How to Resit A Level English Literature

If you’re thinking of resitting your A Level English Literature exam, you’ve already taken your first step to success by dusting yourself off and taking positive action. This puts you in a good position for further study. Of course, you’re bound to feel frustrated that you didn’t get the grade you hoped for, but trying again is always the key to success. 

Our step by step guide will give you the information you need to try again. 

Key Takeaways

• You can resit any or all of your A Level English Literature exam papers in the next exam series, usually in May or June

• You’ll book your resit at an approved exam centre or through your school or college

• Universities will need to know about your plans

• You might need to resubmit coursework, although most exam boards allow you to carry forward original marks

  • If you do need to redo it, the new tasks will be on the same texts

Can You Resit A Level English Literature?

Yes, thousands of students resit A Level English Literature exams each year, and you can, too. In fact, you can resit as many papers as you’d like, as many times as you want.

As an A Level English Literature teacher, I’ve helped many students successfully register and resit their exams, so you’re certainly not alone. 

When Can You Resit?

You’ll be able to resit your A Level English Literature exams next summer in May or June. You’ll find information on resit dates on our  Save My Exams resit dates guide. Because A Level English Literature is a linear qualification, exams aren’t offered in autumn. 

There are things you can do now, though. Taking action will put you back in control.  

1. Check the exam board your A Level English Literature course is with

   • You’ll need to know this when you register to resit

   • You can ask your teacher or exam officer

2. Register to resit your exams in good time

   • Generally, the deadline for registration is January or February 

   • It’s best to check your exam board’s entry deadline

   • You might find some help on our exam board guide

How to Resit A Level English Literature

To resit your A Level English Literature exam, you’ll need to register your entry (book your exams). It’s a relatively simple process. Your first steps depend on whether you’re at school or are resitting as a private candidate. Have a look at our guide on how to  take your A Levels privately.

Let’s go through your options. 

If You're Still at School or Sixth Form

If you’re at school or college, your teachers and exam officers are accustomed to students resitting exams. While it may be daunting for you, to them it’s just another school day! 

Talk to your exams officer or head of department. They’ll tell you about:

• Application forms to complete

• Fees for resitting

• Available pastoral support, revision materials or resit lessons 

• Changes in the exam format or syllabus for next year

• If you can resubmit your coursework grade and just redo the exam 

If You're a Private Candidate

If you’re not at school or college anymore, or you’ve done your A Levels independently, you’ll enter to resit exams as a private candidate through an approved exam centre. It’s best to contact a few exam centres to compare costs and availability (spaces are limited).

You’ll find an exam centre local to you:

• On the JCQ Joint Council for Qualifications (opens in a new tab) website 

• Exam board websites: 

  • AQA  (opens in a new tab)

  • Edexcel Pearson (opens in a new tab)

  • OCR (opens in a new tab)

  • Cambridge International (opens in a new tab)

Independent schools or further education colleges may accept private candidate exam entries, for example: London Brookes College (opens in a new tab) and David Game College (opens in a new tab). 

When you call, you’ll need proof of identification and the exam board you’re resitting with. 

Ask them if they offer the exam board you’re doing your qualification with, and whether you need to submit coursework again.

How to Prepare for Your English Literature Resit

You’ll want to make sure you get the best results possible next time, so start early by creating a revision timetable. This will give you plenty of time to prepare and will set your mind at ease.  

Plan your revision with clear targets and a good understanding about where, and how, you can improve.  

Focus on Feedback

One of the best ways to revise is to examine any feedback you’ve been given by teachers, tutors, or mock exams. This will help you to:

• Identify questions to focus on

• For example, see where you could easily gain more marks on:

  • Comparison questions

  • Unseen extracts or poems

  • Analysis of a particular text

• Work out which skills you found tricky, such as:

  • Comparison of texts

  • Analysis of poetry, prose, or drama

  • Connecting context 

Use Past Papers Strategically

Once you’ve identified weaker areas, you won’t waste time revising things you already know or go over areas where you’re already excelling. Look through A Level English Literature past papers (opens in a new tab). 

Here are some ways to make the most of them.

• Plan essays rather than writing them

  • Often, students lose marks because their thesis or argument is not clear

  • Planning essays tests your knowledge of a text

• Write answers in timed conditions

  • Answering new questions will help you identify texts you’ll need to review

  • Often, students lose marks by spending too long on certain questions 

Use Effective Revision Resources

A great strategy is to find good quality revision materials. You’ll find some great resources on our  A Level English Literature revision page. Maybe you need to brush up on the context of a particular writer or text, or perhaps you could do with some help on how to revise A Level English Literature. 

Have a look at resources that give you tips on the specific areas you want to improve, such as how to answer comparative questions. 

Maybe you need to reread the texts. A second reading, or even a third, can do wonders for your understanding of key themes and ideas. Analysing literature is a skill, so practise on any books or poems you come across. It is not all about quotes! Learn about writer’s methods and choices, and revise conventions of genre for a more sophisticated analysis. 

Rebuild Your Confidence

It’s entirely normal to feel overwhelmed when things don’t go your way. We’re human, and it’s not always easy to get things right the first time. There are lots of reasons we may need to have another go at something. Aside from practical plans, addressing your feelings will help you to move forwards effectively. 

Adopt a good mindset by thinking about what you’ve already achieved:

• Be proud of how much you already know

• Learn from mistakes

  • Successful people all have a story about a mistake that helped them to reach their goal

• Show resilience and initiative by setting a clear plan of action

  • You’ve already begun

What Happens with Your Grade?

There are various reasons you might want to resit your A Level English Literature exams. Perhaps you want a higher grade to prepare for a course. Maybe you’re keen to improve your results in A Level English Literature as part of your overall academic record. It should reassure you to know that universities will take the highest grade that you’ve achieved. 

Keep in mind that when it comes to University Clearing, admission teams are likely to view your plan to resit an exam as a sign of commitment and resilience, which is exactly what they take into account when considering applicants. 

Let them know:

• Why you’re resitting the exam (how it fits in with your academic or career goals)

• How you plan to improve

• What kind of support you’re getting

For competitive courses, resitting may delay your start and you might need to reapply next year. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to resit A Level English Literature?

The cost of resitting an exam varies across the exam boards and exam centres and depends how many papers you wish to resit. Generally, the fee to resit varies between £95 to £175 (opens in a new tab)  per subject.   

Can I just retake the exam without redoing coursework?

Confirm this with the relevant exam board. If you’re resitting your A Level English Literature with a school or college you may be able to ‘carry forward’ your coursework. As a private candidate, you may need to resubmit new coursework on the same texts. 

Will universities know I resat an A Level?

Yes, universities receive your academic results through UCAS as part of your application. It’s best to be honest about your decision to resit your exam. 

When is The Deadline for A Level English Literature Resits?

The deadline for entries for summer exams is around February each year. Check with the relevant exam board for exact dates.