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Resits & Retakes for A-Levels and GCSE
Get a tutor to help you with your resit to ensure you get the score you want
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Should you retake, and what are you retaking?
Most students arrive with the same three questions. The answers depend on how far off the grade you were, what the university needs, and how much time is left before the next series. A Learning Advisor will go through your result with you before anything is booked.
Resit one paper
You were close on the overall grade and one paper pulled the total down. The work is narrow and technique-led, and often a term of focused tutoring is enough.
- Best when you missed by a few marks
- Check whether your board allows a single-unit resit
- Core and extended tiers in several subjects
Retake the full subject
You were more than a grade off, or the gaps run across the whole course. All papers are sat again in the same series, and the plan runs over two or three terms.
- Best when the shortfall is content, not technique
- Your previous coursework may carry forward
- A*–G or 9–1, depending on your board
Appeal or remark first
If you were within a mark or two of the boundary, a review of marking may be quicker and cheaper than a resit. Deadlines are short, so this is decided in the days after results.
- Request the paper breakdown from your centre
- Appeals run through the centre, not the student
- [Confirm current JCQ deadlines before publishing]
Students entered for Core who are aiming at A-Level often need to move up a tier. Tell us at enquiry and we will build the plan around closing that gap.
The retake calendar
Resits are sat in fixed series, and entry deadlines close months before the paper. The sooner the plan is set, the more of the timetable you get to use.
Results and decisions
Results arrive and review-of-marking deadlines are short. Decide whether to request a remark, resit a paper or retake the subject. Cambridge November entries close in mid-August.
Plan and start
Your Learning Advisor reviews your result and matches a retake tutor. The first sessions are diagnostic, built around the paper you sat.
Autumn series
Cambridge and Edexcel International run October/November exams; UK boards have no November A-Level series.
January series and UK entries
Edexcel International and OxfordAQA run January exams. Entries for the UK boards' June series close in late February.
Main series
All boards examine in May/June. UK A-Level papers run from early May to mid-June, with results in mid-August.
How retake tutoring is different
You already know most of the content, so teaching it again in the same order wastes the time you have. We start with the paper you sat, find where the marks went, and spend the year there.
Gap analysis, not a fresh start
The first sessions are diagnostic: your paper breakdown and a set of past questions, to separate what you did not know from what you could not deliver under timing.
Built for students studying alone
Most retake students no longer have a class or a deadline. The tutor supplies that structure: work set and marked weekly, on a schedule that fits work or a gap year.
Fixing what went wrong on the day
For many students the content was never the problem. Timing, question choice and nerves are trained by sitting full papers to the official mark scheme until the pattern changes.
Sitting the exam as a private candidate
If you have left school, you enter the exam yourself through an approved centre rather than through a sixth form. It is straightforward, but the practical details catch people out, particularly in subjects with coursework or a practical endorsement.
What you need to arrange
Find an approved exam centre that accepts private candidates, and register before its entry deadline, which usually closes months before the exam. Check that the centre offers your exact exam board and specification, and confirm its fees, as each centre sets its own.
- A centre that ogfers your board and specification
- Your entry submitted before the centre's deadline
- Arrangements for any coursework or practical endorsement
Watch out for
Not every centre accepts private candidates for every subject. Coursework and practical endorsements catch out the most students, because a centre has to supervise and authenticate them. In some subjects you may be able to carry forward an earlier coursework mark or practical endorsement, so check with your exam board before you enter.
- Centres that don't take private candidates for your subject
- Coursework or practicals that need supervising
- Specification changes since you last sat the exam
How It Works
We keep things as simple as possible. Our objective is to make
finding a tutor convenient, efficient and effective.
Fill out an online form
Complete an application online which will be received by one of our dedicatedLearning Advisors
Get matched with a tutor
Our experienced Learning Advisor will review your application, and match youwith the most appropriate tutor based on your application
Tutor makes contact
Once we confirm with the tutor, the tutor will make contact to organise yourfirst session.
Have your first lesson
Our tutors will work around your schedule to organise a session whenever youwould like. Only pay for tutoring you have completed.
Choose between top performing students or qualified teachers
Either way, we use our bespoke matching process to find you a tutor based on your preferences, exam board and location.
Academic Tutors
from $60 USD/hr
Top performing graduates who achieved A*/A grades in the subject they teach.
- We accept only the top 5% of tutor applicants.
- Each tutor is chosen for their academic results, teaching ability, and connection with students.
Relatable role model: work with a tutor who is similar in age and can be a peer
Affordability: academic tutors are more cost-effective than professional tutors
First-hand experience: they sat these papers recently and know what worked
Professional Tutors
from $85 USD/hr
Current or past qualified teachers and examiners with 5+ years professional teaching experience.
- We only select highly experienced, qualified A-Level teachers.
- Every teacher is assessed on their teaching expertise, subject knowledge, and ability to engage students.
Quality assurance: trained and accredited teaching qualifications
Guaranteed track record: years of experience helping students succeed
Subject expertise: deep understanding of content and exam board requirements
Due to our international operations we quote our prices in USD. Pound amounts are an indicative conversion and you will be invoiced in USD.
Academic Tutors
from £47 GBP/hr
Top performing graduates who achieved A*/A grades in the subject they teach.
Relatable role model: work with a tutor who is similar in age and can be a peer
Affordability: academic tutors are more cost-effective than professional tutors
First-hand experience: they sat these papers recently and know what worked
Professional Tutors
from £67 GBP/hr
Current or past qualified teachers and examiners with 5+ years professional teaching experience.
