Results day can feel tough when things haven’t gone to plan. Seeing a D or an E on your results sheet can feel like a door has closed, and it’s natural to worry that every plan has just slipped away. That feeling is real, and it’s completely understandable. But it doesn’t mean your options have vanished.
A D or E at A-level does mean some doors close. But it also leaves others open, sometimes ones you haven’t even considered yet. We’re not here to gloss over things. It’s about being honest about what’s changed, and helping you work out what feels right for you next.
The First Thing to Know
- A D or E is a setback, but it’s rarely the end it feels like in the moment
- There are still real paths ahead
- The next step is finding the one that fits you best
What a D or E Grade Actually Closes Off
It’s worth being honest about what these grades do change. Knowing what’s actually affected helps you focus on the options that are still open.
The Realistic Impact
- Your firm and insurance offers may fall through: If either required grades you haven’t met, that specific offer is very likely no longer available in its original form, particularly for competitive, high-grade-requirement courses
- Highly selective courses become harder to access this cycle: Courses with high entry requirements (many Russell Group courses, medicine, dentistry, veterinary science, and similar) are the least likely to have Clearing space at grades significantly below their normal requirements
- Some specific subject requirements may not be met: If a D or E landed in a subject that was a named requirement for your course (maths for many quantitative degrees, for example), that’s a more specific problem than a general grade shortfall
What It Does NOT Automatically Mean
- It doesn’t mean you can’t go to university this year. Thousands of students with results below their original offers secure good places through Clearing every single results day
- It doesn’t mean every course or university is now off the table. A huge range of course availability exists precisely at the grade profile many students find themselves with after a results day setback
- It doesn’t mean this is a permanent verdict on your ability. A mismatch between potential and exam-day performance is common, and resitting remains a genuine option if that’s the right path for you
Your Options Now
There are four main paths forward. Understanding each one helps you figure out which fits your situation and what you actually want next.
Option One: Clearing
Most students in this position use Clearing. It’s not just a last resort, and it’s worth knowing how it actually works.
How Clearing Actually Works
The Basics
- Clearing runs from early July through to mid-October, and it’s how universities fill any places left on their courses after the main application cycle
- If your firm and insurance offers haven’t come through, your UCAS Hub application will show you’re eligible for Clearing, usually shortly after results are released on the morning of results day
- Tens of thousands of students find a place through Clearing every year. It’s a normal route, not just a backup plan
What’s Genuinely Available in Clearing
- Lots of courses and universities take part in Clearing, including many that are well respected. It’s not just for courses at the bottom of the list
- Some particularly high-demand courses (medicine and dentistry especially) rarely have Clearing places, so it’s worth being realistic about which subjects are more or less likely to have availability
- Entry requirements in Clearing are sometimes lower than the usual offer, but they’re still real. Always check the grades listed for each course, rather than guessing
Practical Steps If You’re Using Clearing
- Research courses in advance where possible, even before you have your results, so you’re not starting from nothing on the day itself
- Call universities directly and be ready to talk honestly about why you’re interested. The person on the phone is looking for a good fit, not just ticking boxes
- You can only hold one Clearing choice in your UCAS Hub at a time, though you’re free to call around several universities before committing
- Keep an open mind about course and location. Lots of students end up somewhere they hadn’t planned and are glad they did
Things to Be Aware Of
- Sometimes universities still accept you, even if you’ve just missed your offer. It’s always worth calling your firm or insurance choice before you assume it’s all over
- If you did better than expected and want to look at other options, remember that turning down a confirmed place can’t be undone. Take your time with that decision
Option Two: Degree Apprenticeships
Degree apprenticeships don’t get talked about as much as Clearing, but they’re worth a proper look, especially if your main goal is a particular career, not just the university experience.
What a Degree Apprenticeship Actually Offers
- A genuine degree, earned while working: Degree apprenticeships combine paid employment with part-time study, leading to a full bachelor’s (or sometimes master’s) degree. The employer and government cover tuition fees, so there’s no cost to the apprentice
- Available across a wide range of fields: Engineering, digital and technology, construction, finance, healthcare, law, and many other sectors run degree apprenticeship schemes, often with well-known employers
- Entry requirements can be different from standard degree routes: Some degree apprenticeships have their own entry criteria that don’t map directly onto typical UCAS tariff points, so it’s worth checking specific schemes rather than assuming your grades rule you out
- You earn a salary while you learn: This is a real difference from the usual student finance route
Why It’s Worth Thinking About This as a Real Option
- Competition for popular degree apprenticeship places can be significant, since demand has grown considerably as more employers and students recognise the value of the route
- For students whose real interest is a specific career path rather than academic study for its own sake, this route can be a better fit than a traditional degree, not just an alternative to one
- It’s worth looking into this properly, not just as a plan B. Some students end up preferring it once they know what it’s actually like
How to Explore It
- Search specifically for degree apprenticeships in fields you’re interested in. Major employers, professional bodies, and apprenticeship websites all list current opportunities
- Applications for degree apprenticeships often run on a different, sometimes rolling timetable to standard UCAS deadlines. It’s worth checking timing and application windows directly with each scheme
Option Three: Foundation Years
A foundation year is a bridge for students whose grades or subjects don’t quite match the entry requirements for the degree they want. It’s often overlooked, but it can make a real difference.
