Due to the disruptions caused by the pandemic, GCSE grades in 2021 were calculated using teacher assessments.
For any student who is unhappy with their teacher-assessed grade, there will be an opportunity to take ‘resit’ GCSE exams in November and December 2021.
The Joint Council for Qualifications have announced the dates for GCSE English language, maths to run from 1 November 2021 to 11 November 2021.
In Wales mathematics - numeracy and Welsh language will also run from 1 November 2021 to 11 November 2021.
Exams in all other GCSE subjects will run between 15 November 2021 to 3 December 2021.
Timetables for individual boards can be found here:
AQA timetable
AQA timetable GCSE English Language and maths
Edexcel timetable
OCR timetable
WJEC timetable
CCEA timetable
The deadline for entries is 4 October 2021.
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Where will these exams be taken?
Students must take their exams in the centre where their original examination would have been sat.
What if students achieve a higher grade in their resit exam than their teacher - assessed grade?
If a student achieves a higher autumn 2021 grade than their teacher-assessed grade then they will be able to request their exam board issues a replacement certificate showing the higher of the grades.
Who will pay for students to enter the autumn exams?
Students will not be asked to pay to sit their exam in the autumn. The guidance from the Department for Education says:
“Students who:
- were entered for a teacher assessed grade (TAG) in summer 2021, or would have intended to enter had exams gone ahead
- did not receive a TAG in summer 2021 or wish to improve on their TAG
We expect exam centres to pay fees for all students who are in the scope of this guidance (as outlined in section 4), rather than passing the cost of the entry fee on to students or their families. Where a candidate paid for their qualification in summer 2021, they should not be charged again.”
Will the exams be adapted?
Adaptations will be made for exams in subjects that had a previous arrangement following Ofqual’s consultation in 2020. These are: English literature, history, geography and MFL. For details of the adaptions, you can read this blog here.
GCSE Results Day
Results day for English language and maths will be Thursday 13 January 2022.
Results day for all other subjects will be Thursday 24 February 2022.
GCSE Re-marks
If a student is unhappy with the marking of the autumn GCSE examination paper, they will be able to appeal or ask for a remark, just as they would have been able to in the summer series.
