Last Updated: 5th August 2026
A Level Results Day 2026 falls on Thursday 13th August. Whether you’re planning ahead before results arrive or you’ve just opened your grades and they weren’t what you hoped for, one option is open to you right now: resitting your A Levels.
It might not feel like the most welcome news, but a resit is far from the end of the road. Improved grades can unlock better university choices, strengthen your CV, and open doors to apprenticeships and professional roles. You can even study entirely from home online, fitting revision around your life.
In this complete guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know — from costs and timelines to where to study and what universities actually think of resit grades.
Table of Contents
- What to Do Right Now: Results Day Checklist
- Why You Should Consider Resitting Your A Levels
- Can You Resit A Levels?
- When are A Level Resits?
- Where can You Resit Your A Levels?
- How Much does Resitting A Levels Cost?
- Can You Still Go to University?
- How Many Times Can You Resit?
- Do You Need to Resit the Whole Course?
- Who Can You Talk to about Resitting A Levels?
- Frequently Asked Questions
What to Do Right Now: Results Day Checklist
If you’ve just opened your results and they weren’t what you needed, it can feel overwhelming. Before you commit to resitting, work through these steps in order — you may find you don’t need to resit at all, or that the path forward is clearer than it seems.
- Check your results carefully. Make sure you understand which subjects and which papers have come in below expectations.
- Consider requesting a remark before anything else. If you’re surprised by a grade, you or your school can submit an Enquiry about Results (EAR) to the exam board. If a marking error is found, your grade may be upgraded without any resit needed. Speak to your school’s exams officer today — remark windows open on results day itself.
- Check whether Clearing applies to you. If university is still your goal, Clearing opens on results day and runs until October — you may find a course that accepts your current grades without needing to resit at all. UCAS list available places on their website. If you’re unsure whether resitting or Clearing is the right move, our advisers can help you weigh it up.
- If resitting, start looking for an exam centre now. Don’t wait until January. Exam centres fill up and the best ones book out early. September or October 2026 is the right time to make contact — see the When are A Level Resits? section below for full timeline guidance.
- Contact us. Our advisers are on hand to help you understand your options, including studying for your resits from home at your own pace. Get in touch here.
Why You Should Consider Resitting Your A Levels
As you’re probably already aware, A Levels are a pretty big deal. In the UK, they’re the usual pathway to a university education. If you’ve received your results and opted not to attend university, you may think resitting is a waste of time. But before you write off your A Level career altogether, consider that potential employers, apprenticeship positions, and further training courses will all want to see your A Level scores before taking you on.
If you’re still aiming to get into university, improved scores will give you the benefit of more choice and places on more esteemed courses. Even competitive Russell Group universities accept resit students, with most viewing retakes as a sign of commitment and resilience rather than a setback.
Consider whether you think your scores could be improved by more time revising or different exam conditions. Do some research and weigh up whether A Levels will help you reach your goals, or whether other qualifications would be better for you.
Can You Resit A Levels?
Yes. Anyone can retake their A Levels — there is no upper age limit, and no exam board requires you to hold a prior GCSE in a subject in order to enter for an A Level resit. Whether you sat your exams last summer or twenty years ago, the option remains open to you.
It’s worth noting that individual course providers, including online colleges and sixth forms, may set their own entry requirements as part of their enrolment process. These vary by provider and are separate from the exam board’s rules. Get in touch with our team to find out exactly what you’ll need to enrol with us and which resit route is right for you.
When are A Level Resits?
A Level resits are only held in the summer. If you sat your A Levels in 2026, your next opportunity to resit will be in May or June 2027. The provisional exam window runs from Monday 10 May to Friday 18 June 2027, with a contingency day on 23 June. The autumn exam series that briefly ran during the pandemic years has now been discontinued for UK A Levels, so summer is the only window available.
Exam entry deadlines typically fall in mid-February 2027. Missing this deadline can push fees up considerably, so registering early is always worth doing. More importantly, if you know you want to resit, you should be contacting exam centres in September or October 2026 — not in January. The best centres fill up quickly, and some subjects (particularly sciences and languages) require additional arrangements that take time to put in place.
If you decide you want to resit your A Levels, Association of Learning accepts new students throughout the year. Get in touch with our advisers to find out how you could study for your resits from home, at your own pace.
Where can You Resit Your A Levels?
Many students retake their exams through the school or college they originally studied with. This is often the most straightforward route if you’ve kept in touch with your tutors and you’re happy in that environment.
However, if you don’t want to return to school or college, and feel you could achieve higher marks studying on your own timetable, in your own space, you can study online. Online A Level courses are a great option for students who want to resit their A Levels alongside working, apprenticeships, and other courses. They’re also a solution for many students who want to avoid returning to the classroom.
Bear in mind that even if you study online, your final exams must be sat in person at an approved exam centre. You’ll need to find one near you that accepts private candidates, and ideally book your slot in September or October 2026 for the summer 2027 series. The JCQ (Joint Council for Qualifications) tool is the easiest way to find a suitable centre near you.
