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Original poster

Should my daughter resit Maths GCSE?

36 replies

MackenCheese · 09/09/2025 13:41

My daughter is academically able, but struggled massively with the school environment, including EBSA for the whole of year 10. She returned to school in year 11, with quiet spaces, starting the day at 11am everyday (so missing the 1st 2 lessons each day) and cutting down her subjects.

Despite this, she managed to achieve 8 passes 5-7 . (They were 7,7,7,6,6,5,5,5). She has got into an independent 6th form, doing A level sociology, criminology btec and biology.

She has had a bit of a wobble about Biology because she only had a 5 in maths, but her Head of 6th form felt that the 5 did not reflect her academic ability and she should trial biology, and switch to another subject eg. Btec Sport by half term if there were problems. We also plan to do some targeted maths to support Biology A level.

The other concern is looking ahead to university and all the subjects she might consider are asking for a 6 in maths GCSE.

Should she resit GCSE maths to try to improve her grade? She was 10 marks off a 6 for those interested!

OP posts:
Octavia64 · 09/09/2025 13:43

No.

Navigatinglife100 · 09/09/2025 13:54

I'd say no if she's got what she needs.

I encouraged my DS to resit alongside his BTEC and he is now the proud owner of 3 x C grade GCSEs!

He uses maths at work and had no issue with the maths in his IT degree.

The only added advantage of resitting the three times for him is its turned out to be a hilarious story for him to relate over lunch!

To be fair, I think he did get better because he put less and less effort into each attempt as the work on his BTEC ramped up.

Original poster
MackenCheese · 09/09/2025 15:01

Octavia64 · 09/09/2025 13:43

No.

Thanks for the quick answer. Why do you think she shouldn't? I just don't want her to get bad news from universities over a C in maths!

OP posts:
W0tnow · 09/09/2025 15:16

I strongly advised my son to resit English. He got a 5 I think? He resat and received a 7. His math and sciences were strong. He has come out with A star, A A at A level. He missed out on his two top choices for university due to his erratic GCSEs (he received between 4-9). I think he may have missed his 3rd choice if he hadn’t resat English.

It all depends on the course, and how competitive it is. The more competitive, the more likely high A levels are required to whittle down applicants. If the courses are still over subscribed, then universities will look at GCSEs. Sometimes this is made clear on uni websites, sometimes not.

Original poster
MackenCheese · 09/09/2025 15:19

W0tnow · 09/09/2025 15:16

I strongly advised my son to resit English. He got a 5 I think? He resat and received a 7. His math and sciences were strong. He has come out with A star, A A at A level. He missed out on his two top choices for university due to his erratic GCSEs (he received between 4-9). I think he may have missed his 3rd choice if he hadn’t resat English.

It all depends on the course, and how competitive it is. The more competitive, the more likely high A levels are required to whittle down applicants. If the courses are still over subscribed, then universities will look at GCSEs. Sometimes this is made clear on uni websites, sometimes not.

Edited

That's helpful. We did have extenuating circumstances for the erratic grades, but the maths still a concern. (Her target grades were all 7-8 based on early cat tests etc.)

OP posts:
W0tnow · 09/09/2025 15:21

Yep, I knew my son could do better, so I strongly advised him to retake.

His extending circumstances were that he didn’t study!

ConBatulations · 09/09/2025 15:39

Could she do core maths? Some courses will accept this instead of a particular GCSE grade. AMSP has a list.

user2848502016 · 09/09/2025 15:40

No, she has what she needs so she should focus on her A levels now. Nobody cares about GCSEs once you have A levels anyway.
A high 5 will be fine for Biology A level especially as she may not have done as well as she could have because of her circumstances.

TakeMeToAnIgloo · 09/09/2025 15:55

Why do you think she got a 5? Was it because of things that went wrong on the day, when otherwise she might have got those marks? Or was it because of things that went wrong in the whole year(s) leading up to the exams, where she hadn't really learned enough of the higher material to get the 6+?

