In England, from the very moment you start secondary school as an excitable year 7, to the all-important decision-making period of year 9, the acronym ‘GCSE’ will be drilled into you as one of - if not the most - important part of your secondary education. 

It’s true. Your GCSEs do play a significant role in your future studies and the type of career you could end up pursuing in the future. And it’s important you have a good understanding of what they are ahead of time so that you can prepare as best as possible. 

That’s why we’ve pulled together a handy introduction - for students to familiarise themselves with the GCSE part of secondary school. Take a look below for a comprehensive guide to these qualifications, as well answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about them.

What are GCSEs?

In England, education is divided into 4 Key Stages. The last of these, Key Stage 4 (KS4), is taught to students in years 10 and 11 at secondary school, when students are usually aged between 14 to 16 years old.  

The courses studied in KS4 are called GCSEs, which are studied over the two year period. They are assessed by a combination of coursework (albeit only a small amount) and, most importantly, written exams which mainly take place in the summer term of year 11 - at the end of your two years of study.

GCSEs contribute significantly to a student’s future career, and are recognised as the first of the major academic achievements in a student’s journey.  Final exam results and grades can impact everything from which A-Levels you’ll study and where; universities can and will also look at your GCSE grades during the admissions process; and some companies that you may apply to work for in the future may even ask for copies of your GCSE certificates as part of the recruitment process. 

If you take just one thing away from this article about GCSEs: they’re pretty important.

What does GCSE stand for?

The initials ‘GCSE’ stands for General Certificate of Secondary Education. It’s a replacement for old O-Levels (Ordinary Levels) and CSEs (Certificates of Secondary Education), which were replaced back in 1986 with the modern GCSE that we know and study today. 

What year do you do GCSE?

In England, GCSEs are typically taken by school students aged between 14-16. In school years, this is year 10 to year 11, with most assessments and examinations taking place in the spring and summer term of year 11. 

Do the whole of the UK study for GCSEs?

No, GCSEs are only studied by secondary school students in England and Northern Ireland. Scotland and Wales follow a different curriculum.

In broad terms, National 5 (N5) qualifications are the Scottish equivalent of the GCSE. In Wales, the Welsh Baccalaureate is studied during the same period as GCSEs. 

What are the GCSE grades?

In 2015, as part of a curriculum change in schools in England, reforms to GCSEs were introduced to make courses more challenging for students. This included a reduction in the amount of coursework that students would need to complete during their two years of study, instead putting more emphasis on final exams to determine a student’s final grade for a subject. 

These reforms included changes to the grading system, which first affected GCSE students in 2017/18. In England, GCSEs are now graded on a numerical scale, from 9 to 1, rather than from A to E. The highest grade is 9, while 1 is the lowest, not including a U (ungraded). 

How the new grading system compares with the previous one

In the new GCSE reforms, qualifications are awarded on a sliding grade scale from 9 to 1. Below, you’ll find a comparison of the previous GCSE grading structure against the new marking system:

• A* = Grade 8/Grade 9

• A = Grade 7/Grade 8

• B = Grade 5/Grade 6

• C = Grade 4/Grade 5

• D = Grade 3/Grade 4

• E = Grade 2/Grade 3

• F = Grade 1/Grade 2

• G = Grade 1

• U = Ungraded

Grade boundaries are set arithmetically, hence why there are no ‘hard’ boundaries between the different grades. “For example, the boundaries at grades 5 and 6 will be set based on the difference in marks between grades 4 and 7; grade 5 will be set at one third of the difference in marks, and grade 6 at two thirds the difference in marks.” (Pearson Education)

Historically, a grade ‘C’ was considered a pass at GCSE. Now, students need to achieve a 4 for a ‘standard pass’ and 5 for a ‘strong pass.’ This means that any candidate who achieves nine grade-4s has passed all their exams. However, many sixth forms and colleges are insisting on a minimum of 5s and 6s as a condition of entry.

Are there compulsory GCSE subjects?

When it comes to choosing your GCSEs, there is some freedom regarding which subjects you can study. However, there are some compulsory subjects you will need to study during your GCSE years, including:

• English (usually taught as English Language and English Literature)

• Mathematics

• Science (usually divided into Biology, Chemistry and Physics)

• Citizenship/Social Studies

• Physical Education (PE)

Note: There are no exams in the latter two subjects). 

All other subjects you choose to study at GCSE level are optional and selected by you. 

‘Entitlement areas’ when choosing your GCSE subjects

When it comes to choosing your GCSE subjects, there are a wide variety of courses that are available to study. The only catch being is that your school needs to offer that particular course for you to be able to study it. 

To make access to students fair across the country, the British government set out ‘entitlement areas,’ where schools must provide access to a minimum of one course in each of the following areas:

• The Arts: Art & Design, Dance, Media Studies, Music, Theatre Studies, etc.

• Design and Technology: Engineering, Food Technology, Graphic Design, Product Design, Textiles, Woodwork, etc. 

• The Humanities: History and Geography

• Modern Foreign Languages: French, German, Spanish, etc.

