Q&A: A-levels - expert advice 2013

Joy Mercer and Nick Davy, of the Association of Colleges, answer A-level questions

What do you do if your grades are different from what you were expecting?

Continuing changes to the education system mean the situation can be confusing.

With only a few days to secure a university place or take an alternative path, getting the right advice is key.

Experts Joy Mercer, director of education policy at the Association of Colleges, and Nick Davy, its higher education manager, are offering advice to readers with unexpected results.

YOUR QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

I had an offer of AAA for politics at Bath. Instead I got A*AB but they still let me continue. I'm thrilled, but apparently a university can take back a place like mine if the person didn't achieve the set grades; if, say, someone else comes along who they like better. I'm very worried and I don't know whether I should be looking for other university places just in case, or jobs for a gap year.

Becky, Yorkshire

I didn't get the grades I wanted: AADD. I am going to resit the two Ds but am finding it hard to find a college where I can resit these subjects with the same exam board.

Ijeoma, London

I was very surprised to find that I was accepted into my first-choice university as the offer involved me having to get high grades. However, I now feel completely lost as to what to do. My course starts on the 17th but I'm not sure when to move there, how much and what to take with me, when to apply for a job there and I worry that I won't be able to manage the course because I feel as though I fluked the results.

Bronwen, Harrow

I've received my results today and I can get into university. The only thing is I'm slightly worried, and so are my parents, that I won't be driven enough to last four years and to work my hardest. My parents have also got me worried about the financial side of it too. Any advice?

Isabelle, New Romney

My parents are not very supportive, and so I'm feeling very low. I'm not sure what else I can do. I received three D grades at AS-level. My parents won't stop saying: "You haven't worked hard, because if you had you wouldn't get Ds. You get what you've put in." But I worked really, really hard. That's what upset me the most. I was expecting higher grades than Ds after doing the exam. It was such a shock to me when I opened the envelope. I have no-one to turn to - not my family, not my friends, because my friends have all done better than me. I've only got my sister to turn to but it's still not helping. I wanted to get into uni to do nursing so badly, but my grades have let me down. I've done so much work experience, hoping I really can get a place, but I know I won't now because I haven't got the grades. What else can I do?

Meryl, Birmingham

My son has received his results and failed ungraded with his AS-levels. He needs C grades to continue to A-level There is nobody for him to get advice from at school and we have no idea what his options are now. He works part-time at a garden centre and would like to continue along those lines but needed a grade C for the horticulture course.

Sarah, Nottingham

My younger brother got his results today - 5 A*s, an incredible achievement and exactly what was predicted for him. Yet despite also having plenty of work experience, fantastic school references and with average grades going down this year, he has no university offers for medicine. His reward for all the hard work is sadly just disappointment. He is now forced to take a gap year that he does not want and I cannot see how he can make his application any better next time.

Lisa, London

Hello. I just received my results (AAAB) - chemistry (B), biology (A), maths (A) and geography (A). I had my heart set on studying geology but after I spent a week of work experience at a mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo I decided geology wasn't for me. I would really like to have a job that incorporates science and also allows me to travel and go to different parts of the world. Do you have any suggestions about what I could study? Also, do you think that my chances of getting an offer from a top university would be diminished if I apply with AAB instead of AAA, because I really enjoy chemistry and wish to carry it forward next year? I would very much appreciate some advice.

Rhonwen, Leeds

My son Luke has been accepted at Loughborough University and King's College London to read computer science. He would prefer to go to Loughborough and I feel that King's would give him more prospects as it is more prestigious. Please help.

Daniele, London

My daughter has got in at her first choice but is disappointed at her ABB grades because she had higher targets. She is having a wobble over whether she has chosen the right course. She doesn't want to talk to anyone. How do I help? Who should she talk to? She got a C in her last geography exam, giving her an overall A. I think this has knocked her confidence as she wants to do geography at university.

'D', Manchester

I have just seen my results and I got AAB and I am ecstatic! I needed ABB for my course but I don't understand what my options are now in terms of changing courses to other top universities. In the paper it says they will try to woo all the students with ABB and above but not much about the process. Could you explain this?

James, Winchester

I am pleased with my results of A* biology, A chemistry, A maths, A for AS Latin & A* for extended project - but sad that I cannot study medicine in the UK as no university has offered me a place.

Caroline, Northampton

I have missed out on my offer to study psychology at the University of Manchester after only achieving BBC, instead of the required AAB. Naturally I am very disappointed as although I was expecting the C grade, I definitely had not been expecting the Bs. Right now, I do not wish to go through clearing but am considering retaking my exams. I feel confident that I can achieve the A grades but am still unsure whether the B grade, in biology, seems likely. If I do retake, how will it affect my application, particularly if I apply to Russell Group universities, as I did this year, such as Manchester and Sheffield?

Zara, Preston