If it was things that went wrong on the day/week, and she does actually know the material fairly well, enough that a resit wouldn't be an onerous burden to add to her workload between now and November, then maybe she should give it a try. A tutor to work through the topics that she missed or was close on could help, and the rest of it would be fairly fresh in her mind.

If there is a lot of extra work that needs to be covered, and it would be a whole year project to get her to the point of resitting, then she'd have to consider it more seriously. Is there any support offered at school for a resit? I expect not, if she wants to do higher.

It would be a shame if she missed out on a university course because of a decision now, which might not be that big of a deal, if she does remember a good chunk of the maths at the moment - it's easy to get out of practice and she might not if she waits a couple of years and then decides she does need it after all. Equally, you don't want her to get off to a rough start in sixth form with loads of extra work, if she's already a bit shaky. So i think while in an ideal world, it would be a good idea to get a 6 if she is capable and might need it in the future, there are a lot of other factors that need to be considered, and it might not be a priority.

titchy · 09/09/2025 16:45

What’s her uni plan? Unless it’s science, which I assume it won’t be given her subjects, where asks for a 6 in Maths that also accepts the BTEC in criminology?

Sirzy · 09/09/2025 16:47

I wouldn’t be doing anything that risks adding more pressures let her focus on what she is doing now.

Original poster
MackenCheese · 09/09/2025 17:38

TakeMeToAnIgloo · 09/09/2025 15:55

Why do you think she got a 5? Was it because of things that went wrong on the day, when otherwise she might have got those marks? Or was it because of things that went wrong in the whole year(s) leading up to the exams, where she hadn't really learned enough of the higher material to get the 6+?

If it was things that went wrong on the day/week, and she does actually know the material fairly well, enough that a resit wouldn't be an onerous burden to add to her workload between now and November, then maybe she should give it a try. A tutor to work through the topics that she missed or was close on could help, and the rest of it would be fairly fresh in her mind.

If there is a lot of extra work that needs to be covered, and it would be a whole year project to get her to the point of resitting, then she'd have to consider it more seriously. Is there any support offered at school for a resit? I expect not, if she wants to do higher.

It would be a shame if she missed out on a university course because of a decision now, which might not be that big of a deal, if she does remember a good chunk of the maths at the moment - it's easy to get out of practice and she might not if she waits a couple of years and then decides she does need it after all. Equally, you don't want her to get off to a rough start in sixth form with loads of extra work, if she's already a bit shaky. So i think while in an ideal world, it would be a good idea to get a 6 if she is capable and might need it in the future, there are a lot of other factors that need to be considered, and it might not be a priority.

I would say things went wrong in year 10, so there was a lot of content missed. She did all of her catching up without extra tuition, so she has showed great resilience. Maths requires x amount of repetition, so there just wasn't time. Having said that she was surprised by only a 5.

But having said that she was unimpressed by the prospect of sitting 3 maths papers this autumn, in addition to doing 6th form.

She is looking at cognitive science, environmental science at uni, but they all say maths 6. A rethink is needed....

OP posts:
Original poster
MackenCheese · 09/09/2025 17:42

Sirzy · 09/09/2025 16:47

I wouldn’t be doing anything that risks adding more pressures let her focus on what she is doing now.

I agree.

OP posts:
W0tnow · 09/09/2025 17:54

MackenCheese · 09/09/2025 17:38

I would say things went wrong in year 10, so there was a lot of content missed. She did all of her catching up without extra tuition, so she has showed great resilience. Maths requires x amount of repetition, so there just wasn't time. Having said that she was surprised by only a 5.

But having said that she was unimpressed by the prospect of sitting 3 maths papers this autumn, in addition to doing 6th form.

She is looking at cognitive science, environmental science at uni, but they all say maths 6. A rethink is needed....

