As of 2016, it’s a Government requirement that all students who fail to secure at least a grade 4 in GCSE English and maths will need to resit their exams. GCSE results day has come around and unfortunately you didn’t pass your maths and English. Although it might seem like the end of the world, there are many options that you can take if you fail your GCSEs including a Functional Skills course.

Ask for a remark.

First of all, if your grade is a 3, consider asking for a remark. If you’re close to the grade boundaries, there is a chance that you could be bumped up a grade and won’t need to resit. Speak to your tutor as soon as possible about this as there is a deadline to apply to have your paper remarked. If your grade is anything less than a 3, it’s probably not worth going for the remark as there’s not much chance that you’ll be bumped up to a pass. In that case, look into other options such as speaking to your college, or retaking online.

Talk to your college.

Even if you don’t get the grades needed to get onto your college course, there is a chance they will make an exception. Some colleges will still accept your application but will offer you a place with some conditions. For example, they may require you to retake your maths and English alongside the course Or they might suggest another course that you might not have considered yourself… At the end of the day, if you don’t ask, you don’t get and the worst thing they can say is no. If this is the case, maybe full time education isn’t for you. So you could look into going straight into work.

Go straight into work.

One thing you could try is applying for jobs. There are some jobs that don’t require GCSEs but more and more employers today are asking for maths and English as a basic requirement. It will be much easier to find a job if you have GCSE English and maths pass grades. So it’s definitely worth trying to improve your maths and English before you start applying for jobs. Alternatively, you could apply for an apprenticeship. More often than not, apprenticeship providers will allow you to retake your maths and English alongside your training. But if not, you could re-sit them before applying.

Why did you fail?

Before you look into resitting your GCSE maths and English, it is important to consider why you failed the first time so you don’t make the same mistakes again. Think about what might have caused you to fail. Maybe you didn’t put in enough effort? If that’s the case, look into tips for motivating yourself. Remind yourself of why you need these qualifications. Starting out with the correct mindset is essential. Start as you mean to go on. Maybe your revision techniques didn’t work for you or you just didn’t start revising in time. Try different techniques this time and make sure you do plenty of mock exam papers to prepare for your final exam. Maybe classroom learning isn’t for you? If you struggle to sit in a classroom listening to a teacher, try different kinds of learning such as online courses. Online courses give you the flexibility to learn whenever, or wherever you want and you can do it at your own pace.

Consider learning online

If you feel that classroom learning isn’t for you, consider taking online classes. You can learn at your own pace and fit it around work or other commitments. Functional Skills are designed to give you the skills needed for working life. Plus, they’re aimed at people who learn better when they can apply the learning to real-life situations. If you’d like to learn more about Functional Skills online courses, read our article here.