So you didn’t get the results you were hoping for from your A levels? Don’t panic – there are still plenty of opportunities out there and a number of different routes you can follow in order to access your desired university course and ultimately claim the career of your dreams.

One of the best options to pursue if you didn’t do as well as required is to retake your A levels. This is something offered by MPW at our three sites and we feel it is the best way to stabilise your plans and reinvigorate your future prospects. Here are some of the key questions regularly asked when it comes to retaking A levels.

Why retake your A levels?

The main reason why most people choose to retake their A levels is because they have not secured the results required for entry into their preferred university. Retaking A levels provides another opportunity for student to win a place on their favoured course rather than compromising and accepting a university with lesser criteria.

Even students who do achieve satisfactory grades, but perhaps feel they could have pushed themselves for even better results, choose to retake some A levels. This could open up additional opportunities for them in future and also gives stronger foundations for pursuing further study, with a good understanding of a full-time study environment.

How to decide if retaking A levels is right for you?

Deciding to retake some A levels is obviously an important step, and not one to be taken lightly. There are a number of different factors to consider before you make that choice. Of course the number one thing to look at is how your initial A level results compare with what you needed to get into your university of choice. If you feel strongly that you could have achieved a better results by dedicating more study time or working harder, then it could be worth retaking and committing to giving 100%.

How does it compare to other options?

Students who haven’t achieved the results they hoped for often consider going through Clearing to find another university. This can be a stressful process and you really need to apply very soon after receiving your results to have a realistic chance of getting anything.

The greatest value in choosing to retake A levels rather than going through Clearing is simply that you have a second opportunity to get your first choice university, meaning if you work hard there may be no need to compromise on your initial preference.

When is the best time to retake A levels?

A level retakes can now only be taken in June of the year following Results Day. January retakes were abolished in 2013. Depending on how many units you are re-taking you can decide on what would be a suitable period of revision for you. Some may begin revising at Easter or can take a retake course from January to June. MPW offers four different options for short retake courses and a full year course for those students who have fallen substantially short of their target grades.

Where can you sit A level retakes?

MPW offers A level retakes at all three of our sites; London, Cambridge and Birmingham. Across all of our sites you have the option of short retake courses, a full year course or even a two year course.

The majority of A level students at MPW are studying on two year A level courses. These are designed predominantly for students who are continuing after GCSE, students from other schools seeking a specialist A level college and Year 13 transfer students.

The one year course may be of interest to those who are improving upon previous A level results or who want to commit to academic success in new additional subjects.

For those who only just missed out on the grades they needed for their university course of choice, a short retake course is likely to be the best course of action. For this we offer four different options with start dates in either September or January.

For more information regarding UCAS and retake options, please do not hesitate to contact your preferred college.