If A-Level results day did not go the way you wanted, you are not on your own and the year is not lost. The Year 13 A-Level Retake at St Andrew’s College Cambridge is a one-year programme for students who narrowly missed their offer, are changing subject mix, or are returning to study after a gap, and who want to reapply through UCAS the following year. As a long-established A-Level retake Cambridge provider, we run focused retake classes alongside our main A-Level cohort, with personal tutorial support, UCAS reapplication help and full boarding from day one. Year 13 retake Cambridge applicants typically start in September, with some places available for January. Speed matters in August and we will respond within one working day. For the full A-Level offer at St Andrew’s see our main A-Level page.
WHO IT’S FOR
Who is the Year 13 retake at St Andrew’s for?
The Year 13 retake suits three types of student. The first is the student who narrowly missed their offer at a top UK university and needs to retake one or two A-Levels to firm up grades and reapply. The second is the student who needs to change subject mix entirely, perhaps swapping a subject out for one their new degree pathway requires. The third is the student returning to study after a gap year, illness or change of plan, who wants a structured year back inside a sixth-form environment before applying to university. We have worked with all three groups for many years, and our admissions team will quickly tell you which route fits.
WHAT WE OFFER
What does a Year 13 retake at St Andrew’s look like?
Year 13 retakes at St Andrew’s are taught alongside our main A-Level cohort, which means students benefit from full classes, peer learning and the normal academic life of a college. Subject choice is flexible: students can retake one, two or three A-Levels, or pick up a new subject from scratch in a one-year retake format. Exam-board alignment is checked at the application stage so that students sit the same specifications they have already prepared for, rather than restarting from a different board. Every student has a personal tutor managing weekly progress, UCAS reapplication support, and structured interview practice for any course that requires it. Full boarding is available throughout the year.
START DATES
How quickly can I start a retake course?
Speed matters most in August, after A-Level results day. We move fast for August applicants and can have a confirmed offer in days rather than weeks. The main intake is September, alongside the rest of our A-Level students. A small number of January starts are available where subject combinations and exam-board specifications align. For students applying in mid-summer, we recommend contacting admissions on results day itself so we can begin the assessment process while subject places are still available.
RESULTS
What grades do retake students typically achieve at St Andrew’s?
Retake outcomes vary by student, by starting grade and by subject, but on average our retake students lift their grades by one to two grade boundaries across the subjects they retake. Most progress to Russell Group universities the following September, with a smaller group securing places at G5 universities including Imperial College London, UCL and LSE. We are careful not to over-promise; the right way to think about the year is as a focused chance to fix what went wrong, not as a guaranteed jump to a particular grade.
UCAS
How does UCAS reapplication work alongside a retake?
Every retake student has direct access to our University Preparation programme, including a new personal statement, fresh references, reapplication through UCAS, and Oxbridge support where relevant. Students reapply in the standard UCAS cycle (typically October for Oxbridge and Medicine, January for most other courses) with predicted grades based on autumn-term mocks at St Andrew’s.