Quality assurance: trained and accredited teaching qualifications
Guaranteed track record: years of experience helping students succeed
Subject expertise: deep understanding of content and exam board requirements
Meet our retake tutors
Our team is a combination of recent graduates who sat these exams themselves and qualified teachers with years of classroom and examining experience.
25
Vanessa is an Aeronautical Engineering undergraduate at Imperial College London who demonstrated exceptional academic drive by independently self-studying and completing A-Level Mathematics and Further Mathematics early in Year 12. As one of only 13 students in the UK in her cohort to achieve a perfect sweep of 13 Grade 9s at GCSE, she brings a proven track record of top-tier academic excellence alongside over two years of dedicated tutoring experience. She has successfully guided students across Edexcel, AQA, and more to reach their full potential.
Vanessa adopts a structured, growth-oriented approach, starting with diagnostic feedback to target fundamental concepts before progressing to rigorous exam-style question practice. Empathetic, flexible, and disciplined, she instils confidence and resilience in her tutees while providing out-of-hours support to ensure they always feel fully supported.
22
Meghana Thakkar is an accomplished Science educator and experienced online tutor with 14 years of dedicated experience teaching Biology across GCSE, IGCSE, O-Level, and A-Level curricula (including AQA, Pearson Edexcel, CIE, and OCR exam boards). Since 2015, she has specialized in delivering targeted, high-impact virtual instruction to international students, helping them master rigorous theoretical content and excel in high-stakes examinations.
Leveraging her strong academic background—including an M.A. in Education from the University of Bath and an M.Tech Integrated in Biotechnology from Dr. D. Y. Patil University (Gold Medalist)—Meghana excels at breaking down complex biological concepts into digestible, syllabus-aligned modules. Her instructional approach is deeply informed by modern pedagogical strategies and a commitment to data-driven progress tracking.
In her virtual and classroom settings, Meghana consistently drives measurable student success. For instance, her recent A-Level and GCSE Biology cohorts have achieved over 85% A to A grades (or equivalent Level 8/9 marks)*, with multiple students successfully transitioning into competitive medical and life sciences undergraduate programs globally. Proficient in digital learning ecosystems, she utilizes interactive tools like Microsoft Teams and collaborative digital whiteboards to foster highly engaging, student-centered learning environments. Known for building strong, communicative partnerships with both students and parents, Meghana is dedicated to equipping learners with the critical thinking skills and exam techniques required to achieve their absolute highest potential.
15
I tutor English at A level and IGCSE, across both Cambridge and Pearson Edexcel. One to one, built around what the mark scheme actually rewards rather than what students assume it does.Tell me where you are and where you want to be, and we'll work out how to get there.
12
I'm a Business, Economics and Accounting teacher with over six years' experience preparing students for A Level, IGCSE and O Level exams. I teach to the Cambridge (CIE) and Pearson Edexcel specifications, so lessons are built around what each mark scheme rewards: precise definitions, application to the case, and well-supported evaluation.
At A Level, I focus on the skills that lift grades: structuring extended essay answers, applying theory to case-study data, and handling calculation-heavy Accounting questions. At IGCSE and O Level, I build secure foundations so students go into their exams confident.
My lessons are interactive and exam-focused. We work through past papers, examiner reports and mark schemes, and I connect every concept to real business examples so it sticks. Students leave with better grades and the confidence to think analytically and apply their knowledge independently.
The tutors you see here are just a selection from our team of hundreds of tutors. Please contact our Learning Advisors to discuss tutoring options.
Ready to start?
Tell us the subject, exam board and target grade. A Learning Advisor reviews it the same day.
Why parents trust us
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Retake FAQs
We have answers to your most frequently asked questions. Anything not answered here, please reach out to our team.
Yes. Many students resit GCSE English or Maths to reach the grade 4 or 5 their sixth form, college or course requires. A GCSE resit tutor focuses on the topics and exam technique that cost marks the first time. See online GCSE tutoring.
Yes. If you've left school, you enter the exam yourself through an approved exam centre rather than through a sixth form. It's straightforward, but check the details early, especially for subjects with coursework or a practical endorsement. Your tutor provides the structure that a school would, with work set and marked every week.
Resitting a single paper often takes about a term of focused tutoring. Retaking a full subject usually runs over two or three terms. Entry deadlines close months before the exam, so the sooner the plan is set, the more time you have.
You already know most of the content, so we don't start again from scratch. Your retake tutor starts with the paper you sat and works out where the marks went. They separate what you didn't know from what you couldn't deliver under timed conditions, then spend your time on those gaps.
If you were within a mark or two of the grade boundary, a review of marking may be quicker and cheaper than resitting. Deadlines for reviews are short, so this needs to be decided in the days after results. Ask your school or exam centre as soon as possible.
It depends on how far off the grade you were. If one paper pulled your total down, a focused resit of that paper is often enough. If you were more than a grade off, or the gaps run across the course, retaking the full subject is usually better. A Learning Advisor goes through your result with you before anything is booked.
Our other services
We tutor the whole school-exam ladder, plus targeted support for students resitting a paper.
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Resits & Retakes for A-Levels and GCSE
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Send us your results, and we will tell you what to do next
Share your paper breakdown, exam board and the grade you need. We will come back with a retake plan and a shortlist of tutors, and you only pay for lessons you have completed.