A guide for parents · August to November
Resits and remarks
After results day there are two ways to change a grade: a review of marking, which the school asks the board for within a few weeks, and a resit. GCSE English Language and maths can be resat in November by students who are 16 or over; everything else is resat the following summer.
Reviews of marking
Only the school (or the exam centre) can ask for a review, and it usually starts by asking the board for a copy of the marked paper so the teacher can see whether a review is worth it. The board charges a fee, normally refunded if the grade goes up. The rules and deadlines are in JCQ’s post-results services.
Resitting GCSE English and maths
In England, a student who finishes Year 11 without a grade 4 in English or maths must keep studying it after 16, and one with a grade 3 must normally resit the GCSE. The government’s condition of funding has the details, and the sixth form or college organises the resit.
The November series is for these two subjects only. Its dates are on the GCSE exam timetable.
Resitting A levels
A level exams are sat only in the summer, so a resit is a year later, taken at a school or college or as a private candidate at an exam centre that accepts them. Every exam paper is sat again, although a coursework mark can sometimes be carried forward; ask the school or college.
Where to check
Checked against these on . The rules change from year to year, so the pages above are the ones to trust if anything here disagrees with them.
Common questions
Does a resit replace the old grade?
Each sitting has its own result, and universities and employers usually go by the best one. For a university application, check whether the course asks for grades from the first sitting.
Can you resit GCSEs as an adult?
Yes, as a private candidate at an exam centre that accepts them. The centre charges its own fees and sets its own deadlines.
How long does a review of marking take?
Usually a few weeks, faster under the priority service for an A level student whose university place depends on the grade. The school can say which applies.
Is it worth resitting a grade 3 in maths?
In England a student with a grade 3 must normally keep studying maths towards a resit anyway, and a grade 4 opens many courses and jobs that ask for one, so the time is rarely wasted.