2010 : 3857) and the number of telephone enquiries over the same period is up 22%.
Steve Boyes, Chairman of CIFE and Principal of Mander Portman Woodward, Kensington said: "Although this is small volume compared with the surge of enquiries which the colleges traditionally receive for resit courses on and immediately after the day the A level results come out, this looks like a clear sign already that demand for retaking will be very high. Another indication is that we are finding that quite a number of International Baccalaureate students, who have already received their results, have been enquiring about switching to A level for resits. There is an IB retake opportunity in November, but this doesn’t give them very long to prepare. Matters are not helped by the relative paucity of providers who have experience of preparing students for IB resits.
Also, unlike last year, there are no issues of reduced unit availability now that the old-style legacy specifications have been phased out, which is at least some good news for students facing the prospect of retaking subjects."
More demand for CIFE colleges' retake and one-year A-level courses
The CIFE colleges are an organisation of independent colleges which specialise in getting students into good universities. They are ideally equipped to cater for the expected boom in retakes, since they have specialised for many years not only in the one-term courses, but also in one-year intensive courses, alongside traditional two-year courses.
CIFE colleges reported that their resit students this last academic year were of a higher quality on entry to their resit courses than before, and they believe that this trend will continue. They are also expecting more B grade resitters this autumn. According to Boyes, "Generally improving goodish grades to very good grades gave students more opportunities when they re-applied through UCAS, and next year's re-applicants will need to adopt a similar strategy in what is certain to be an even more competitive UCAS arena next year.
Look at the FAQs about A-level retakes page for more information.
