Very worried, what should I do to compensate for A*BB in A levels?

[ML07]

Currently on a gap year with deferred entry to UCL, non law subject.
A*BBB in A Levels, with A* in maths achieved one year early (2024) and BBB achieved in 2025.
I am worried this will limit my future prospects in securing training contracts at magic circle firms / pupillages.
I would like to retake, do firms mind retakes?
What should I do in the meantime to strengthen my applications in the future?

 

[Andrei Radu]

Currently on a gap year with deferred entry to UCL, non law subject.
A*BBB in A Levels, with A* in maths achieved one year early (2024) and BBB achieved in 2025.
I am worried this will limit my future prospects in securing training contracts at magic circle firms / pupillages.
I would like to retake, do firms mind retakes?
What should I do in the meantime to strengthen my applications in the future?

Hi @ML07 I do not think you should be worried about the A-level grades regarding your chances to secure a TC at a top firm. Firms have always cared a lot less about A-level grades than about university performance, simply because what you do in the more mature and difficult university setting is more relevant to assessing your potential from an employment perspective. They do not expect you to have always have a flawless academic record, and, should you end up getting good grades in university, being able to show you have had struggles but managed to overcome them and then excel is certainly an attractive trait. Also, the trend of firms not placing much weigh on A-levels has accelerated recently, with many firms significantly lowering or dropping GCSE/A-levels requirements completely. Even those that have kept them in practice tend to treat them more as a 'soft expectations' than a mandatory field, as there are many examples of forum members who did not meet the A-level requirements of Magic Circle/US firms, but chose to still apply and ended up getting TCs.

As for pupillage at top commercial sets, while I do not know much about the topic, the general view is that getting such offers is substantially more competitive even than getting a TC at an MC or US firm, and that they also place a lot of emphasis on academics. That said, if you get a strong first in university, have strong mooting and advocacy credentials, and potentially do a masters at Oxbridge/a top RG uni, I certainly do not think you would be out of the game for that just because of your A-level results.

 

[FutureTrainee_101]

Currently on a gap year with deferred entry to UCL, non law subject.
A*BBB in A Levels, with A* in maths achieved one year early (2024) and BBB achieved in 2025.
I am worried this will limit my future prospects in securing training contracts at magic circle firms / pupillages.
I would like to retake, do firms mind retakes?
What should I do in the meantime to strengthen my applications in the future?

Hi ML07,

While I am not familiar with the pupillages application process, I can offer some insight into how grades play into Magic Circle TC applications.

On the whole, this will depend slightly on which firms you are applying to, as some of the MC firms have minimum A-level requirements (e.g. AAB for A& Shearman), while others do not (e.g. Freshfields and Slaughters). Having said this, you are still in with a shot for applying for those firms with minimum requirements if you had mitigating circumstances, which application reviewers will take into account when making decisions on whether to progress you to the next stage.

In terms of retakes - this should not affect your chances that much, but I would be prepared to answer questions on it on the off-chance an interviewer asks about it (i.e. reflecting on how you improved your work ethic/study techniques etc.).

In the meantime, make sure you are going to lots of events to learn more about commercial law, and using these as opportunities to ask questions. Also, you can be getting involved with societies at UCL next year, which are good evidence for competency interviews - especially if you get a committee position.

Let me know if you have any further questions - hope this helps!

 

[Lulu95049]

Hi ML07,

Your A-level grades are great and they will not negatively affect your applications for most firms (even those with minimum grade requirements). Over recent years firms have started to remove A-level grade requirements entirely, showing that firms tend to place more value on other elements of an application, such as university grades and extracurriculars.

Saying that, there are still things you can be doing in the meantime to improve your future applications. Aside from university grades, the most common downfall that candidates show is a lack of commercial awareness and real-world commercial experience. You can get creative when demonstrating these things, and the more 'outside-the-box' examples will have the advantage of catching the reader's (ie. graduate recruitment's) eye. For example, you might join a university society and gain a position on the committee, volunteer for a student-led charity in a leadership position, or set up your own business. The most important thing to remember here is how you frame your experience, and this often makes the difference between a 'good' and a 'bad' application.

I would advise against retaking your A-levels during your gap year. In your applications to law firms, you will have to disclose whether you achieved your A-level grades on first attempt, or on retaking the exams. As your current A-level grades will not be a barrier in your applications, it would be a waste of time and money to retake the exams.

Let me know if you have any questions, and I hope this helps!

 

[rr1809]

Currently on a gap year with deferred entry to UCL, non law subject.
A*BBB in A Levels, with A* in maths achieved one year early (2024) and BBB achieved in 2025.
I am worried this will limit my future prospects in securing training contracts at magic circle firms / pupillages.
I would like to retake, do firms mind retakes?
What should I do in the meantime to strengthen my applications in the future?

Hi,
You should not be worried about these A-Level results, as almost all firms take a holistic approach to your application and will view your grades in the context of your other achievements. Some firms do have minimum A-Level requirements, however, they do take into consideration mitigating circumstances.

Law firms that do not have grade requirements often look at your University grades, your extra curricular activities and your commercial awareness. My main piece of advice would be to try and sign up for legal events such as webinars and open days, which you can then add to your future applications to show that you're interested and pro-active.

Finally, working on strong university academics always adds to your advantage. Retakes usually aren't an issue but some firms do ask about them in interviews to see how you respond.

Good luck with application season, I hope this helps!