How Much does Resitting A Levels Cost?
There are typically two separate costs when resitting A Levels: tuition fees to your course provider, and exam entry fees paid directly to your exam centre. The exact amounts vary depending on the subject and how you choose to study.
Our online A Level courses are competitively priced and include flexible payment plans to help spread the cost. Missing the standard exam entry deadline — usually mid-February — can push fees up considerably, so registering early is always worth doing.
Give our friendly student support team a shout if you’d like a clear picture of what resitting could cost you.
Can You Still Go to University?
The good news: Yes! Most universities accept students who have retaken their A Level exams.
When you resit an A Level, exam boards retain records of all your attempts, and universities will be able to see that you’ve resat. However, it’s your highest grade that counts toward UCAS points and entry requirements — not your original result. For the majority of courses and universities, the fact that you’ve resat won’t be an issue, and retaking shows a commitment to academia and a willingness to put the effort in.
There are a few exceptions to be aware of. Highly competitive courses such as Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary Science, Law, and Economics — particularly at Oxford, Cambridge, and some other selective universities — may apply additional requirements to resit applicants. Some may require higher grades from resit candidates than first-time applicants, or ask for documented mitigating circumstances. For Russell Group applications specifically, it’s worth only resitting if you’re confident of achieving an A or A* — a strong resit grade is viewed positively, but modest improvement at a similar grade may leave you competing against first-sit applicants with the same result.
If you’re concerned about your eligibility after resitting, contact your goal universities directly and find out their stance. You may be relieved with what you find. Browse our A Level courses here.
How Many Times Can You Resit?
You could retake your A Level exams as many times as you like — there’s no limit imposed by exam boards on the number of attempts. That said, we strive to ensure our resit students only have to do it once.
Reach out to our advisers to see how you can prepare for your resits remotely, at a pace that suits you.
We recommend students focus on the courses that will help them achieve their goals. Research the requirements for the further education course, apprenticeship, or career you’ve set your sights on, and find out if your A Level resits will contribute.
Do You Need to Resit the Whole Course?
Under the current linear A Level system, you’ll need to sit the full set of exams for your subject in the following May/June — you can’t cherry-pick individual papers as was possible under the old modular system.
However, if your subject includes a coursework or Non-Examined Assessment (NEA) component, you may be able to carry your previous mark forward rather than redoing it. The rules vary by exam board and subject:
- AQA — coursework marks can generally be carried forward for up to five years, subject to the specification remaining unchanged.
- Edexcel (Pearson) — carried-forward coursework is permitted, but you should confirm with your exam centre that the current specification matches the one you originally studied.
- OCR — similar carry-forward provisions apply; confirm with your exam centre before enrolling.
For science subjects, the Practical Endorsement (a separate pass/fail assessment) can also generally be carried forward when resitting with the same exam board, provided the specification is unchanged. Confirm with your exam centre before enrolling, as arrangements can’t always be made close to the exam date.
Not sure whether your coursework or practical endorsement qualifies? Our advisers are happy to help you work it out before you commit to anything. Find A Level courses here.
Who Can You Talk to about Resitting A Levels?
There are so many sources of information about resitting A Levels that it can be difficult to know where to start.
If you’ve found yourself with lower A Level results than expected, try reaching out to your tutors to get to the bottom of why. Getting insight and feedback can be a great starting point to decide where to go from here. UCAS and the National Careers Service also offer free, impartial advice if you’re weighing up whether resits are the right move for you.
Our support team are always on hand to offer advice and feedback about A Level courses, as well as alternative routes to reaching your goals. We would love to hear from you. Contact us to learn more.
Check out our Guide to A Level Results Day 2026 to find more information about Clearing, remarking, and next steps.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I resit just one A Level?
Yes. You can resit any combination of A Level subjects — there’s no requirement to resit all of them. If only one subject came in below expectations, you can enter for that subject alone in the summer 2027 series.
Will my resit grades show on my UCAS application?
Yes — exam boards retain records of all your attempts, and universities will be able to see both your original and resit grades on your transcript. However, your highest grade is what counts toward UCAS points and entry requirements. Most universities focus on what you achieved, not how many attempts it took.
How long does it take to resit an A Level?
The exam itself is the same length as a first sitting. In terms of preparation, most students spend between six months and a year studying for a resit — though this varies significantly depending on starting point, the subject, and how much time you can dedicate. Our online courses are self-paced, so you can work around work or other commitments.
Can I resit A Levels while working full-time?
Absolutely. This is one of the main reasons students choose online study for their resits. You can study in the evenings, at weekends, or whenever suits your schedule — there are no fixed class times. The exam itself will require you to take time off work on the relevant date, but preparation can fit entirely around employment.
Do I need a GCSE in a subject to resit the A Level?
No exam board requires you to hold a prior GCSE in a subject to enter for an A Level. However, individual course providers may set their own entry criteria as part of their enrolment process. Contact our team to confirm what you’ll need to enrol with us.
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