Help! I Didn’t Get the Exam Result I Wanted 

How to deal if your results weren’t what you were hoping for. 

Exam season is stressful, and it can be disappointing to see that you didn’t do as well as you’d hoped. No one wants to feel like their late-night study sessions and hours of countless reading and note-taking were for nothing.

While it might seem like the end of the world, there are plenty of options for you to take the path that you want. 

Take a breather. 

It’s difficult to see a low score where you expected to see a high one but just remember, you have your whole future ahead of you and there are heaps of options to move forward. Plus, this is just one grade in the grand scheme of your life. 

Take a minute to think about what you want to do with your future and just know that you don’t have to immediately rush into a decision.  

For high school students doing their final exams, you can take a gap year, decide what course you would want to study at uni or TAFE, do some research into alternate pathways or speak to a career advisor at your school or at a uni. 

Check out the course guidelines. 

 

If you’re in high school, you probably would’ve gotten a physical or online booklet that gives you a list of courses and the ATAR required for entrance into that course.  

A quick search online can show you different courses on offer in the same area you were hoping to study, but at a different uni that requires a lower score. 

You can even check out smaller institutions or regional centres that offer the same degree (high entrance scores not required!) 

If you’re in uni, TAFE or doing a VET program and you didn’t exactly ace your exam, take this time to check out your current course guideline to check out your options for potentially retaking the exam, seeing how it will affect your overall grade or if you can appeal the grade. 

Talk to a career advisor. 

Many unis hold events on the day ATAR results are released where students can talk about their options with career advisers and explore different options available.  

You can also email or call universities to find out more info on their courses, alternate pathways and you can also look into their transferring options. 

Depending on the course, you can enrol in a related course that has a lower entry requirement and then transfer after completing some units.   

Look into alternative pathways. 

Uni might not be the best option for what you choose to do after high school, and you can learn some great practical skills through TAFE or a VET program. 

However, other pathways into uni include portfolio entry, VET entry, UniReady, Skills for Tertiary Admissions Test and more. Your best option is to check out the course you want to apply to and figure out the best suited route for you. 

At the end of the day, a low exam score or low ATAR doesn’t define your future and it doesn’t mean that you’ll never be able to get into your dream course. It’s a number that doesn’t determine your value and despite a few setbacks, you should still be able to study the course you want.