Fortunately, you can still go to university if you fail your GCSE exams. Although universities commonly list GCSEs as an entry requirement for many universities, there are other elements of your academic past that university admissions will look for.
Therefore, there are plenty of options for retaking their GCSE courses. There is no penalty for failing your GCSEs, but you won't be able to complete your A-levels without it. There's also the fact that specific jobs require GCSEs, which would mean that failing your GCSEs will set you back.
GCSE examination resits
Most schools and colleges allow GCSE students to resit failed examinations. You can resit English and Maths exams in November and examinations in other subjects are then taken in the following June. You will need to double check the examination schedule with your school.
What is a Fail in GCSE? Anything below a 4 is a fail under the UK grading system, with U standing for 'ungraded', which was the same in the previous system.
The traditional boundary for a pass used to be a C grade but pupils now need either 4, for a standard pass, or 5, for a "strong pass." A grade of 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9 is a pass, and exams watchdog Ofqual has said that anyone who achieves the highest grade of a 9 has "performed exceptionally".
GCSEs are now graded 9-1, with 9 the highest grade. Vocational qualifications are graded pass, merit, distinction at level one, then level 2 pass (roughly equivalent to GCSE grade 4) then climbing to Level 2 distinction (roughly GCSE level 7) before the top grade of Level 2 Distinction star (L2D*).
The highest grade is now 9, while 1 is the lowest. The U grade, meaning "ungraded", remains the same. The number scale is not directly equivalent to the old letter one.
Most educational institutes and employers would class a grade of 4 (previously a grade D) or below as bad. With that in mind, if you have core GCSEs, such as English or Maths, with a grade 4 or D then you're best bet is to look at retaking the courses.
The hardest GCSE in 2023 is Film Studies. Nationwide it only scored a 0.46 E:F ratio. This means you are over twice as likely to fail as you are to score an 8 or 9 on your Film Studies GCSE.
Each GCSE exam board has only slightly different pass grade boundaries each year. Typically this is somewhere between 30% – 50%. This is because the GCSE pass mark depends on that year's overall student performance. A set % must fall within each grade boundary, including roughly the same percentage each year who pass.
The exact cost of the exam is set by the exam centres themselves, so this can vary a lot in price, but you can expect to pay upwards of £100 per exam for GCSEs and International GCSEs. We'd highly recommend that you contact multiple exam centres in your area about their pricing, so you can get the best deal.
How many GCSEs do you need to take? The minimum number of subjects you are asked to take at GCSE is five, with most students choosing between nine and ten different subjects. You can choose to take more than the average amount, though this is down to you, your preferences and academic ability.
Unfortunately, if you have failed GCSE English Language, you do have to re-sit it. This is regardless of whether you have passed GCSE English Literature or not! It is compulsory for you to re-take GCSE English Language if you did not get a grade 4 or above and are still under 18.
You can usually retake any exam you want. You'll have to retake GCSE English and maths if you're under 18 and did not get at least a grade 4. Depending on your circumstances, you may be eligible to take functional skills qualifications instead.
Equivalent GCSE grades
The Government has said that grade 4 is a 'standard pass'. Grade 5 is a 'strong pass' and equivalent to a high C and low B on the old grading system. Grade 4 remains the level that students must achieve without needing to resit English and Maths post-16.
GCSE Maths, GCSE Sciences, Modern Foreign Languages, GCSE English Literature, and History often rank among the hardest GCSE subjects. This is due to their concepts' need for critical thinking.
Are American SATs harder than GCSEs? SAT subject tests are harder than GCSE tests because they're used to get into American universities and colleges. However, many argue that the SATs are too easy because they're only one hour long and made up of multiple-choice questions.
The pass mark for each GCSE English qualification is different for each exam board and year. The three most common exams boards in the UK are discussed in this article. These are AQA, Pearson Edexcel and OCR. The pass mark ranges between 33 and 48% to achieve a pass in GCSE English.
Keep yourself calm and carry on.
Forgive and forgive so that you don't let one poor grade have control over you. Next time, your reaction to it will affect your results. The only way to get over the issue effectively is to step forward and not keep looking back constantly. Make sure you don't worry too hard.
First up, discuss your options with the teachers at your school. You can then contact the sixth form or college you want to go to and discuss your grades with them. They may still accept you with lower grades or advise you on other options. If you're not accepted – again, don't panic.
In all awarding bodies, the uniform mark grade boundaries in GCSEs are at the following percentages of the maximum uniform mark for the unit/module or qualification: A* 90%, A 80%, B 70%, C 60%, D 50%, E 40%, F 30%, G 20%.
According to this illustration, grade 4 requires 56 - 66 per cent, grade 5 requires 67 - 77 per cent and grade 6 requires 78 - 88 per cent.
If a paper is allocated 120 uniform marks, the range of marks allocated to grade B is 84 to 95 (70% to 79% of 120); for grade C, 72 to 83 (60% to 69% of 120).