Entry rules

When making your entries (and any resit entries), it’s essential you plan carefully, taking the entry and certification rules into consideration.

You will need to check unit and/or combinations are valid using the entry codes booklets and resit rules will not be broken.

Since reformed AS, A Level and GCSE qualifications (9-1) are linear qualifications, entries need to be made for the relevant qualification using the correct option code (just a single entry code). This includes A Level Sciences (Biology, Chemistry and Physics) and GCSE (9-1) English Language, whereby entering for the correct option also includes entry for the endorsements.

AS and A Level History and Further Maths are the exceptions to this as they are linear qualifications with a unitised entry structure.

Before making entries for A Level History, your centre must use OCR’s specification creator to confirm that the units make up a valid course.

Candidates may enter for the reformed qualifications an unlimited number of times. As for legacy linear qualifications, when retaking a reformed linear qualification, candidates must take all the components. However, candidates can either retake or ‘carry forward’ their non-exam assessment (NEA) result.

Where a candidate decides to carry forward the component result, you must use the carry forward entry code option (see the entry codes booklet).

It is possible to carry forward the endorsements for the reformed A Level Sciences (Biology, Chemistry and Physics) and GCSE (9-1) English Spoken Language. It is also possible to do this between awarding bodies.

For OCR, there is a specific entry option for the carried forward components (see the entry codes booklet). If the candidate previously took the subject with OCR, we will automatically carry this forward.

If a candidate is carrying forward from another awarding body, we will check a joint awarding body database to confirm the student has completed the endorsement and we will process the grade under the carry forward option.

For further details about carrying forward NEA, see the JCQ Instructions for conducting non-examination assessments on the JCQ website.

For the reformed GCSEs, the November series is only available for those candidates who have reached at least the age of 16 on or before 31 August of that calendar year. This is in accordance with Ofqual’s subject level regulations for GCSE (9-1) English Language and GCSE (9-1) Mathematics.

This age restriction applies to candidates even if they have already taken one of these examinations in the June series.

GCSE (9-1) Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Science and Maths qualifications are tiered and, where this is the case, the entry option ‘F’ is used for the Foundation tier and the entry option ‘H’ for the Higher tier. 

The Higher tier option is targeted at grades 9 to 4 and the Foundation tier option is targeted at grades 5 to 1. 

In the Foundation tier option, the maximum grade available will be a grade 5. An allowed grade 3 may be awarded on the Higher tier option for candidates who are a small number of marks below the grade 3/4 boundary. 

In tiered subjects, candidates take all components at the same tier.