Candidates sometimes don’t get the results that they hoped for. If this happens to you, try not to worry too much. The results of your English exam may still still open up many different exciting opportunities for your further education and future career. 

However, in some cases, you may want to consider re-marking or retakes – for example, if your teacher predicted a much higher grade. 

Retake an exam

If you or your teachers think that you could achieve better grades, you can choose to re-take your exam. 

What is a retake?

An exam counts as a retake if you have sat the same syllabus in the past year. 

The deadline to apply for retakes for Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) students is four weeks after receiving your results.

What you need to do

If you are a private student you need to provide your:

  • previous centre number
  • candidate number
  • confirmation of syllabus retake.

Note: the retake option may not apply to all subjects. You can usually submit previously used coursework so you will only need to retake written exams. Any coursework that is resubmitted needs to meet the requirements of the syllabus in the new exam series and must be re-assessed.

Re-marking

Teams of examiners assess every exam paper. They are specialists in their subjects, and follow a strict marking scheme. Principal examiners oversee the process to make sure that grades are awarded fairly. 

If a student is awarded a grade that differs significantly from their teacher’s prediction or comparative performance, their exam is automatically re-checked and often re-graded. Borderline grades are also re-marked to ensure the grade is fair. 

The exam marking process is carefully designed to be fair to all students. However, if you feel that your exam result does not represent your work, you can ask to have your paper re-marked. 

Request a re-mark

If you are a private candidate, you should contact the British Council within 10 days of the date of release of your provisional results.

Remember: your grade and mark may be lowered, confirmed or raised following the enquiry. If your grade is raised, you may be entitled to a full refund for this service. 

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