Show quote history

Would she need to sit all 3?

titchy · 09/09/2025 17:59

It’s an odd combination of subjects for either of her potential degree choices (and the two are very different from one another). She needs to think a bit more carefully here I feel. Psychology or Geography A level or both would be much better subject fits. Cog Sci is relatively rare at UG - it tends to be a Masters specialism. Enviro degrees plentiful though and most won’t ask for a 6 at GCSE.

noblegiraffe · 09/09/2025 18:03

MackenCheese · 09/09/2025 17:38

I would say things went wrong in year 10, so there was a lot of content missed. She did all of her catching up without extra tuition, so she has showed great resilience. Maths requires x amount of repetition, so there just wasn't time. Having said that she was surprised by only a 5.

But having said that she was unimpressed by the prospect of sitting 3 maths papers this autumn, in addition to doing 6th form.

She is looking at cognitive science, environmental science at uni, but they all say maths 6. A rethink is needed....

Show quote history

If you know for a fact that she will need a 6 for the universities of her choice and if she is in a good place now and has capacity to do some maths work (she will have lost some of her knowledge over the summer and will need to cram) then I would consider putting her in for the November resit, thinking short term pain for long term gain.

However I would be cautious about the possibility she could go down a grade as she will have to declare all results.

Can you fire off an email to the admissions departments of the universities in question and ask whether they would take into account her disrupted Y10 when looking at her GCSE results rather than demanding a 6?

Talipesmum · 09/09/2025 18:06

For those saying no because she’s got what she needs - the point is she hasn’t got what she needs, the uni courses she’s interested in are asking for a 6 at GCSE and she has a 5.

I’d talk to the college and ask for advice. Important not to jeopardise her main sixth form studies but if they can work with her to improve maths before she’s applying to uni courses, it could well be worth it.

Absentosaur · 09/09/2025 18:09

Sorry if someone’s already asked this but did you try for a re-mark?

Original poster
MackenCheese · 09/09/2025 18:15

W0tnow · 09/09/2025 17:54

Would she need to sit all 3?

Show quote history

I will check this. I thought you'd have to sit all 3 in a single sitting

OP posts:
noblegiraffe · 09/09/2025 18:15

MackenCheese · 09/09/2025 18:15

I will check this. I thought you'd have to sit all 3 in a single sitting

Show quote history

Yes you do.

Original poster
MackenCheese · 09/09/2025 18:16

titchy · 09/09/2025 17:59

It’s an odd combination of subjects for either of her potential degree choices (and the two are very different from one another). She needs to think a bit more carefully here I feel. Psychology or Geography A level or both would be much better subject fits. Cog Sci is relatively rare at UG - it tends to be a Masters specialism. Enviro degrees plentiful though and most won’t ask for a 6 at GCSE.

We will keep looking, but her 2 top university choices both need AAB and maths GCSE at a 6

OP posts:
Original poster
MackenCheese · 09/09/2025 18:16

Talipesmum · 09/09/2025 18:06

For those saying no because she’s got what she needs - the point is she hasn’t got what she needs, the uni courses she’s interested in are asking for a 6 at GCSE and she has a 5.

I’d talk to the college and ask for advice. Important not to jeopardise her main sixth form studies but if they can work with her to improve maths before she’s applying to uni courses, it could well be worth it.

Good point

OP posts:
noblegiraffe · 09/09/2025 18:17

Absentosaur · 09/09/2025 18:09

Sorry if someone’s already asked this but did you try for a re-mark?

10 marks off a 6 hasn't a hope of shifting in maths.

Dogosaurus · 09/09/2025 18:18

The other concern is looking ahead to university and all the subjects she might consider are asking for a 6 in maths GCSE.

If this is true, and she wants to go to uni, then she needs to resit.

Original poster
MackenCheese · 09/09/2025 18:19

Absentosaur · 09/09/2025 18:09

Sorry if someone’s already asked this but did you try for a re-mark?

No we didn't. Her brother was 2 marks off the next grade in maths, so a remark seemed worthwhile. I was unsure about being 10 marks adrift!

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