Disappointing A Level results

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DS has done ok but is feeling really flat about his results. He achieved BBD (although with an A* in his EPQ). He thought ABC was worst case scenario. He got into uni but the D is in the degree subject. Confidence has been rocked and he even said that he hadn’t realised that he was so useless. I’m trying desperately to be positive and tell him that they are decent results but he just seems so down about it and is now really worried about his ability to cope with a degree.

What is the D subject? Ten years ago DD got an E in Biology at AS, she needed a B, she did get on her course by taking another “dumbed down” subject at BTEC and had imposter syndrome at uni before getting a 2:1 at a Russell Group and flying in her career.

ALevels to your DS in a few years will be as unimportant as his GCSEs feel now, or his SATs at primary school. I promise.

Biology. He was a B/C student and was hoping he’d done enough for a B but was prepared for a C. Missed the C by 2 marks apparently.

What about a re mark for this? Only 2 marks to find to turn the D to a C

Yes, think he will do that.

Biology is a tough subject and fairly challenging at Degree level. Does he have to start at foundation level?

No, it’s straight into the degree and at a RG uni. He chatted to teachers at school who said they think he will be able to cope but it is a worry.

He might be ok, ds did a pharmacology degree and the first few weeks the lectures focused on getting students up to the same level, so referring back to A level science. If they do this then he will catch up on where he is weakest.

Sounds like he will do ok. Get the review of the marks anyway and be really clear that he’s not useless, he’s in to uni. But also if he doesn’t enjoy it he can change tack without it being the end of the world. It’s important they know we believe in them not in what they do and they can actually be ‘useless’ and are still loved and valued.

After the first week at university no one will care what his A level grades were. He got in to his preferred course. He needs to focus on that exciting prospect and the fun, hard work, and new ideas he’s going to experience!

tell him congratulations!

Thank you, these messages have helped a lot. I hope he can move on and we’ll try to build his confidence.

Definitely ask to see his A Level scripts for at least that subject. Check he has been given marks where appropriate and they all add up, if not get a remark if confident he will go up (rather than down).

He scored so well in his EPQ that is really promising for independent work. All best

I think as long as he puts the effort in he has a chance of being fine. His teachers know him and think he can manage, his predicted grades were better. This sounds like someone who had a bad exam not an overall lack of ability. Sometimes the questions don’t fall your way I guess.

dd got something like CDD at A level and got a 1st class degree.

Op, honestly, he’ll be fine.

It is not unusual to have a bad day or some unusual questions to come up. It happens.

My ds was forecast ABB. he got AAB in his mocks. Was getting A and occasionally Astar in practice papers. He got BBC, and was accepted automatically on to his engineering course.

A long time ago I completely cocked up my A levels and barely scraped in on clearing. I still got a 2:1 in the days when less than 2% got firsts.

I don’t want to be negative but is he sure Biology is really what he wants to do at uni? It just seems as though it’s his weakest subject. This could be an opportunity to really think about whether he should consider switching to one of the subjects he got a B in, you can change subject in Clearing if he wants to.

My dd had a shock expecting at least b’s in everything, and came away with a b, c and an e. She still got into her second choice uni but has chosen a different attitude towards it, she’s thanking her lucky stars that she was still somehow accepted despite getting far lower than her conditional offer (thank god she went onto the ucas website before picking up her results or there would have been total panic). His a levels are no longer important now, he’s done enough to get him into uni so I’d encourage him to focus on what he’s achieved, not what he hasn’t.

Over the last 20 or so years, assumptions about education that used to be challenged have become entrenched. One is that intellectual development is linear. You can make a great leap between the ages of 18 and 19. Another is that A level performance is a predictor of degree performance. Grades have become hard currency rather than indicators.

Please tell your DS that when I was accepted at a prestigious University of London humanities department 40+ years ago, I was given a 2 x E offer, then the floor for matriculation. My department hand-picked undergraduates, based on potential, and didn't want to lose people by making high tariff offers, or have to mess about with clearing.

The A* in EPQ is an encouraging sign that he is ready for university-level work. Was it Biology related?