What a Foundation Year Actually Does
- An extra preparatory year before the degree proper: A foundation year sits before the standard three (or four) years of a degree, building up the subject knowledge or academic skills needed to succeed on the full course
- Often integrated with a specific degree: Many universities offer a foundation year directly attached to a named degree, so successful completion leads straight into year one of that course, at the same institution
- Designed for students who don’t meet the usual entry grades: Foundation years are often a real option when a direct application isn’t possible
- Particularly common in STEM subjects: Foundation years are widely available for engineering, sciences, and similar subjects, often for students whose A-level subject combination or grades don’t quite match the direct-entry requirements
Why a Foundation Year Is Worth Considering
- It keeps a specific degree and university genuinely in reach, rather than settling for a different course purely because the grades didn’t work out for the original plan
- It adds a year to your overall time in education, which is worth weighing up against starting a slightly different degree straight away
- Many students who take a foundation year do really well in their degree, because that extra year helps, not just delays things
How to Find Foundation Year Options
- Look directly at the course pages for universities and subjects you’re interested in. Foundation year options and their specific entry requirements are usually listed alongside the standard direct-entry version of the course
- This can also come up as an option during a Clearing phone call, if an admissions team suggests it as an alternative to a course you don’t quite have the grades for directly
Option Four: Resitting
Resitting is the option that needs the most careful thought. It comes with real costs, like time and often money, but it can also bring real benefits.
The Practical Reality of Resitting
The Logistics
- For the main UK exam boards (AQA, Pearson Edexcel, OCR, WJEC), A-level resits only run in the summer exam series. There’s no autumn or winter resit window, so a resit means waiting roughly a year for the next opportunity
- Entry deadlines for resits are typically in February or March the year before the exam, so this isn’t a decision to leave until the last minute if you go this route
- You don’t have to resit the same subjects, or even use the same board or route. Some students study independently, through a college, or with focused tutoring support for the specific resit
How Universities View Resits
- Most universities, including highly selective ones, do accept resit grades. Oxford and Cambridge, for example, do consider applicants with A-level resits, and resitting is not automatically viewed negatively
- Universities can see that grades were resat, but a demonstrated improvement is generally read as commitment and resilience, not as a mark against you
- It’s worth checking individual course requirements, as some highly competitive courses may have specific policies about resits that are worth knowing in advance
What Resitting Is Genuinely Good For
- A specific, identifiable reason for underperformance that’s realistically fixable: exam anxiety that responds to preparation, a difficult personal circumstance during the exam period, or a genuine mismatch between coursework ability and exam technique
- A course or university that’s genuinely important enough to you to justify an extra year, rather than a general sense that “better grades would be nice”
- An honest look at whether you can realistically improve with focused work, not just hope alone
What Resitting Is Less Well Suited To
- If you don’t enjoy the subject, or if there are big gaps in your understanding, a second try often leads to the same result. It’s worth being honest with yourself about this
- If you’re not sure the original degree was right for you, resitting might not be the answer. Sometimes it’s less about grades and more about what you really want
Deciding What’s Right for You
This is the hard part. It’s not really “resit or give up.” It’s more about which of the paths in front of you fits what you want next.
Questions to Ask Yourself
- Is there a specific, identifiable reason for the result that’s genuinely different from your normal performance, and realistically fixable with another attempt?
- Is the course or university important enough to you to justify an extra year, financially and personally, compared to starting a related course now through Clearing or a foundation year?
- What do your teachers genuinely think about whether meaningful improvement is achievable, based on your actual coursework and classwork performance across the year, not just this result?
- Have you honestly explored what’s available right now through Clearing, degree apprenticeships, and foundation years, rather than assuming resitting is the only path back to a good outcome?
- How would you feel starting the resit year? Motivated by a clear goal, or just not wanting to accept a different path? The first tends to keep you going through a tough year; the second often doesn’t
Clearing, an apprenticeship, or a foundation year aren’t consolation prizes. They’re just different routes that might suit you better.
A Final Thought
Results day can feel like a verdict, but it’s really just information: one set of results from one day. What you do next is still up to you, and your options are wider than they might seem at first.
A D or an E is real, and it’s okay to feel disappointed. But it’s not the whole story.
Support for Whichever Path You Choose
Whether you’re thinking about a resit or starting something new, having the right support can make all the difference.
Experienced tutors can help you with:
- Honest feedback on resit potential, based on a real look at where your understanding actually stands in each subject
- Focused subject support during a resit year, targeting the specific gaps that affected your original result
- Bridging support before a foundation year or new course, to start the next chapter with confidence
Find a Tutor to Help You Decide What’s Next
Because your options are wider than you think right now.
