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Group of students sat in an exam hall.
Group of students sat in an exam hall.

Exam resits

Advice and information if you're considering taking your exams.

Not everyone gets the grades they want the first time. It's okay to consider resitting your exams if you're not happy.

Cost of resitting exams

It might be free to resit your exams the year after you get your results. It usually depends on the grade you got, the subject you want to resit and the type of school or college you attend.

You should check with your school or college to see if you need to pay to resit your exam.

Dates for resitting exams

You can resit GCSE English and maths, and T Level core assessments, in either the autumn or summer exams. Your school or college will carefully consider whether to enter you for the November resit exams, based on whether they think you’re ready to improve your grade. 

For all other exams, you'll need to take them next year during the usual exam period.

Subjects you can resit

You can usually resit any exam you want. You can speak to your institution about what the best option is for you.

English and maths resits

If you did not achieve the GCSE English and maths grades you were hoping for, you may be able to retake them.

You’ll need to continue studying English, maths or both, if you’re on a 16 to 19 study programme or T Level and do not have a GCSE grade 4 or above in one or both subjects at 16. 

Depending on your circumstances and which GCSEs you've already achieved,  there are different steps you can. 

If you achieved a grade 3, and are studying full time, you'll need to continue studying GCSE English, GCSE maths or both. This is because you're close to achieving a grade 4. 

If you achieved a grade 2 or below, the qualification you study will depend on what you and your provider feel is most suitable for your progression towards level 2. 

You'll need to either

  • study GCSE English, GCSE maths, or both 
  • study towards a Functional Skills level 2 qualification 
  • start by doing an approved qualification at level 1 or below, which will help you to progress towards level 2

Your institution will be able to advise you what the best route for you is.

Arranging an exam resit

You should contact your school or college if you want to resit an exam or assessment.

Things to consider

To help you decide if a resit is right for you, you might want to:

  • check that the topics included on the exam will stay the same
  • talk to your provider or teacher about whether you’re likely to achieve the grade you want if you resit the exam
  • check that the university you want to go to accepts resit marks as some only accept them in certain circumstances

Gap years

You could resit your exams during a gap year.

If you did not achieve the grades you expected, a gap year can give you time to:

Alternatives to resitting exams

Even if you did not achieve the grades you wanted, you still have lots of options to choose from.

Take a look at all the different post 16 options and post 18 options available to you.

Special educational needs (SEND) advice

You can get education advice if you're disabled or have special educational needs. 

It may help you choose what you'd like to do next.