RESULTS day sees thousands of students across the UK find out the outcome of their A-level exams, with many hoping to have landed a spot on their preferred university courses.
Many courses at universities across the country require specific grades from students, meaning results day can be a make or break moment for those hoping to attend.
Is an E or D a pass at A-level?
E or D grades are a pass at A-Level.
They do, however, result in lower UCAS points.
A pass is indicated by one of six grades, A*, A, B, C, D or E.
A and A* are the highest grades and E is the lowest.
You must get an E grade or above on results day in order to meet the pass criteria.
If a student does not pass, it will show on their results sheet as "Not Classified" or similar.
What is the Uniform Mark Scale and how does it work?
The Uniform Mark Scale (UMS) is the scale on which grades are converted to marks.
Exam bodies use the tool to smooth out any variations in levels of difficulty of exams and coursework.
If you receive a relatively low score on an extremely tough exam, the UMS counterbalances it so you end up with a score that's relative to how hard your exam was.
This ensures that results are comparable between exam series and subjects.
The Provisional Statement of Results shows both the "raw" and the "uniform" marks achieved by students.
For example, one year a candidate may only need 62 raw marks to get an A grade (80%), but another year 62 marks may only be equivalent to a B grade (70%).
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What are UCAS points?
UCAS points, or Tariff value, translates qualifications into a numerical value.
These can then be compared to other courses and totalled up alongside other A-levels and qualifications.
Universities often use the UCAS points system for their entry requirements.
Most UK qualifications have a UCAS Tariff value, which will vary depending on the qualification size and your grade.
The higher the grade, the greater the number of UCAS points earned.
You can calculate your UCAS Tariff points here.
A-Level
- A* – 56
- A – 48
- B – 40
- C – 32
- D – 24
- E – 16
AS Level
- A – 20
- B – 16
- C – 12
- D – 10
- E – 6
What happens if I fail an exam?
There are several options if you fail an exam or don't do as well as you had hoped.
If you were very close to achieving the required grades, you may still be accepted by at least one of your university choices.
First, you should check with your choices to see if you have a place anyway, or have been offered a different course based on your grades.
You can also look into clearing options.
Free appeals can also be made by students who feel they were unfairly marked or there has been an error in their grade calculation.
This can be done via their school, who will then contact the relevant exam board.
Make sure you check any deadlines with exam boards as those applying to higher education who did not attain the offer they accepted as their first choice must appeal by a particular date.
If you want to retake a course instead, you can enrol to resit at your school, sixth form or college.
If that option doesn't suit you, however, you can also enrol on an online course.
This will give you a lot more flexibility as you're not confined to a classroom and set timetable.
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When it comes time to sit your exam, you'll still sit it at a school or college on the same date as all other students but you'll need to book your place yourself.
Remember that additional costs may apply when re-sitting your A-levels as you will be entered as a private candidate.
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