Exam Failure – It’s Not The End!

Exam results are published this month and the pressure is on.

We would all love for our reactions to be like those of the young people above… but what if they’re not.

As the day draws closer, our thoughts circle around the possibility of not getting the grades we need to get onto the next rung of the ladder.

Did I do enough? Should I have revised more? What if I fail? What happens if I fail?

I know you feel scared. I hear your fears and I understand. I have been there too.

So, while I understand it’s not a great feeling to receive a ‘fail’ result for an exam, it isn’t the end of the road. It simply means that you have a little more work to do to get back on the track of your academic career.

Here are some of the options open to you:

DIG IN AND TRY AGAIN

Consider resitting your exams, either at the same school or college or an alternative school, college or online. GCSE resits are usually free of charge however A Level exams average between £100-200 alongside course fees.

Apply for a remark, if you have only missed passing by a very small degree, like one mark, it may be worth getting the exam paper regraded. This comes with the obvious risk of getting a lower grade, but if a different examiner grades part of your examination higher than the one grading it in the first place, you might find you don’t have to resit.

PIVOT

Reassess your pathway options, if the thought of going through the whole exam process again fills you with dread, rethinking the pathway towards your career goals might prove worthwhile. Taking a related BTEC or EPQ can give you UCAS points and demonstrate your dedication to a chosen career. It’s hard work, but you would be working specifically towards your goal, learning related skills.

What about taking up an apprenticeship? Learning while you’re earning is the name of the game here. You go into a workplace and attend college or university on a part time basis. To pass the apprenticeship, you will still have to be assessed on work submitted, but, like BTEC and EPQs the work is focussed on you being in the same industry as your chosen career, learning what you can from a practical and real-world perspective, rather than academically.

I hope this article has shown you that failing an exam is not the end of the line for you.

The key here is to not fall into a pit of despair, but to act quickly and decide whether you will dig in and redo it over again or pivot and choose a different path to your career. Just know you can still get to where you want to be, whichever path you choose.

UK RESULTS DATES 2023


Level 2 VTQs on or before 24th August 2023
GCSE, – Thursday 24th August 2023
Level 3 VTQs on or before 17th August 2023
A Level, AS Levels, T Levels – Thursday 17th August 2023