Pandemic Fallout Drives Surge in Adult GCSE Retakes

According to the latest data, the number of maths and English GCSE exams taken by those aged 17 and older has surged in 2025, now accounting for 23.4% of all such grades - up from 20.9% the previous year.

This spike is largely attributed to young people resitting their GCSEs after the pandemic led to a drop in grades. Many students who took their exams when grades were being brought down are now retaking the tests in hopes of achieving better results.

However, the pass rate for these resits remains far lower than for Year 11 students, with just 20.9% of English entries and 17.1% of maths entries from the older age group reaching grade 4 or higher.

Experts have warned of a "resit crisis" and called for "fundamental reform" to maths and English secondary education. Jill Duffy, the head of the OCR exam board, stated that "tinkering at the edges of policy won't fix this" and that more support is needed for those who fall behind.

The Department for Education says students should retake the exams when they feel ready, though the policy has been described as a "requirement" in the past. Education leaders have criticized the approach as "demoralising" and potentially undermining student confidence and motivation.

As the government prepares to publish its curriculum and assessment review this year, all eyes are on whether significant changes will be made to address the growing challenges faced by older GCSE students.