What to do if you didn't get the grade?

If you find yourself reading this post because you didn't get the i/GCSE or A Level grades, honestly don't worry because there are lots of options available.

My daughter, who I might add is incredibly bright, didn't get the grades on her AS Level exams when we were overseas but wanted to go to medical school to be a doctor. She was so disheartened by the situation she left education to be an au pair for a family in Belgium and decided medicine was too difficult for her. She decided that she still wanted to work in medicine and decided radiography was a better fit with the option to do a Post Grad course to qualify as a doctor later on. We looked at options to get her onto the radiography course and she enrolled in an Access to Higher Education course.

An Access to Higher Education, from an accredited provider, will provide a nationally recognised Level 3 qualification as an alternative to A Levels. Please do check the university admissions page - alternative qualifications - to learn what type of Access course is required.

Previously Access to HE courses were reserved for 'mature' students who were 21 years of age, but this seems to have been relaxed and now any student over 16 years of age can study an Access course. I might also add that you can start an Access to Higher Education course whilst resitting GCSE English Language and/or Mathematics.

My daughter managed to complete her Access course in 6 months and received an unconditional offer to university in London by March. I think the most beneficial aspect to this course was the fact that they taught her the academic skills that she needed at university. Examples included researching and citation of sources, how to structure an academic essay and how to read academic material such as journal articles. She credits this course as the reason that she graduated top of her class with a First in her degree.

If this doesn't seem like your thing, you have options to resit the i/GCSE or A Levels in either November 2024 or January 2025 (depending on your exam board). You may chose to take a little longer and resit your examinations in June 2025 - buying you more time to prepare.

If university is still your ultimate destination, I would strongly suggest that you contact universities that offer Foundation Years as they will accept lower A Level grades and lead directly onto the full honors degree. UCAS will have a full list of Foundation courses on the clearing pages.

And finally, you may consider a degree apprenticeships. This is a work-related route that will provide a degree alongside learning on the job. This track is becoming more popular, especially as the cost of going to university is skyrocketing. Again, UCAS will help you understand this option.

https://www.ucas.com/apprenticeships/degree-apprenticeships