FAQs about A level retakes

No student requests for A level or GCSE remarks will be possible for the summer 2021 grades as, once again, exams will not take place. It is possible to appeal if you feel your school did not go through the correct process when issuing grades or if you think there has been an administrative error.

An application for an appeal will go through your school or college first where they will be asked to check for errors or process issues.

If a student is still unhappy with the grade, then the appeal can be raised, again through your school, with the exam boards. If you are still not happy your main option is to retake.

Unusually for the May/June 2021 exam series, there will be an opportunity to retake A levels in October 2021. We are waiting for the results of the Ofqual consultation to know what shape the autumn series will take, the full detail of the consultation is here: https://www.gov.uk/government/.

Depending on your results you may wish instead to take some time out and aim instead to resit in May/June 2022. Each person’s case is different, and the pros and cons of retaking can be difficult to work out. cife colleges are happy to talk options through to help you map out your best strategy.

One thing is really clear: you need to come up with a plan as soon as possible after you get results. As mentioned below, UCAS applications need to be made well before Christmas, even if you’re not starting study again until 2022. Speak to cife colleges and they will be happy to help you with a retake and university application strategy.

We are still waiting for full details but from what we know now it is likely that grades for the autumn exams will only be based on the exams, not on coursework or classwork. The exams are likely to in their usual format and you will sit as many as your course would normally require. It is probable that systems for marking, reviewing marking and appeals will be as in a normal school year.

To be effective your UCAS reference needs to cover your past, to explain why the grades you got were not the best you are capable of, and it needs to justify better grade predictions for the future. It may be that your old school can do all this for you, but the most effective reference is one in which your old school and your retake college co-operate in writing a new reference with information from them both. cife colleges are very experienced in facilitating this, and it’s certainly something to ask them about if you visit to discuss retakes. Check out our ‘Six top tips for an outstanding UCAS form‘ for more about references.

Obviously your new college can’t write a reference if it hasn’t taught you at all. This poses a particular problem for students who want to take time out and start retake work at their new college sometime in 2022. Putting in a late UCAS form isn’t a good idea, so you may still need to apply for university in autumn 2021, using your old school for the reference. It’s vital to know that the reference they give will be supportive and that they are happy to predict the grades you need. Do discuss this with a cife college if you’re worried about it.

It’s too early to say. Last year some universities, including some medical schools, said that sitting exams after you’d been given centre assessed grades wouldn’t be considered a resit – but they also indicated that their usual resit policy would resume for 2022 entry.

Unusually, in November 2021, it is likely that exams in all GCSE subjects will be available if students wish to retake after receiving their summer 2021 Teacher Assessed Grades. In January 2022, there will be a further exam series for GCSE English Language and Maths only.

Check out our page on GCSE courses for more information about GCSE retake courses.