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  3. Exam resits
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 retaking your exams if you're not happy.

Cost of resitting exams

It might be free to retake your exams the year after you get your results. It usually depends on the grade you got, the subject you want to retake 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 retake

You can usually retake 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 get 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 grade 4 or above in one or both subjects at 16. 

Depending on your circumstances, there are different English and maths qualifications you can take. For example, you could take a level 2 functional skills qualification which allows you to apply English and maths in real life.

You could:

  • continue studying GCSE English, GCSE maths, or both if you have a GCSE grade 3 and are studying full-time
  • study towards a functional skills level 2 qualification if you have a grade 2 or below
  • start by doing an approved qualification at level 1 or below, which will help you to progress onto level 2

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

Arranging an exam retake

You should contact your school or college if you want to retake 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
  • think about whether you’re likely to get the grade you want if you retake 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 get the grades you expected, a gap year can give you time to:

Alternatives to retaking exams

Even if you did not get 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.



Helpline

If you need advice about your exam results or next steps, you can call our helpline to chat to a careers adviser.

Call us on 0800 100 900 during our opening times or chat to an adviser through webchat.