The GCSE results day seems like it was already a distant memory. There were stories of triumph, surprise and unfortunately for some, disappointment. By now your child will have chosen their post 16 options. If they didn’t achieve the pass in English or maths, or indeed not the grade they required to access their future studies, a GCSE resit is their next step.
At Choice, Home Tutoring, we want to help families understand the process of resits and, importantly, the independent work involved to ensure success. Firstly, it is important to know what a pass means at GCSE. Well, every grade from 1 to 9 is technically a pass. However, the DfE consider grade 4 a “standard pass” and grade 5 a “good pass”. If your child didn’t achieve the standard pass of a grade 4, you have until the 4th October to ask their school or college to enter them for a GCSE resit. It is seen as essential by the DfE that all young people achieve an English and maths GCSE qualification, so there is no limit to the number of times it can be sat.
Preparation is key. You may have read our blog ‘How to revise’ (April 2024) that offered an explanation of how the human brain retains information when revising for exams. Essentially, if you don’t use it, you lose it. Therefore, it is pretty unlikely that knowledge crammed prior to the GCSE exam is still active. Further study will be required. At college, resit classes are often only two times a week, which is significantly lower than what is offered for GCSE study. Hiring a tutor to support your child can help a successful resit.
If you would like any advice regarding GCSE resits, or would like to talk to one of our expert tutors to see how we can help, please do not hesitate to get in touch at info@choicehometutoring.co.uk
Here are some useful dates for you to know to help you plan for your child’s resit examinations:
- English Language Paper 1 -November 5th
- English Language Paper 2 -November 7th
- Maths Paper 1 – 6th November
- Maths Paper 2 – 8th November
- Maths Paper 3 – 11th November
*Results will be available to students January 9th 2025