AS grades and re-sits

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UmSusu
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Joined: Mon Feb 14, 2011 2:42 pm
Location: Birmingham

AS grades and re-sits

Post by UmSusu »

I have a friend whose daughter is doing 4 AS levels. She has recently received her grades: she 'passed' 2 (she didn't want to disclose the grades) but got a 'u' in the other two. She has had a lot going on at home and, although she is bright, she does not really seem to manage her time very well. I tutored her for her English GCSE and I suspect that a big part of the problem is how much she underestimates the amount of time needed to complete the work to the standard she is capable of.

Obviously, she now needs to re-sit. I think she ought to re-sit them in the summer or, if she feels she cannot cope with 2 she should consider dropping one altogether and re-sitting the other. I think that is what I would do but everything has changed since i went through this process and my own kids are too young for me to understand how many A-levels universities require. She would like to carry on as she is, and re-sit these two modules next year alongside the A2s so that she can concentrate on getting good enough grades this summer to put on her UCAS form. I really don't know whether this is advisable as I am asking if she can't cope with re-sits this year, how will she manage next year when (I assume) the work will be more difficult?

What would be the best advice to give her? Any comments would be gratefully received.

UmSusu
UmSusu
Guest55
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Re: AS grades and re-sits

Post by Guest55 »

With a 'U' in one module it will be very difficult to get a good grade in the summer.

I would suggest resitting those this summer. What do the school say? Can she drop one subject now?
hermanmunster
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Re: AS grades and re-sits

Post by hermanmunster »

The AS results that she puts on her UCAS form are combination of the modules she has done just now and those she will do in the summer. So poor results now cannot be miraculously overturned by good ones in the summer. If retaking she needs to do them in the summer for them to properly counted. Also 4 is tough - maybe she should drop one?
Belinda
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Re: AS grades and re-sits

Post by Belinda »

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Last edited by Belinda on Sat Nov 03, 2012 5:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.
UmSusu
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Joined: Mon Feb 14, 2011 2:42 pm
Location: Birmingham

Re: AS grades and re-sits

Post by UmSusu »

Thank you Guest55, Hermanmunster and Belinda.

My friend will try to go in and talk to her DD's tutor next week. She is studying chemistry, biology, maths and geography, so they are pretty full-on. As far as I know, the tutor has suggested that it might be ok to do the re-sits next year as the student herself was so keen on taking that option. I still think she ought to drop one - do universities still make offers with three A-Levels? I don't think she has quite worked out what courses she wants to apply for.

The parents are going through a divorce after a protracted and difficult separation, but she has taken it very badly and found herself in the middle of too many things. I hope she can get through this without giving up on her studies altogether. I guess she may find herself staying on an extra year if she does not manage to pick things up, but that might just give her the time she needs to focus on what she wants.
UmSusu
Amber
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Re: AS grades and re-sits

Post by Amber »

University offers are almost always based on 3 A2s and not 4: most students drop one subject after AS. In fact anecdotally, from two friends whose DC did 4 A2s, I would actively say don't do it as the offers seem to be oddly structured, with the 'different' subject being weighted more highly than it seemed to deserve (Latin for a Maths student and Art for a Vet Med student, both needing high grades, which put huge pressure on the child in the run up to A levels). Drop one, drop one, drop one!
Fran17
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Re: AS grades and re-sits

Post by Fran17 »

My heart goes out to this young lady. I think it is quite a jump from GCSEs to ASs and there is a period of adjustment. It is stressful enough without having to cope with other pressures on top. I would agree with the other posters, I would encourage her to resit these modules in the summer, so she can concentrate on her A2s next year. Good luck to her. I hope it works out for her and she gets the grades she deserves.

All is not lost. My eldest DS didn't quite get his predicted AS grades in the summer, however, he got all his uni offers based on the teachers' predictions. He resat a couple of modules in January and thankfully upped his grades in line with predictions. I am sure she can do the same.
hermanmunster
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Location: The Seaside

Re: AS grades and re-sits

Post by hermanmunster »

The unis do offer 3 even if you are doing 4 - some give the 3 grades to be got out of any four of the subjects - some specify that it needs to include certain subjects (the ones being studied actually).

Anecdotally a lot of people struggle with Chem and Biol AS as they are very different from GCSE and there can be quite a few "horror grades" in the first modules...
UmSusu
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Location: Birmingham

Re: AS grades and re-sits

Post by UmSusu »

Thanks everyone :D , I will pass on the advice
UmSusu
Stroud Mum
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Location: Gloucestershire

Re: AS grades and re-sits

Post by Stroud Mum »

DS had unexpectedly poor AS results. I rang lots of Uni admissions departments last summer and they all said the same thing - it is what you get at A2 that counts. In terms of UCAS applications they also look closely at what the School predicts for A2 grades and you really need to push the personal statement.
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