How to retake Maths GCSE

Do I have to resit Maths GCSE?

Reasons for resitting GCSE Maths

Whether or not to resit Maths GCSE depends on what you want to do in the future. If you do not achieve a grade 4 in Maths at GCSE, then you will need to continue studying Maths while you are in education (until you are 18). The same applies to GCSE English. Do not feel embarrassed or ashamed if you need to resit GCSE exams; when I was teaching in a Sixth Form college in West Yorkshire I usually had more than 20 students in my resit class. I remember one student who was resitting Maths: she went on to achieve top grades in her A Levels, as well as securing a grade 4 at GCSE Maths.

Another potential reason to resit your GCSE Maths course is that certain University courses will have specific entry requirements for GCSE Maths. Some courses, such as dentistry and medicine, will require you to have at least a grade 7. Therefore, even if you achieved a grade 4 at GCSE, you still might want to resit it.

Alternatives to resitting Maths GCSE

In some circumstances, you can study for an equivalent Maths qualification. A popular option is Level 2 Functional Skills. A lot of my former students took this qualification and passed within a year! 

Stepping stone qualifications are courses that have lower demands than Level 2 Functional Skills, such as Level 1 Functional Skills or Entry Level Maths. If you study one of these courses and pass then you will then need to study GCSE Maths or Level 2 Functional Skills. However, if you pass Level 2 Functional Skills or achieve a grade 4 at GCSE Maths, you will no longer be required to study Maths. Of course, you might have developed a love for Maths and wish to study it further! One of my old students passed her GCSE Maths resit and then went on to achieve a grade C at Level 3 Core Maths.

Is GCSE Maths resit any different from GCSE Maths?

The qualification itself is no different. However, you can try a different tier or a different exam board.

Foundation or Higher

Most of the students in my resit classes were entered for the Higher tier at GCSE and achieved a grade 3. They came to my lessons hating Maths as they were taught topics that they found challenging. I would always advise that students who are resitting their GCSE study the Foundation tier as they will find it easier. Many students end up liking Maths again as they go from being able to answer less than 10% of a Higher paper to more than 70% of a Foundation paper. In 2018, I taught a class of 24 resit students and 20 of them gained a grade 4 within the first year. Two of them achieved a grade 4 in the November exams but decided to stay in my class for the rest of the year and ended up achieving a grade 5!

Different exam boards

Changing the exam board can also help you as they each have a different style. Pearson Edexcel is the most popular exam board for GCSE. However, AQA have a few multiple-choice questions at the start of their papers, which might boost your confidence at the start of an exam. In my college, I used to enter resit students for OCR as the questions were shorter. Also, OCR papers are out of 100 marks, whereas Edexcel and AQA papers are out of 80. This means that losing a mark on an OCR paper feels less scary as there are still 99 other marks available.

The logistics of resitting GCSE Maths

Where to resit GCSE Maths

If you are studying other qualifications at a school or college then it is very likely that they will support you through your resit. If you are not at a school or college then you can resit GCSE Maths as a private candidate. To do this you will need to contact an exam centre. This could be your old school, and you can ask them whether you can enter privately. Currently, you cannot actually sit your GCSE Maths exams online (although studying GCSE Maths via online learning is possible). As a result, you will need to be registered at a centre. There are lots of online courses available to help you with your GCSE resit, though our resources at Save My Exams cover everything that you need to ace your exams!

When to retake GCSE Maths

You can retake the exams in October/November or May/June. I normally encourage students to retake the exam as many times as they can, as this gives them more practice and can help reduce anxiety. Usually, the students who got a grade 4 in the October/November exams were the students who were only a couple of marks away in the summer. However, I have had a few surprises. One year, a student who got a grade 2 in Year 11 but who worked incredibly hard at the start of Year 12 achieved a grade 4 when she got her results in January. On the other hand, some students prefer waiting until the summer to sit the exam so that they can build up their confidence at their own pace.

How much does it cost to resit GCSE Maths?

If you do not have a grade 4 and are under 18 then you can retake your GCSE Maths for free. If you are studying at a school or college then they will enter you. If you are not studying or if you are over 18 then you can still resit the GCSE Maths for free, and you might even be able to find a centre that offers night classes or online classes.

If you already have at least a grade 4 but want to resit GCSE Maths to get a higher grade, then you will likely have to pay the exam fees yourself. Currently the cost is around £50. However, that is just for the exam entry, so you might have to pay extra for course fees. One of my previous students told me that it was the best money he had ever spent. He wanted to study dentistry at university and he needed a grade 8, rather than the grade 7 he achieved in Year 11. For him, resitting the exam enabled him to study the university course he wanted.

How to prepare for GCSE retakes

Studying for further education courses can be more challenging than studying for GCSEs. As you develop your study skills, you will find that studying for GCSE Maths becomes easier. A lot of my previous students told me that they only revised using material given by their teachers for GCSE. However, in my classes, we would regularly look at past papers and interrogate the syllabus to fully understand what they need to know to pass. Some students would make flashcards and revision posters. My best tip for passing GCSE Maths is to make sure you do regular practice. Even when you think you have mastered a topic, practise it at least once a fortnight to make sure it stays in your head.

When are the results published?

For October/November exams, you will get your GCSE results in January. It is very important that you continue studying during the time before results are published as if you do not get a grade 4 you will have to resit it again in the summer. When I was teaching, I used to spend this time doing project work and investigations, often using the old GCSE Maths coursework topics. Also, I would focus on the grade 4/5 topics in case anyone who achieved a 4 in January wanted to resit again and aim for a 5! For May/June exams, you will get your GCSE grade in August.

GCSE Maths Resits FAQs

What grade do I need to pass GCSE Maths?

A grade 1 to 3 is a Level 1 qualification and a grade of 4 or above is a level 2 qualification. Most jobs and further education courses require a pass at Level 2; therefore, you will need at least a grade 4.

Which GCSE Maths grade counts if I resit more than once?

Your best grade counts for you! An employer will not know how many times you had to retake your GCSE Maths, so sit the exam as many times as needed.

What happens if I leave education without a grade 4 in Maths?

It is not the end of the world! You will still be able to find a job and you might be able to continue on to higher education. My advice would be to try to resit the exam again as gaining a grade 4 will open up more job opportunities for you.

A final word from me

Do not panic if you do not achieve a grade 4 in GCSE Maths this summer - there is always next year! Be honest with yourself about how much effort you put into your studies and use your future goals as motivation to pass next time! Here at Save My Exams, we have created a set of concise revision notes aimed at the Foundation tier which will help you to ace your exams!