GCSE Resits: How to Improve Your Grade

Missing out on your desired grades for your GCSEs can be really disappointing. Resits can allow you to improve your grade by having another go at your exams, but it can be challenging to know what you need to do to be submitted for a resit or how to improve your grades to avoid repeating your disappointment. In this article I, an experienced teacher, aim to guide you through the stages of this process to help you to achieve the best grades you can in your resits. 

This article will be particularly relevant to students who scored less than a grade 4 on GCSE English and Maths because these students are legally required to resit these subjects until they score a 4 or above. If they also fail the resit then they must continue resitting up until the age of 18. If you are in this circumstance this article will help to provide support to get you through this challenging process. 

How to Resit Your GCSEs

The easiest way to resit your GCSEs is to go through your school. Approach the exams officer at your school and they will be able to offer you advice based on your specific circumstances. If you scored below a 4 on English and/or Maths then it is likely that they will reach out to you. If the school agrees that a resit is the best option for you then the school will deal with the paperwork and guide you through the examination process. 

If your school is not able to assist you with signing up for a resit then there is an option to submit yourself as a private candidate. You will still be expected to go through the exams officer at a school or private examination centre but you will have to pay for the resit yourself and provide the relevant information to the exam board such as your personal information, exam entry codes, your Unique Candidate Identifier (UCI), and your Unique Learner Number (ULN). 

You can find additional information for your specific circumstance by searching on the website of your exam board. For example AQA has a page dedicated to supporting the students and parents of private candidates. 

When Are GCSE Resits?

If you fail your GCSE English or Maths you will have the opportunity to resit your exams the following November. 

Not every exam/subject has a November exam series so you may need to wait until the following summer if you want to resit any other subject. You can find information about exam dates on your exam board website by searching for an “exam timetable”. 

Where to Resit Your GCSEs

A school or college

The best place to resit your GCSEs is the school where you originally took them because they have access to all of your information already and will be able to easily facilitate any access requirements you have to ensure the smoothest process. If you attended one school for GCSE but moved school for A Level you should enquire with the exams officer at your new school about doing the resit to make it logistically easier for yourself. 

If you enter for a resit as a private candidate you can take your exams at any school that accepts private candidates. There are lists online of schools that accept candidates in this position. For your convenience I found a list on the AQA website that provides names of schools arranged by region. 

A private education/tuition centre 

As a private candidate it is also an option to take your resit in an examination centre that is not a regular school, such as a private education or tuition centre. The link I provided above also includes some examples of these options. 

How Much Does it Cost to Resit Your GCSEs?

The cost of a resit varies between exam boards so I will summarise some of this information below. If you enter for a resit as a private candidate you may be charged an administration fee by the examination centre so make sure you research the prices of different providers in your area to make sure you’re getting a good deal. 

Note this data is from 2024 and may change year-on-year. 

When Do GCSE Resit Results Come Out?

If you take your resit in the November series for English and Maths then the results day is in January. The results day in 2025 is on the 9th of January 2025. 

If you take your resit in the normal May/June exam series then the results day will be the usual GCSE results day in August. In 2025 this will be on the 21st of August 2025. 

Your results will be sent from the exam board to the exams officer of the examination centre you used and so they will coordinate with you how you will receive your results e.g. via email or in person. 

How to Prepare for Your GCSE Resits & Improve Your Grade

In order to improve your GCSE scores you need to make sure you’re optimising your revision strategy. There are lots of strategies that you can use. I’d recommend trying a few strategies to find the method that works best for your lifestyle and learning methods. 

1. Reviewing your old papers

You can request a copy of your failed exam papers from the exam board. There is a small fee involved in this process but many schools often offer to cover this cost so check with your teacher about this. Once you have received your paper you should review it with a teacher or tutor, going through every question and seeing where you went wrong and how you could improve. It is very valuable to learn from your past mistakes and you have the power to prevent yourself from repeating the same mistakes in your future attempt. 

