I Didn’t Get My Predicted Grades… What’s Next?

If you’re reading this post, you probably feel quite upset and despondent that you haven’t got the grades you hoped for – we feel for you. A-Levels are challenging for 16 to 18 year-olds, especially as you have three or four subjects you’re trying to get to grips with and study for. 

You will have been given a predicted grade based on all the available evidence of your studies; however, these are not always accurate, and with only a percentage of your grade coming from your coursework, it comes down mainly to how you perform on exam day. 

Not everyone performs well in exams and so it may seem unfair to judge you simply on the results of your exams, but universities need to make sure that you can study to a high level in your chosen discipline. They use your grades to ensure you meet certain basic requirements to give you a firm grounding for your course. For example, you won’t be accepted onto a HE (Higher Education)foreign language course without doing well in at least one language.

It is worth remembering, though, that not all universities are the same; some universities will require exact ABB, BBB, BCC grades or similar in particular subjects. However, many will convert your grades into UCAS points to gain acceptance onto a particular course. This is especially true where the course you want to take isn’t offered at A-Level, such as Philosophy or Tourism. So don’t give up hope if you haven’t managed to get the exact results you were required to achieve. 

Here are some options on what to do next if you’ve fallen short in either exact grades or UCAS points as a whole:

Negotiate with the university

Unless you’ve applied to one of the top-tier universities like Oxford or Cambridge, which have very strict entry requirements, your actual grades will not be the only thing taken into consideration by universities. There is a wealth of other things that are considered, such as the strength and passion of your application letter, relevant extracurricular studies, work experience positions, grades for completed coursework, teacher references, and strong GCSE results.

See our article on strong How to make your CV and personal statement sing. (to be written)

Get in touch with your university of choice and explain what has happened. They will be sympathetic to your cause and may ask you to provide an explanation which will be considered. For example, if you were ill or had an ill family member during the exam period, then this will undoubtedly have affected your ability to concentrate and can be a factor to consider. Some universities may let you know closer to the start of the course if all places have managed to be filled, and if not, there may be room for you to join even without the required grades – don’t forget they will make over £9,000 from you each year and won’t turn that down lightly.

Check out our article Negotiation is King!

Clearing

Go through UCAS Clearing. If a student doesn’t get offered the places they want due to their predicted or actual grades, Clearing provides a comprehensive list of every university course in the country which has not been filled and may be willing to take less academically capable students on to fill them. Clearing is open from 6^th July to 21^st October so you have time, but it may be worth getting onto the system early to get the most choice. 

Check out our article on clearing.

Resit your A-levels

If you’ve fallen well below expected grades and you can’t find a university willing to accept you onto your desired course, there is a chance you’ll have to resit your A-Levels. Take advice on this from your teachers and academic support staff, many of whom will be available on results day and in the days and weeks after it for you to discuss options.  

If you do want to resit your A-levels, consider where you would like to do so. Going back to the same Sixth form or college could make you feel like somewhat of a failure. You would be learning the same things with the same teachers but with students a year younger than you. A better option may be to head to college or do resits online. 

Do remember though, unlike when you took you’re a-levels at school, resits will come at a financial cost. Modules and exams had separate costs and it is best to start your research now to ensure you are fully prepared for all costs involved in resits. 

Take an Access to HE course

Take an ‘Access to HE’ course. There are hundreds of courses that you can go on that are open to adults too, which prepare you for study at university and show the admissions team university that you are indeed capable of learning to a high level. On successful completion, you will be given a Level 3 Diploma, your ticket into university.

There is plenty of information available on these courses on the Access to HE website.

Agree to a foundation year

If you fall short on your grades some universities may still accept you but on the agreement that you complete a foundation year. This will, in most cases add an additional year to your studies, but will ensure that you are fully prepared ahead of starting your first year of university. 

Check out our article about Foundation Year options. 

Gap Year

If none of the above options are helpful to you, you may even consider taking a gap year to figure out what you’re going to do. A gap-year can be quite valuable if you are not ready to jump straight into another three or four years of study and can be particularly useful if you failed to get your grades. Used wisely a gap-year can allow you to gain valuable work and life experince which will not only look good on a university application but can also ensure that you are fully prepared and often more financially secure when you do attend. 

Get a job

And if none of that works for you, then there are still plenty of options available. Not getting the grades you wanted isn’t the end of the world. There are plenty of other routes you can take, including apprenticeships, NVQs, internships, or perhaps getting a job. Many companies will offer jobs with training built in, and some will offer schemes where you can study for a degree through their in-house graduate programmes, meaning you can work and study at the same time and have the added bonus of being in the job can really help to add real-world experience to your education. 

As you can see, it’s not the end of the world if you didn’t meet your predicted grades. There are plenty of options open to you. 

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Read one of our interesting posts: A Student’s Guide to Studying Abroad.

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