Anyone know about A level retakes?

[Marvelo]

DS is a clever boy but did very little work for his A levels and is now panicking.He has a AAA offer which should have been easily achievable for him but he's worried that he won't make it and will instead get AAB or ABB. (Obviously these are decent grades but they are below what he could have achieved with some work.)

He asked me yesterday whether he could do retakes and reapply to university (aiming for top grades and a top uni- this would have been a realistic plan first time round if he had worked). I don't really know anything about retakes and I have the following concerns-

1. DS seems to think his retake grades will be treated as the same as if he had got them first time round. Is this right? In particular, is it right for v competitive unis such as Oxbridge? Seems likely to me that they will want to know why you've done retakes and will want a better answer than "I dicked around for 2 years"
2. DS has been at a great school. Not sure why he'd suddenly become conscientious at a crammer and do well, when he didn't do any work when given every advantage.

Not sure what to advise. I'd like him to have the opportunity to do better if it's possible but my feeling is that maybe that ship has sailed. Maybe better to take whatever grades he has (assuming that his guess of AAB-ABB is about right) and make a realistic plan with those- lots of good courses he can still do. OTOH I don't want to deny him the chance to improve if it's actually possible.

Added to the mix is the fact he's also not sure he wants to do the course he applied for any more and might want to do something else instead but doesn't know what. So many things I've been trying to get him to engage with properly for 2 years and he's just starting to now, when it's a bit late. All his friends are off to great unis in October and I feel really sad for him, but also so frustrated.

Hey @Marvelo I don't know loads about A level retakes but my understanding is that they are perfectly valid and accepted by unis - unless they state otherwise. Certainly it was a path suggested for DD when she did less well than she hoped. (she didn't want to do it tho)

I would imagine Oxford or Cambridge are perhaps less likely - and ofc he would have to go through the application process again.

But what is his Oxford or Cambridge offer for? Is it AAA? if so, I imagine that if he achieves AAB or even ABB there will be plenty of great unis that will accept him. I am assuming it is not one of the most competitive courses or it would be higher. Uni admissions vary loads as I imagine you know - one course at uni x may ask for three A-stars while another at the same uni will take you with ABB.

So could he look now at clearing and see what else there is? What subjects might he be interested in? What are his A levels? It's important to get this bit right as far as you can - three years or more somewhere you don;t like doing a course you don't enjoy is dismal.

Hmm this is a tricky one OP and I think you are going to have to address this patiently over the next few weeks/months, setting your son a good example of how to consider important decisions over which we do not have full control.
I don’t have a simple answer to your dilemma but wish you well in supporting your son through this. First I wonder about his choice of the course for which he has the offer. How carefully did he research this and why does it not seem attractive any more, apart from he fears he may fail to secure it. What alternatives did he think of/ does he have? Always encourage young adults to consider back up plans.
Second, contact the school and speak to someone like the head of sixth form to get a clear outline of what steps to take if his results are disappointing.
Third, look at temporary job opportunities for your son, a bit of real world experience is always helpful and he can earn some money and learn some starter skills.
Fourth, begin the wider search for what he should move on to next whether it’s a different course, different career or apprenticeship instead of uni.
Good Luck. Ultimately your son will have to make decisions and follow them through. He may not be that keen on communicating with you but you can help him a lot if you have the patience. Try to back up things like research on the computer with real world experience eg actually go to uni open days and talk to tutors in departments etc.

DD2 had a problem with one of her A level papers (spent a large part of the exam lying on the floor in pain) and missed her offers. We looked at retakes for her but it wouldn't work out as she needed major surgery in her gap year. She ended up doing an EPQ at a crammer in the subject she had a problem with. Her experience of her fellow pupils there was that they were very motivated to resit and do well and were aiming for top end unis. Staff there were of a very high calibre - her EPQ supervisor taught a related subject at Oxford and treated them more like undergrads - giving them reading lists etc which she enjoyed.

There was also a culture of lots of feedback both to them and in half termly reports to parents which I imagine would pick up signs of any slacking off quite quickly

You do hear of a few getting into Oxbridge on retakes and ones I've seen were offered first time round, missed grades, applied again redoing A levels got a second offer then if they get grades will get in. No idea if special circumstances or type of school involved though, would imagine there's more chance with special circumstances and / or comp school but even then it's a long shot. A year out can be beneficial though if a child isn't certain of degree or would benefit from work / life / travel experience though best planned in advance. If he's just gone down 1 grade they may still take. Might also be nerves and he has the grades, common to doubt themselves now.

It is possible he would work a lot harder second time round, some children only do when they can really see the point.