GCSE Results Day - What You Need To Know
GCSE Results Day is earlier this year, falling on August 12th. The exams themselves were cancelled, and grades have been decided by teachers instead.
Teachers will have used performance in coursework, mock exams and tests in class to decide on GCSE grades for their students.
Results day has been brought forward because of this new way of awarding grades, and the possibility that some students may wish to appeal their grades.
What to do if you didn’t get the GCSE grades you were expecting
There are a few options available to you if your grades were not what you had expected:
Appealing Your GCSE Grade
In the first instance, speak to your teacher in the relevant subject, or your head of year if you think your grade may be incorrect. They will be able to help you with the appeals process.
It is important to bear in mind that an appeal will usually focus on whether your teacher followed the guidelines when it came to submitting and grading work. This means that appealing your grade could go either way - or it could stay the same. There is also the possibility that, for example, your work could conceivably have been graded as a high 4 or a low 5 - so even if you were really hoping for a 5, if your teacher has followed the processes correctly, your 4 grade will remain.
Resitting Your GCSEs
The exams regulator Ofqual has said there will be a full series of exams this autumn - so if you didn’t get the grades you needed, there is the opportunity to resit.
If you did not achieve at least a grade 4 or 5 (formerly a C) in your maths and English GCSEs, you will need to resit these in order to proceed to A Level or other study.
Of course, resitting your GCSEs will require a commitment to extra study - and this is something to bear in mind.
Changing Course Or Subject
If you needed certain grades in order to get into sixth form or college, it is worth speaking to them to see if they will still accept you with the grades you received.
If they won’t accept you on the original course you applied for, you could consider asking about any similar courses they offer. You may find that there is a different course that is a much better fit for you.
You may also be in a position where you have not achieved the grade you wanted in a particular subject, but have done better than expected in a different one. In this instance you may want to think about changing subjects.
It is also worth looking at different providers locally to you; you may find that a different college or sixth form offers a similar course to the one you want, but with different entry requirements. Many providers may also have found that they have spaces on their courses because fewer people achieved the entry requirements. If you only missed your target by one grade they may still accept you.
