GCSE and A-Level Results Days are quickly approaching. This can be a stressful time for everyone, but it’s important to remember that there are always options - even if you’re unhappy with your results.
The following outlines all the options available to you on results day, and signposts to lots of useful information.
GCSE
GCSE Results Day is the 22nd of August 2024.
If you’re unhappy with your results, here are three things you can do:
If you don’t think your grade is right, you should talk to your school or college. They will contact the exam board on your behalf and ask for your marks to be reviewed.
If you still think you have been unfairly graded after a review, you can ask your school or college to make an external appeal. The exam board will consider whether a correction is needed
Private candidates can contact the exam board directly or contact the school or college that submitted their exam entry to make an appeal.
You can submit an appeal against:
- Results – appeals can only be submitted after a review of results has taken place.
- Malpractice decisions.
- Decisions about access arrangements, reasonable adjustments and special consideration.
2. Resit
For Maths and English, resitting is compulsory if you haven’t achieved a pass (grade 4) and are under 18 or aged 19-25 with an EHC Plan. Depending on your circumstances, you may be eligible to take functional skills qualifications instead.
For Maths and English, the resit rules are as follows:
- If you got a Grade 3 and will be studying full-time (540+ hours) next year, you will need to resit the GCSE.
- If you got a Grade 3 and will be studying part-time (150-539 hours), you can take a functional skills qualification instead of a GCSE.
- If you got a Grade 2 or below, you can take a functional skills qualification instead of a GCSE.
- If you are going on to an apprenticeship, studying Maths and English will be part of your programme.
You can find out more information about resits on the Government website.
You don’t need to wait until next summer for English and Maths resits. You’ll have the opportunity to resit in the autumn. For all other exams you’ll have to wait do the next summer series in 2025.
You can still enrol to retake your GCSEs at a local school, college or exam centre. This means you’ll have a timetable and attend classes with other GCSE students.
3. Check with your post-16 provider
If you missed the required entry grades for the course you’re planning to start in September talk to the sixth form or college - they might still offer you a place, particularly if extenuating factors could have affected your performance, for example if you were disadvantaged during the exam due to illness or if your school/college failed to implement previously approved reasonable adjustments.
They could also allow you to transfer to a different course or subject or recommend other colleges and sixth forms which might better suit you.
Post 16 options
Whether you’re happy or unhappy with your grades, it’s important to know what post-16 options are available to you. No matter your GCSE results, there are lots of post-16 options to choose from. Here are a few of those options:
- A Levels
- Apprenticeships: Combine work and study, gaining practical skills. Note that policy changes now mean you don’t always need an EHCP to be exempt from needing a GCSE in Maths and English if you have a disability that impacted your education. For more information on apprenticeship see our Into Apprenticeships guide.
- BTEC: These vocational qualifications can be a good alternative to A-levels, offering a more hands-on approach to learning.
- T-Levels: These are technical qualifications that combine classroom learning with an industry placement. They are equivalent to three A-Levels and can lead to skilled employment, higher study, or apprenticeships.
- Supported Internships: Tailored for young people with learning difficulties or disabilities, these internships offer practical work experience and support.
If you want to discuss your post-16 options, you can call or email our Disabled Student’ Helpline at 0330 995 0414 and students@disabilityrightsuk.org
A Levels
A Level Results Day is the 15th of August 2024.
The first thing to do is check your UCAS application to see if you’ve been accepted to any of your choices. Information on how to check your status can be found on the UCAS website.
If you’re unhappy with your results, you can do the following:
1. Request a review or appeal
Review: If you are unhappy with your grades, you may be able to request a review, which is a process where your exams are re-marked. Talk to your school or college about this process.
Appeal: If you still think you have been unfairly graded after a review, you can ask your school or college to make an external appeal. The exam board will consider whether a correction is needed.
You can submit an appeal against:
- Results – appeals can only be submitted after a review of results has taken place.
- Malpractice decisions.
- Decisions about access arrangements, reasonable adjustments and special consideration.
If you appeal, it’s best to keep the university informed of your plans in case they can reserve a place for you on the course.
If the university cannot reserve a place for you, they may be able to offer alternatives on similar courses or give you the option to defer your place until next year. Ask for their terms and conditions in writing so you know where you stand.
2. Go through Clearing
If you haven’t been accepted to any of your choices, think about Clearing. Clearing is a process where you can apply for a university place that still has vacancies.
Clearing runs from 5 July to 21 October 2024. You can apply for a course using Clearing if you don’t already hold an offer. Clearing vacancies are updated on the UCAS website regularly, with the majority added from A-Level results day. Official lists are also published in the Telegraph newspaper.
Setting up support: If you have complex support needs or require physical adaptations to buildings, the short notice through Clearing might make it difficult to set up all your support before the start of the academic year. Contact the Disability Support Services at the university to discuss your needs. You can find reasonable adjustment examples, and advice on your rights under the Equality Act 2010, in our education factsheets.
If you have an Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan in England, your local authority should maintain this through Clearing until you start university.
It’s helpful to do some contingency planning before results day. Prioritise possible courses and universities so you can check against the Clearing listings when they’re published. Check your UCAS Hub to see whether you’ve got a place. If you’re eligible, an ‘Add Clearing Choice’ option will appear on your screen.
3. Retake your A-levels
If you’re unhappy with your grades, you may want to retake your A-levels. This can give you another chance to achieve the grades you need for your preferred course or career path.
4. Seek advice
- Disability Rights UK Disabled Student Helpline
You can call or email our Disabled Student’ Helpline to discuss your options.
Telephone 0330 995 0414
Email students@disabilityrightsuk.org
- Exams results helpline
You can call the Exam Results Helpline at 0808 100 900 if your results are higher or lower than expected, and you want to explore the options available, including resits, retakes, and clearing.
- Careers advice
You might also want to think about alternative courses or career paths that don’t involve higher education. Discuss these with a careers adviser, including employment, vocational routes, and gap years. You can take advice form the National Careers Service.
Additional useful information:
- Telling people you’re disabled: clear and easy guide for students
- Into Higher Education
- Funding Higher Education for Disabled Students
- Funding Postgraduate Education for Disabled Students
- Funding Further Education for Disabled Students
- Education and Training Jargon Buster
Transition to Employment
If you’re moving into work, the following DR UK factsheets may be useful to read: