A LEVEL RETAKES 2022

How are the summer exams different from the autumn exams?

The autumn series was only available for students who were awarded TAGs in summer 2021, but the summer 2022 series will be available for everyone. Additionally, exams for all subjects will be available this summer, whereas the autumn series only offered exams for subjects with a sufficient number of entries.

If you are studying a subject that requires a Non-Examined Assessment (NEA), such as English Literature or History, this will need to be submitted to the exam board for summer 2022 entry. This was not required for the autumn series and no NEAs were submitted as part of the TAGs in summer 2021. This means that although you may have already completed an NEA, no mark would have been submitted officially and therefore cannot technically be carried forward as with a normal A level retake. However, you can still submit the same NEA you previously completed, or you can even take time to make improvements to it.

For Modern Foreign Languages, there will be a speaking exam this summer, which was not required for the autumn retakes or the summer TAGs. Therefore, similar to the NEAs, there is no option to carry forward a mark for the spoken component.

Due to the disruption the Covid pandemic has caused to students’ education over the last two years, the exam boards will be providing advance information for every subject to help A level students prepare for the exams in summer 2022. This will be published by 7 February 2022, and summary guidance from each exam board can currently be found at the links below.

AQA:   https://www.aqa.org.uk/2021-2022-exam-changes/subject-changes-for-2022
Edexcel:   https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/campaigns/summer-2022-support.html
OCR:   https://www.ocr.org.uk/Images/641348-advance-information-summary.pdf
WJEC:   https://www.eduqas.co.uk/home/2022-here-to-support-you/as-a-level-and-gcse-assessment-arrangements/advance-information/

Dates & deadlines

The entry deadline for A level exams this summer is 21 February 2022. After this date entries can still be made but late fees will apply.

The exam timetables for each exam board have been published at the links below.

AQA:   https://filestore.aqa.org.uk/admin/t_table_pdf/AQA-TT-GCE-JUN22-CONFIRMED.PDF
Edexcel:   https://qualifications.pearson.com/content/dam/pdf/Support/Examination-timetables/GCE_Summer_2022_Final_v1.pdf
OCR:   https://www.ocr.org.uk/Images/640154-as-a-level-fsmq-and-level-3-certificate-core-maths.pdf
WJEC:   https://www.eduqas.co.uk/media/mccj5y3x/summer-2022-wales-and-eduqas-as-and-a-level-final-exam-timetable-22-10-21.pdf

How can I prepare for my A level retakes?

One of the best ways to revise for your A level retakes is to take as many past papers as possible. Although the most recent exams are restricted to teachers, you can access past papers from all previous exam series on the individual exam board websites. The past papers and mark schemes for the autumn 2020 series will be available from 18 January 2022.

If you sat exams in the autumn 2021 series, it may also be helpful to request back your exam scripts. This will enable you to see exactly where you lost marks, so you can focus on making improvements in those areas and avoid making the same mistakes in the summer exams. You will need to contact the exams officer at your school to make a request for your scripts by 3 February 2022.

For more tips on retaking your A levels, read our advice article here: https://www.westminstertutors.co.uk/courses/a-level-retakes/tips-on-retaking-a-levels/

How can Westminster Tutors help?

If you are thinking about retaking your A levels this summer, Westminster Tutors can offer tailor-made retake courses to suit your individual requirements. The majority of our courses are taught one-to-one, so you can continue with the same exam boards and options you have studied previously.

At Westminster Tutors, our A level retake students always make excellent progress, and we have exceptional exam results year-on-year: in 2021 our average A level grade improvement was 2 grades.

We have very limited spaces for our January to June A level retake courses, so get in touch now via our enquiry form if you would like to discuss a potential enrolment.

Related Links