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So, you didn't get the GCSE results needed for your chosen Sixth Form College. Before you try any of our options below, contact your chosen college as soon as possible! They might let you in, anyway. If not, don’t worry! There are still options.
The grade that you achieve in your GCSE exams is typically a solid predictor of how well you'll perform in the subsequent A-levels or other advanced studies. In fact, it's actually the only reliable, concrete proof of your academic aptitude that a college can rely on.
The same goes for employers when you are looking to enter the workplace often these grades are a consideration when they are analysing your profile as a potential candidate. A scoring system that is based on GCSE grades is used by several sixth-form colleges to determine how well you're likely to perform. This is the colleges' way of assessing your competency as a potential candidate for the course.
The college must ensure that all of the students that they emit are capable of the attached workload of the respective courses. There is also a finite number of spaces on each course so your GCSEs are a great way for the college to attain the most desired candidates for their courses.
Five GCSE grades of 5 or 6 and five GCSE grades of 4 or 5 could roughly equate to a predicted CCD in A-level, whereas five GCSE grades of 9 or 7 would suggest AAA is feasible. Your score will go down as your GCSE scores go down, which could reduce the number of colleges and sixth forms that are available to you.
Ask if they are willing to be flexible if you are concerned that your grades won't be good enough for the sixth form or college you want to attend. If not, you may need to look into other options. While your GCSE results are certainly a great indicator of what sixth-form colleges you can attend, they are by no means the be-all and end-all of your academic journey.
There are countless options for students who are left unsatisfied with the results they achieve in their GCSE exams, from one-to-one tutoring to looking at different educational establishments. Let’s take a look at what you can do if you didn’t get the GCSE results needed for sixth-form college.
Consider Resitting the Exams
Speak to your chosen college before re-sit; some colleges may allow you to re-sit GCSEs alongside your AS Levels.
It is true that many students do far better in re-sits, but your teacher will know your capabilities well. If your teacher believes you won’t improve, it might not be worth the effort.
The first option that might come to mind when opening a set of results that you are unhappy with is likely that you are going to be resting on the exams. This is the most common option for students who fail to get into their sixth-form college of choice.
Resetting your GCSE exams is certainly something that you should consider, though it is by no means the only option out there. Keep in mind that taking tests again might be isolating and add to your workload.
Remember that A-Levels are a significant improvement over GCSEs while making your choice. You actually don't have to go through AS and A2 exactly when everyone else does if you choose to take an extra year to prepare for sixth form and earn higher GCSE scores.
Ask for a Remark
You would be surprised how many papers are misgraded each year. Many students who send their grades in to be rechecked end up jumping up a grade in the respective subject. If you have reviewed your paper and feel that there may have been a mistake in the correction process, there might well have been.
If you feel you have listened well in classes, understood the tasks, and your mark does not reflect how well you performed, you can request a remark. The more subjective the subject is, the more chance the score could change. In other words, you’re more likely to get a remark in English or Humanities subjects than in Maths and Science.
It might be worth it to only request the "clerical" remark service for the less subjective subjects (i.e., did the examiner forget to mark any questions or add your marks up incorrectly) it frequently costs less. If you're just a few marks above a grade border, this could be a risky tactic. Ask your subject instructor for guidance on this and keep in mind that your mark could go up as well as down.
Putting your exams in for a remark might just get you over the line for being accepted to a sixth-form college of your choice. Your examiner will likely have thousands of papers to correct, so it isn't inconceivable that there ought to be some mistakes in the grading. While you shouldn't be flippant with this, there is nothing to lose by asking for a remark.
Results day can be tough, make sure to consult a survival guide to get through it.
Search for Another College
Opening your GCSE results can give you a shock. Let’s face it, the likelihood of you getting the exact grades that you had hoped for in every subject is actually quite slim. It is likely that some of your grades will be above or below what you had hoped for in the first place. So expect to be surprised when opening your results envelope on the big day.
Search for another college with lower entry requirements. You’ll need to contact the college admissions to check if there are still free places. As always, ask your school careers adviser for help and advice on this. Please don’t make a rushed decision; it takes time to discuss the pros and cons of each college choice. However, it is important that you make the phone calls nice and early and see what options you still have.
You will just have finished your secondary school education and will be introduced into the real world, one of complete freedom.
Don't be too disheartened. Remember that you will have the option to pursue just about any career path that you desire, regardless of what GCSE results in you receive on the day.
If you are not admitted to the sixth-form college of your choice, you should consider other options. You could always enrol in an apprenticeship program, which would let you graduate ahead of your peers while working for a sizable business or organization. A City and Guilds apprenticeship is an additional option that combines professional credentials with on-the-job training.
For useful advice, contact the National Careers Service. For assistance on alternative careers, you can always speak with a professional tutor. Many of them have already surmounted the difficult challenges of university admissions and are experts at helping students get into Oxbridge and Russell Group universities.
It is important that we know how to target support for disadvantaged students and help them learn.
Retake the Year
To get the grades needed to enrol at your preferred college, you could retake the year. Make sure your selected college will admit you if you decide to retake the year before pursuing this option.
Retaking the year may initially feel challenging and isolating, but many students find that A Levels are a considerable step up from GCSEs, so there may be benefits to taking one more year to get ready for 6th form. You can work on new and divergent ways of thinking.
You're also not required to retake the exam at the same institution. You might find it more appealing to study for your GCSE exams in an entirely new environment. You can study at home, with the help of a private tutor if necessary, and take your examinations as an external candidate.
There are 5th and 6th form colleges that specialise in helping students through GCSE resits. A knowledgeable tutor ought to be able to assist you with everything from being more creative in your Art and English studies, to subjects like Maths and Science.
At a nearby school or college, you can sign up to retake your GCSEs. You will therefore have a schedule and go to classes with other GCSE students.
Other Options
There are many options out there, some of which have very high job prospects.
You could consider other options such as vocational courses or apprenticeships. Again, speak to your careers adviser for help and guidance on this. In certain industries, you may find that an apprenticeship helps you to achieve your dream career.
Understanding how we learn is equally as important for teachers as it is for students.
Figure out the next steps with Superprof!
The most effective strategy for you to ensure your admittance into a sixth-form college and achieve the best GCSE scores may be working with a personal tutor.
Learning from a certified Superprof tutor is a great way to support any lessons you may be taking to advance your growth and maximize your GCSE tests.
Finding a certified tutor to help you with your GCSE test preparation used to be challenging, which might have discouraged you from asking for help.
This method is especially easy for GCSE students to employ on Superprof because the platform lets you customize your search to meet your specific needs. Based on their eligibility for criteria like cost, experience level, and vicinity, you can reduce the pool of potential tutors.
Even under the best circumstances, studying for your GCSEs may be difficult. You'll be happy to know that online coaching using a webcam and pre-recorded video sessions allows you to choose to learn remotely from the comfort of your home.
You will receive some much-needed advice on how to practice the topic best and, more importantly, where you can improve by working with a teacher from Superprof.
This will help you to get that place in your dream sixth-form college even if you don’t get the results that you had hoped for!
If you are underwhelmed with the grades that you receive for the GCSE examinations don’t worry it’s not the end of the world. In fact, it’s actually far from it.
Even if you underperform in your GCSE exams you still should be able to take the subjects that you want at a higher level for the A-levels. As big of a deal as it might seem at the time, it won’t impact the course of your career path majorly.
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