How to Resit GCSE English Literature

Wondering whether you should resit your English Literature GCSE? You might be unsure how to go about it, or if it’s worth spending your time and energy retaking the exam. Let’s go through the process, the benefits, and ways to make it work for you so you can make the right decision. 

Key Takeaways

• You can resit your GCSE English Literature exam if you want, but it is not mandatory

• You’ll likely resit the exam if you’re taking the subject at A Level or need a set of consistent results 

• You’ll resit your GCSE English Literature exam next May or June

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

Do You Have to Resit GCSE English Literature?

GCSE English Literature is an optional subject, so it’s a separate GCSE to English Language, just like other optional subjects (like history or geography). This means you don’t have to pass English Literature to get into sixth form or college courses, or to apply for a job. Of course, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to improve your English Literature grade. 

You may be thinking about resitting your GCSE English Literature exam because you’re planning on taking A Level English Literature and want to be better prepared. Perhaps you want to improve your GCSE grades as part of your academic record. It could be that you know you can do better, that you just had a bad exam day, and want to have another go. 

When Can You Resit GCSE English Literature?

You’ll be able to resit the GCSE English Literature exam next May or June, so you have plenty of time to prepare. Unlike GCSE English Language, which is a core subject and must be passed to access further education, exam boards don’t offer an autumn GCSE English Literature exam. 

Have a look at our important dates and deadlines. Generally, though, to resit next summer, you'll need to register by late February or early March 2026. It’s best to check this with your school, college, or tutors, though, because deadlines vary depending on the exam board. 

How to Resit GCSE English Literature

You’ll find the process is fairly simple. All you need to do is register your entry (book your exam). Exactly how you do this depends on whether you’re going to resit the exam at a sixth form or college, or if you’ll do it independently as a private candidate. 

If You’re Still in School

If you’re going on to take A Levels at your sixth form or college, you might be able to resit your GCSE English Literature alongside your other courses. 

Speak to your teacher to find out about opportunities for revision classes. Perhaps they can offer you some additional support after school or in your free periods. 

 If You’ve Left School

If you’ve left the school or college where you took your GCSEs, or you’re studying independently, you’ll resit GCSE English Literature exam as a private candidate. Don’t worry. This isn’t as scary as it sounds. 

You’ll need to look for an approved exam centre near you. Try to do this as soon as you can as spaces may be limited. 

• You can find one on the JCQ (Joint Council for Qualifications) (opens in a new tab) website 

• You could contact local schools or colleges 

  • Some offer private entries

• Look at national services like Tutors and Exams (opens in a new tab)

You’ll need to pay an exam entry fee per subject. Costs vary according to the school, college, or exam centre, as well as across exam boards. 

How to Register for the Resit

If you’re at school or college, you should speak to your exams officer to register to resit your exam. It’s best to know some key information, though, as they’re very busy. 

Have to hand: 

• The exam board you’re doing your GCSE English Literature course with

  • Your teacher or the exams officer can provide this 

  • You could look though our GCSE English Literature exam specifications (opens in a new tab)

• Proof of identification

• Your Unique Candidate Identifier (UCI) and Unique Learner Number (ULN)

  • You can ask your tutor or teacher for this, or you may still have it noted down from your recent exam

  • The exams officer will provide you with it, if you can’t find it

If you’re a private candidate, you should check which exam board you did your GCSE English Literature with. You’ll find helpful information for private candidates on the 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)

GCSE English Literature qualifications no longer include coursework assessments This is because they’re regulated by OFQUAL (opens in a new tab). GCSEs are different to IGCSEs in this way.

How to Prepare for Your GCSE English Literature Resit

Now that you know how to register for your GCSE English Literature resit, it’s time to prepare for the actual exam. It may seem a long way off, but it’s best to get started soon. 

Review Your Previous Exam Performance

One of the best ways to improve is to make sure you know where you lost marks before. You’ll need to know which questions to focus on when you revise.  

• Get as much feedback as possible from your teachers or tutors

• Have a look through some of our GCSE English Literature past papers. 

• Identify questions or topics or texts that you found tricky last time

Focus on Exam Technique

Your GCSE English Literature exam papers ask you to write a number of comparative and analytical essays. Sometimes, students spend too long on the first question. This is especially true in Literature Paper 2, which has  questions on a modern prose or drama text, as well as two poetry questions. 

You could:

• Pay attention to the marks awarded for each question

• Look for expert tips on how to write a GCSE Literature essay 

Know Your Set Texts Inside Out

Although it’s vital that you know your literature texts thoroughly, your essays should focus on writers’ methods, context (writer’s purpose), and themes. To understand your literature texts at a more sophisticated level, you should: 

• Reread set texts

  • You’ll notice patterns and details that help you write a better analysis

• Practise with unseen poems 

  • The skills to analyse poetry are always the same, no matter the poem

• Use our Save My Exams GCSE English Literature revision resources to help you

Work with a Tutor or Online Support

GCSE English Literature is not just about regurgitating facts about a writer or telling examiners what happens in a novel or a play. One of the best ways to improve your GCSE English Literature grade is to get better at the skills of analysis and learn how to approach questions and plan answers. This is a lot easier with one-to-one support from a tutor or targeted help from teachers. 

Reading model answers is a good idea, too. Save My Exams has a selection of GCSE English Literature model answers that show you what a sophisticated essay looks like. We have some specific advice on how to structure a GCSE English Literature essay, too. 

Use Past Papers and Mark Schemes

As a GCSE English Literature examiner, each year I see essay responses that haven’t focused carefully on the specific question asked. Use past papers to plan essays, rather than rewriting the same level of essay over and over. Reading examiner reports can be invaluable. They’re full of useful tips on exactly how examiners award marks. 

Another common pitfall examiners see is a vague understanding of how analysis is marked, or how contextual information should be used. Working with mark schemes is one of the most effective ways to write more precise essay answers. Look through some of our GCSE English Literature mark schemes or find them on your exam board’s website.

What Grade Do You Need In GCSE English Literature?

It’s very common for GCSE students to retake their English Literature exam to prepare themselves for an A Level Literature course. Other students resit GCSE English Literature to improve their set of results overall. 

Most colleges require a passing grade of a Level 4 (sometimes, a Level 5) in GCSE English Language. But an acceptable minimum grade in GCSE English Literature depends on the A Level subjects you do and on the requirements of the particular college or sixth form. 

If you’re planning on doing A Level Literature or you want to take Literature at university, for instance, you might need a higher level. Some colleges and sixth forms require a Level 6 at GCSE. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it worth resitting GCSE English Literature?

If you want to improve your GCSE English Literature grade because you’re planning on taking the subject at a higher level, it’s a good idea. If you want a set of consistently good GCSE results and your English Literature grade has let you down, it is probably worth retaking the exam next year. 

Can I resit English Literature without resitting Language?

Yes, but you’ll need to have passed your GCSE English Language if you want to resit only your English Literature exam. 

How much does it cost to resit GCSE English Literature?

Prices range from roughly £48 to £105 depending on the subject, exam board, and where you resit your exam. You can find some examples of fee prices on our GCSE resits page, but  do check with your sixth form college or exam centre as prices vary.

Will universities know if I resat English Literature?

Typically, universities look at A Level grades, but your GCSE results might be taken into consideration as part of your overall academic record (generally, your highest grade will be used). Resitting an exam shows commitment and dedication, though, which is something admission teams consider, as part of your overall application.