Failed your A Levels? Waiting to get your results back? Then you might be reassured to know that you can resit as many A Levels as you like.
In fact, it can be a great way to improve your A Level grades and open up further opportunities in your future studies or career.
Here, we’ll walk you through your options for how to resit your A Levels and answer all your questions.
Can I resit my A Levels?
Yes! Anyone can resit their A Levels, regardless of their grades or age.
It’s also up to you how many A Levels you want to resit. You could choose to resit them all, or just resit one A Level to bump up a grade you were disappointed with.
Just bear in mind that A Level resits only take place once a year – at the same time as the general A Level exams.
This means that, if you missed out on the grades to get into your top-choice uni, resitting your A Levels isn’t an immediate fix.
Rather, you’ll need to delay your entry to university by a year and reapply for your chosen university with a new personal statement.
How many times can you resit A Levels?
There’s no limit to how many times you can resit your A Levels.
Rather, you can resit them as many times as you like.
Having said that, it’s best to aim for a successful first attempt, as resitting your A Levels can be costly and time-consuming.
Plus, although universities generally accept resits, they might not look so favourably upon multiple retakes.
How to resit A Levels
When it comes to resitting your A Levels, there’s no one right route.
Rather, you’ll typically have a few routes to choose from. The best for you will depend on factors like your age and why you’re resitting your exams.
- Return to study at your original school or college
- Study at an alternative college
- Take an online course
- Retake your A Levels as a private candidate
If you’re under 19, your sixth form or college may agree to let you retake your whole year for free.
However, there’s no guarantee. And anyway, you might prefer to study for your resits in your own time rather than returning to the classroom.
In this case, you may benefit from a more flexible online course, or from retaking your A Levels as a private candidate.
Whatever you choose, the last thing you want to do is commit to a resit without investing in the support you need to improve on your grades.
So, we wouldn’t recommend going it completely alone.
Instead, if you want to retake your A Levels as a private candidate (or you simply want some extra support alongside your work in the classroom), why not get the help of an A Level tutor?
They’ll be able to level up your knowledge and exam technique in just an hour or two a week. They can keep you on track, hold you accountable, and help you to wrap your head around any difficult concepts.
In this way, you can give yourself the best chance of reaching your full potential in your retakes so they’re worthwhile.
Browse expert, vetted tutors, message free, and book instantly.
How much does it cost to resit A Levels?
Exactly how much it costs to resit A Levels can vary depending on factors like your age and what route you want to take.
If you’re under 19, your sixth form or college may agree to let you retake your whole year, including the exams themselves, for free. But there’s no guarantee.
If not, you’ll have two main costs to bear in mind:
- Tuition fees. These can vary hugely depending on where you choose to study – from a few hundred pounds to over £1,500 per subject.
- Exam fees. If not included in the course, you can expect to pay anywhere from £65 to £400+ per subject depending on the exam centre, plus an admin fee of around £20 to £100+ per subject.
Depending on how much support you need, resitting an exam as a private candidate with the support of a tutor can often work out cheaper than paying to complete a whole course.
A Level tutor prices can vary depending on the subject and your tutor’s level of experience. But you’re looking at an average rate of £41.88 per hour.
Why resit A Levels?
Usually, learners choose to resit A Levels because they’re disappointed with their exam results, or they missed out on the grades they need to take the next step in their education or career.
For instance, they might have missed the grades they need to get into their top-choice university.
However, you don’t need to have a specific reason to resit an A Level.
Rather, it’s completely up to you.
You’ll just have to assess whether the potential improvement to your grades is worth the time and financial commitment. There’s no one right answer!
What are some alternatives to resitting A Levels?
If you’re disappointed with your A Level grades, resitting the exams isn’t your only option.
Rather, there are a few alternatives that may be a better fit for your situation.
Here are some options to consider.
1. Talk to the university
If you’ve missed the grades you need to get into your chosen university, don’t immediately assume you’ve lost your chance at a place.
It’s always worth talking to them to see if there’s anything they can do.
They may be able to take into account other factors besides your grades – like your personal statement, mitigating circumstances, or even socio-economic background.
This is especially the case if lots of students have missed out on the requirements for their conditional offer.
2. Apply for a remark
If you’ve only missed the grades you need in one subject, it may be worth getting your paper remarked – especially if you were near the grade boundary.
This involves a second examiner reviewing your paper to identify genuine marking errors or unreasonable marking.
It will also include a clerical re-check to make sure that all marks were properly tallied up and your result matches the marks on your paper.
Just bear in mind that your grade could go down as well as up!
3. Apply for clearing
If your first-choice university won’t relax the entry requirements for you, you could consider looking at other university options.
Clearing is a process that matches applicants to university places that are yet to be filled.
In this way, it can open the door to many opportunities, as lots of universities in this position will accept students who didn’t quite reach the grade requirements for certain courses.
You may even get accepted to study at a university that you thought was out of your league!
Find a tutor to help you ace your A Level resits
As you can see, resitting an A Level or two can be a great option if you’re keen to improve your A Level grades.
But you’ll want to put in the work and invest in the right support to make sure that you stand a good chance of getting the grades you need this time around.
After all, resitting an A Level is a big commitment – both in terms of time and money. So, it’s not something you want to be doing repeatedly.
With that in mind, make sure you read our advice on how to revise for your A Levels, and the best A Level revision techniques to try.
And remember that our expert tutors can help you to reach your full potential in your A Level resits.
Our A Level tutors are all carefully handpicked and have at least two years of experience. So, they’ll know exactly how to turn your weaknesses into strengths and those disappointing grades into results you’re proud of!
Browse expert, vetted tutors, message free, and book instantly.
FAQs
Can I resit AS Levels?
Yes, you can resit AS Levels. However, just like resitting A Levels, you’ll need to wait until spring/summer to do so. This is because AS Level resits only take place once a year, during the usual exam season.
Do universities care if you resit A Levels?
Most universities accept resits, and won’t necessarily look upon a resit negatively.
Your personal statement is a great place for you to explain your reasons for resitting an A Level or two. So, use it as an opportunity to shout about your desire to achieve your goals, and your ability to overcome obstacles!
Can you retake A Level for free?
That depends. If you’re under 19, your sixth form or college may agree to let you retake your whole year for free.
However, this will be at the discretion of your sixth form or college, as there’s no requirement for them to offer this.
How much does it cost to resit an A Level?
How much it costs to resit an A Level can vary depending on factors like your sixth form or college, how old you are, whether you decide to retake as a private candidate, and your exam centre.
However, as a rough guide, tuition fees tend to range from a few hundred pounds to over £1,500 per subject.
Meanwhile, if they’re not included in the course, exam fees can cost anywhere from £65 to £400+ per subject, plus an admin fee of around £20 to £100+ per subject.
