Exam retakes and re-marking

If you or your teachers think that you could achieve better grades, you can choose to re-take your exam. 

WHAT IS A RETAKE?

An exam counts as a retake if you have sat the same syllabus in previous exam session. 

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO

If you are a school student you need to speak to your school exams co-ordinator. If you are a private student you need to provide your:

• previous centre number

• candidate number

• Statement of result

Note: the retake option may not apply to all subjects’ option. You can usually submit previously used coursework so you will only need to retake written exams. Any coursework that is resubmitted needs to meet the requirements of the syllabus in the new exam series and must be re-assessed.

If you are a private candidate, wishing to request for Enquiry about Results then you must complete the Enquiry about Results Form and courier the following documents to your respective regions’ British Council Office:

1. EAR Form providing list of subjects and services for EAR.
2. A single consolidated bank demand draft/pay order/bank deposit slip detail. Please click here to see the list of SCB branches to make payment for EAR. Fee details can be found at the

For candidates who have already dispatched the above documents in order to apply for an EAR, are requested to fill in the Enquiry about Results Form only.

Teams of examiners assess every exam paper. They are specialists in their subjects, and follow a strict marking scheme. Principal examiners oversee the process to make sure that grades are awarded fairly. 

If a student is awarded a grade that differs significantly from their teacher’s prediction or comparative performance, their exam is automatically re-checked and often re-graded. Borderline grades are also remarked to ensure the grade is fair. 

The exam marking process is carefully designed to be fair to all students. However, if you feel that your exam result does not represent your work, you can ask to have your paper remarked. 

REQUEST A RE-MARK

If you are a school student and believe that your exam results are incorrect, please speak to your teacher and request them to apply for the remarking on your behalf within one month of your result announcement. We do not accept applications from school candidates privately.

If you are a private candidate, you should contact the British Council within one month of your result announcement.

Remember: your grade and mark may be lowered, confirmed or raised following the enquiry. If your grade is raised, you may be entitled to a full refund (excluding the Bank and British Council administration charges).

Once you have received an outcome and the results have been ‘upgraded’, you can apply for a refund of the EAR fee through the ‘Cambridge Refund Form’ available on the website.

Please also post mail us your originals along with the refund form so that they can be sent to Cambridge for replacements.

Kindly make sure that all refund forms and replacement certificate requests have been sent to us by 26 March 2022.

You may upload all EAR requests before the deadline i.e., 11 February 2022. Please note that British Council will not be able to entertain any late submissions.

Teachers and school exams coordinators may want to order detailed reports on the exam performance of a group of candidates or a whole class of students. 

The British Council allows you to order reports for groups of up to five, up to 15, or groups of 16 and more. 

To place an order for exam reports, you will need written consent from each candidate.