2. Arrange for additional lessons with a teacher or tutor

If you’ve really struggled in a particular subject it may be the case that you were not suited to the classroom environment where you did your learning. A change of teacher or a 1-1 environment to review your specific difficulties could provide you with the opportunity to thrive in your learning.

The difficulty with this strategy is that it often costs money to hire a tutor and if you are not in a position to afford this then it may not be possible. I remember when I was a teacher I often ran 1-1 tutoring or small group sessions at lunchtime for students that were confident enough to ask for them. There are a lot of passionate educators out there that would be happy to support you for free if you seek out the help. 

3. Make sure you’re using active revision strategies

There are a wide number of revision strategies that you can use to prepare for your exams. Some of them are great and some are terrible. You need to make sure you’re using active revision techniques to quiz yourself, for example flashcards, mindmapping and teaching other people what you’ve learned. 

You can find out more information about some great revision strategies here. 

4. Complete as many past papers and exam questions as possible

The best way to improve your exam skills and prepare for your resits is to complete practice questions, either in past papers or from study resources like textbooks, revision guides and educational websites, such as Save My Exams. 

This is an effective active revision technique that will prepare you for how to best answer real exam questions. By marking your own work you can identify the topics you need to revise further or pick out key information from the mark schemes that will help you to succeed when faced with similar questions in the future. 

5. Plan your revision schedule well in advance

If you know your resit is in November or May you will have to be submitted for this well in advance of the exam date. As soon as you know you will be participating in a resit you should make a plan about what you’re going to revise and when. Break down your subject into topics and allocate dates for when you are going to revise each topic. Factor past paper time into your plan to make sure you’re using your time most effectively. 

You can find out more information about making a revision timetable here. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What Happens If You Do Worse in Your GCSE Resits?

If you get below a 4 on your GCSE English or Maths you are required to resit your exam again. You will have to continue resitting in November/May until you either score a 4 or above, or turn 18. 

For any other subjects if you score worse the second time you can either choose to resit again or you can choose not to and there will not be any consequence. 

How Many Times Can You Resit Your GCSEs?

There is no limit on how many times you can resit your GCSEs. You can continue submitting yourself for resits as a private candidate for an unlimited number of times. I generally wouldn’t recommend it! 

Do You Have to Resit Your GCSEs?

If you get below a 4 on your GCSE English or Maths you are required to resit your exam. You will have to continue resitting in November/May until you either score a 4 or above, or turn 18. 

For other subjects this is not required, even if you score below a 4. 

Is It Worth Resitting Your GCSEs?

If you get below a 4 on your GCSE English or Maths you are required to resit your exam. In any other circumstances I would not recommend it. 

If you can’t get into your desired A Level course with your low grades then perhaps you need to rethink whether you have chosen the right subjects for you. Unless you know that a specific circumstance really impacted your performance on the day of your exam and you know that if you resat it your performance would improve, then maybe it might be worth it in that circumstance. The transition to A Levels is challenging enough without also studying for unnecessary GCSE resits at the same time. 

Additionally, universities only very rarely look at your GCSE grades and care much more about A Level performance when considering your application, so it’s mostly worthwhile to make sure you focus on your A Levels instead. 

Are GCSE Resits Marked the Same as Summer Exams?

The marking process for the resits will be identical to the marking process that the summer exam submissions go through. The exam boards have thorough procedures in place to ensure accuracy and fairness. This means that every exam paper goes through the exact same marking process. 

Ace Your GCSEs with Save My Exams

Save My Exams is a revision website with amazing course-specific resources for GCSE and IGCSE students studying a huge range of exam boards and subjects. 

Save My Exams is a great resource to use while preparing for your GCSE resits because it provides concise revision notes and tutorial videos to fill in any gaps in your knowledge and also provides expert-written exam questions and flashcards so you can test yourself and ace your exam skills in advance of your resit exams. 

You can find all the Save My Exams resources you need here:

• GCSE revision resources

• IGCSE revision resources

References

AQA resource on how to enter an exam as a private candidate

AQA list of schools/centres that accept private exam candidates

Information on how to use active revision to prepare for your exams

Information on how to create an effective revision timetable