As you begin to think about the GCSE subjects you may want to consider studying, make sure the ones you are interested in are offered at your school. As mentioned above, optional subjects for GCSE vary between schools, so you should always check before getting your heart set on a particular course.

How many GCSEs should you take?

Usually, your school will determine the number of GCSEs that you can take, which could be as many as 12 or as few as 7. The general average for a student to take is 9. 

This number includes the three core subjects that all students have to study: English, Mathematics and Science, and then supplemented by subjects that you choose yourself. Usually, you will select your remaining GCSE options in year 9, the spring before you start studying at Key Stage 4 level.

How many GCSEs do I need for A-Levels?

In England and Northern Ireland, once you have completed your GCSEs, it’s likely that you will go on to apply for a sixth form college where you will then study for BTEC or A-Level qualifications. 

As a general rule of thumb, most sixth form colleges will ask for at least 5 GCSEs, graded between a 9 and a 4. However, almost all colleges will require you to have at least a grade 4 in GCSE English and Maths. 

When it comes to any specific subject you want to pursue at A-Level, you will typically need to have achieved a grade 5 or 6 to be able to study that same subject at A-Level. Therefore, as a minimum you will need to achieve three or four grade 6’s - for your desired A-Level subjects, and then grade 4s (passes) in the remaining GCSE subjects. 

How many GCSEs do I need for university?

When applying to university, your A-Level grades will be a significant factor in the admissions process. However, admissions officers will also take your GCSE qualifications into account as an indication of your capabilities as a student.

Like sixth form colleges, universities will typically ask for a minimum of 5 GCSEs, graded between a 9 and a 4, including English and Maths. Of course, any additional GCSEs you have achieved good grades in will demonstrate your ability to handle heavy workloads with ease - which they’ll like to see. However, as long as you have around 9 GCSEs between a grade 9 and 4, you shouldn’t worry about getting into a university.

Can I take more GCSEs than my school recommends?

With GCSEs bearing such a huge impact on your future education and career choices, it’s not uncommon for students to consider taking additional GCSE courses to try and boost their chances of success. 

As we’ve already covered, the average student takes 9 GCSEs. However, you can study more if you want - so long as your school can support it. 

It’s also important to emphasise that taking the average 9 GCSEs is a lot of work in itself. Studying for, revising and sitting all the necessary assessments and examinations takes a lot of time - in fact, it’s recommended that you should be studying an additional 1.5 hours per subject per week outside of school to succeed in your GCSEs.

Taking on additional GCSEs will obviously increase your workload significantly, which can add to stress and worry over those final exams. And sometimes, the more stress you put yourself under, the worse impact it can have on your ability to perform well in exams and assessments. You need to balance the number of GCSEs you take with how much work you can realistically achieve each week for them. 

If you have ambitions of taking more GCSEs than your school recommends, then there are a number of things you need to consider: 

• Does my school support additional GCSEs? - First and foremost, you need the support of your school to be able to take the additional GCSEs. Book in a meeting with your academic tutor or head of year to see if this is a possibility. 

• Can I manage the additional workload? - From the very first week of school in year 10 to the final weeks of exam season in year 11, you’ll need to be able to set aside at least an extra hour of study each week to study for each additional subject. Do you have the time to commit to this for two years?

• Realistically, will additional GCSEs have much impact? You need to balance out your chances of success with the number of subjects you study. It’s better to perform well across the board than succeed in a handful of subjects while trying to study for lots. 

In any case, you should always consult your teachers, head of year, friends, family, and anyone else who has probably faced these same questions before for some advice. Key Stage 4 is an important part of your academic journey and you want to make sure you’re making the most informed decision possible - and, ultimately, once which will give you the most success.

Summary

GCSEs are an important part of any student's education. Taking place between year 10 and 11, they culminate with several assessments and examinations which play a big part in your future career. The results of your GCSEs can have a direct impact on which A-Levels, degree, and even job you do in later life. 

Take note of their importance over your future pathway. If you haven’t already, year 10 is definitely a time when you need to start working hard, spending a significant amount of time outside of school to ensure you achieve the best grades possible.

As stressful and as time consuming as it may sound, the benefits will far outweigh themselves in the future when you’re able to study and work towards your dream subject and/or career. 

Get a head-start on your GCSEs with Melio

Kick-start your GCSE studies early by studying with Melio. With a selection of core and elective subjects available to study, you can explore different course options ahead of your GCSE selection and gain a competitive head-start on your peers.

Study one-on-one with an expert tutor with our online Tutorials programme, where you can tailor your tutoring around your specific learning goals and interests.

Alternatively, for a more collaborative learning experience, you could join one of our 2-week Academic Online Courses, where you can study alongside a small group of students from around the world (no more than 10). Taught through a combination of live webinars, independent study and weekly tutorial sessions, they’re an excellent way to learn the fundamentals of a subject, quickly, in a fun online learning environment. 

To find out more about the different online learning options available, please contact our admissions team to speak with one of our advisors.