What to Do When A-Level Results Day Doesn’t Go to Plan

As A-level results day approaches, it’s natural to feel nervous. Perhaps you're reading this on the day, already stressed, after not getting the grades you wanted. If you're struggling to know what to do next. Try not to panic. There are more options than you might think. 

Not getting the grade you wanted or receiving a failing grade can be really disheartening, especially if you’ve put effort into studying and are confused about where you went wrong. It's been a long road to get here, but regardless of results, just know the journey has only just begun! Every unexpected turn has a lesson to learn.

After results day, it’s important to allow yourself time to come to terms with the outcome. This guide offers some practical steps you can take towards managing the emotions and getting back on track.

Own the Situation

Before you do anything it is essential to take a moment to celebrate what you have achieved so far, regardless of the result. It’s painful to see expectations not match up with reality but remember that failing is part of the educational process. 

Before you make any plan of action, make sure that you take the time to process your emotions so you have a level head about what to do next. Quite often there are time-sensitive decisions to be made so remember:

"What is in the past, should stay there! All the opportunities in the world to make it right are in front of you…so don’t look back."

Assemble Your Support Group

Speak about how you’re feeling with someone you trust such as a family member or close friend. 

Sometimes parents can be the source of a lot of stress around results, speaking honestly and openly with them is a great way to forge a path forward. It is important to take responsibility and have a positive attitude towards the future.

It is natural to retract from friend groups if they are all celebrating, but it is important to reconnect with them to lift your spirits after the initial buzz. A problem shared is a problem halved.

Make a Plan 

On results day it is often a mad rush to make the next steps. Your teachers at school or college will know the best course of action, depending on your situation.

It may help to go into your school (if it's an option) and speak one-to-one with your teacher to go over the finer details of your results to see how close you are to the trade boundaries. They are all usually back in school for results day.

Your next steps will most likely be unique to your individual circumstances, but here are some common scenarios:

Missing Your A-Level Grades

If you are worried about reaching the required grades on your conditional University offer, don’t panic until you hear back from the university on results day. They can often give some leniency if you do better than expected in one subject and fall short in another.

If you have failed one or more of your A-Level subjects and this has prevented you from getting into your next course of study. There is also the option to go into the UCAS clearing process. This lets you search and apply to higher education courses with spare spaces around the country by using the UCAS points you have just received in your results.

So many students are in the same boat as you and may have missed their conditional offers - so if you start UCAS clearing nice and early on results day you could end up with a similar course at a different uni.

You will have to be a bit flexible when it comes to locations and the exact courses that are available. Clearing choices are updated regularly for you to apply for September entry from July to mid-October.

It is often highly beneficial to speak with a member of staff at your school or college about the options that you have. You may wish to retake the subject to try again to get into your chosen course. A-Level papers take place in May/June, so you will have to resit during the next summer exam period, giving you the time to take a gap year. 

This may seem like a sharp change of course when your friends might be moving on to higher education, but taking the extra year can be very valuable to students. 

A gap year can give you the chance to reflect on your academic choices and career journey, allowing you to get the grades you desire so that you’re best prepared for the next stage. 

It’s also a great opportunity to work, travel and gain some life experience. Living in the adult world outside of school can really broaden your horizons and put your things in perspective. 

It’s a good idea to explore other options before you decide you want to commit to years of studying in higher education. It is rightfully not for everyone and there is nothing wrong with that!

How to Retake A-Level Exams

You can only retake the A-level exams the following year in May or June. However, you do not have to redo all of your coursework if you are satisfied with your grades.

Like GCSEs, you can register to take your A-level resit at school, at your college or sixth form or online. Speak to your school first about your options as they can help find the best one for you. 

Resitting A-levels can be a bit tricky as they often require you to be registered at a school or college past the point you were expected to graduate. This means there may be hidden costs.

There are 2 main fees associated with resits, a course fee and an exam fee. If you want to come back and sit through the classes as you did the previous year, this requires a course fee that will be proportional to any tuition fees within your school. They can be very expensive in the region £1,000-2,000 and up! 

Some institutions will allow you to just pay the fee to register for the exam and sit the paper which is generally a flat rate of around £150-200. This will essentially set you up as a private candidate.

Private candidates will not have access to the same level of support and resources as students in schools or colleges. This means self-discipline, time management and effective self-study skills are essential for success.

pay an exam centre to take the qualification there. This can be beneficial if you prefer to work at your own pace or need to focus on targeted areas of the curriculum to pass.

"Self-study" doesn’t mean you have to face it alone though, you can always enlist the help of a private 1-to-1 tutor to help guide you to the grade you want. To retake as a private candidate, you will need to contact local schools or colleges around six months before you want to sit your exam to register and pay the exam fees. 

Can you have your exam paper remarked?

Yes, you can have your paper remarked. This leaves the possibility that you could get a higher grade but it is also possible the grade will go down.

There is a short window after results day where you can ask for this so make your intentions clear to your teacher as soon as possible.

The exam board usually assigns a different examiner to mark your paper again to determine if it was marked inaccurately the first time.

Depending on the exam board, an appeal can sometimes be charged £30, while others will carry out free reviews. It is exceptionally rare for grades to improve by more than a few marks - so be cautious to only do this if you are right on the cusp of a vital grade boundary. 

Finally, your grades can be appealed where you may have been unfairly marked due to mitigating circumstances (also called special consideration). 

This can be previously undisclosed acute/chronic health conditions, or family news that could have hindered their performance. Usually, this is expected to be disclosed prior to sitting the exam.

Appeals require a lot of proof and paperwork, especially acting in retrospect, but there might be the possibility to move up a grade boundary if successful and save you waiting for a resit.

Decompress & Celebrate

Once all of the time-sensitive decisions are taken care of for now, make time to celebrate your achievements. There are thousands of people that haven’t got as far as you have.

Everyone likes to decompress differently - it’s all about understanding what works for you. Stress-relieving activities can go a long way at a time like this, especially activities that you enjoy that either require your focus or you always find relaxing. 

This could be playing sports, video games, meditating, taking a bath or taking a walk in nature. You will feel more like celebrating once you have cleared your head and discussed with your parents and teacher what to do next.

Now is the time to go out for a family dinner or get your favourite takeaway, spend time with friends and make sure you end the day with a smile on your face.