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Grade A in GCSE Maths needed for Economics Degree, only got C

Im only in year 12 so the requirements for the course could be different for when I have to apply but I can't see them changing too much.

I want to apply for an Economics and Business Management Degree at Newcastle university, I reckon *touch wood* that I'll get the AAA - AAB grades required for the course, what I don't have though is an A in GCSE Maths, I actually only have a grade C. Maths was probably my worst subject at GCSE, probably not because I was really bad at it just because I hated it and never listened in class, not once.

Do you think that if I achieve all the other required grades at A-Level then I could still get in there ? It's my first choice University, had a look round and really like the place and have set my heart on it.
Reply 1
Original post by CallumTheKing
Im only in year 12 so the requirements for the course could be different for when I have to apply but I can't see them changing too much.

I want to apply for an Economics and Business Management Degree at Newcastle university, I reckon *touch wood* that I'll get the AAA - AAB grades required for the course, what I don't have though is an A in GCSE Maths, I actually only have a grade C. Maths was probably my worst subject at GCSE, probably not because I was really bad at it just because I hated it and never listened in class, not once.

Do you think that if I achieve all the other required grades at A-Level then I could still get in there ? It's my first choice University, had a look round and really like the place and have set my heart on it.


Firstly, Economics does include maths for which you need an understand of and you must be able to apply it. Therefore you need to like it somewhat in order to do Economics at university as you will be expected to learn some A level statistics.

Secondly, they have that requirement there for a reason so they probably won't waver it for you. I have a friend who is retaking his Maths GCSE alongside his A levels for an Accounting course. So if you feel strongly that you would like to pursue economics then this would be your best bet.

Thirdly, email the university and ask if they will consider your application based upon your intention to retake your Maths GCSE. Some universities want you to hold that grade A upon applying whilst others will include that GCSE Maths grade A on your conditional offer.

Hope this helps :smile:
Reply 2
Original post by CallumTheKing
Im only in year 12 so the requirements for the course could be different for when I have to apply but I can't see them changing too much.

I want to apply for an Economics and Business Management Degree at Newcastle university, I reckon *touch wood* that I'll get the AAA - AAB grades required for the course, what I don't have though is an A in GCSE Maths, I actually only have a grade C. Maths was probably my worst subject at GCSE, probably not because I was really bad at it just because I hated it and never listened in class, not once.

Do you think that if I achieve all the other required grades at A-Level then I could still get in there ? It's my first choice University, had a look round and really like the place and have set my heart on it.


I don't think they will, even if they do give you an offer they'll probably ask for an A in GCSE Maths. If you don't meet their minimum entry requirements then it gives the admissions tutor a very simple decision of rejecting you. I am told that the first thing an admissions tutor looks at is if you meet the course requirements (A-level grades/predictions, GCSEs) before even reading your personal statement.

Also, there is a reason why they ask for at least an A in GCSE Maths - it's cause Economics requires a lot of Maths! So they don't want you to struggle when you get there.

If I were you, I would either retake GCSE Maths and teach it yourself (or get a tutor or attend revision classes if your school provides them) or take up AS Maths in year 13.

Good luck :smile:.
Reply 3
Hi,
From looking at the Economics degree syllabuses of various universities, I think that you're going to struggle if you don't have at least an AS level idea of mathematics. I'm aware of the fact that some uni's offer modules for those people who did not take A level maths in their economics courses, but if you have only obtained a C in GCSE I think you're going to find even that difficult. Furthermore, these courses also cater for those who failed A level maths and the fact they've failed doesn't mean they're stupid, it means they're going to have been practicing maths for 2 years while you've been doing nothing.

To anwser your question, I don't think that you having a C will be a disadvantage in terms of your application, but, if you're serious about doing economics, you're going to need to brush up on your maths. Here's a site I've been using for AS maths, it helped me get 97UMS. I suggest you use it to refine your maths: http://www.examsolutions.net/.

I hope I haven't been too harsh and if someone doesn't agree with me, tag me in the message so I can see want you think.
You wont get beyond the first glance of an Admissions Tutor without the basic qualifications required. Those requirements are there for a reason, not for fun. They know you need that level of maths aptitude to do the course.

So, if they want a higher grade GCSE than you've got, you can either retake the GCSE or think about another course - because if Economics is bound up in maths and you dont like maths or arent very good at it, is it really what you want to study every day for three whole years? Have a look at courses like Development Studies or International Relations - similar area of study but without the heavy economics content.
(edited 10 years ago)
Original post by Basiji
I don't think they will, even if they do give you an offer they'll probably ask for an A in GCSE Maths. If you don't meet their minimum entry requirements then it gives the admissions tutor a very simple decision of rejecting you. I am told that the first thing an admissions tutor looks at is if you meet the course requirements (A-level grades/predictions, GCSEs) before even reading your personal statement.

Also, there is a reason why they ask for at least an A in GCSE Maths - it's cause Economics requires a lot of Maths! So they don't want you to struggle when you get there.

If I were you, I would either retake GCSE Maths and teach it yourself (or get a tutor or attend revision classes if your school provides them) or take up AS Maths in year 13.

Good luck :smile:.


Original post by Mreyow
Firstly, Economics does include maths for which you need an understand of and you must be able to apply it. Therefore you need to like it somewhat in order to do Economics at university as you will be expected to learn some A level statistics.

Secondly, they have that requirement there for a reason so they probably won't waver it for you. I have a friend who is retaking his Maths GCSE alongside his A levels for an Accounting course. So if you feel strongly that you would like to pursue economics then this would be your best bet.

Thirdly, email the university and ask if they will consider your application based upon your intention to retake your Maths GCSE. Some universities want you to hold that grade A upon applying whilst others will include that GCSE Maths grade A on your conditional offer.

Hope this helps :smile:
I have an A in maths igcse but I hate maths and I don’t wanna do it in Alevels.Firstly,The major I’ll be opting in university is economics and I want to pursue it in a good uni but the problem is that I have to take maths in Alevel alongside economics to get a place at a good uni for economics but I don’t want to take maths.Secondly,if I don’t take maths Alevel can Unis judge me by my maths olevel grade while accepting me in a economics major?Thirdly,Even if I take maths in AS but I’ll drop it in A2...will Maths AS have any significance or importance on my uni applications like will the university advantage me for taking maths at AS level atleast for economics.Thank you and a detailed reply would be appreciated pleaseee.Thank you

I have an A in maths igcse but I hate maths and I don’t wanna do it in Alevels.Firstly,The major I’ll be opting in university is economics and I want to pursue it in a good uni but the problem is that I have to take maths in Alevel alongside economics to get a place at a good uni for economics but I don’t want to take maths.Secondly,if I don’t take maths Alevel can Unis judge me by my maths olevel grade while accepting me in a economics major?Thirdly,Even if I take maths in AS but I’ll drop it in A2...will Maths AS have any significance or importance on my uni applications like will the university advantage me for taking maths at AS level atleast for economics.Thank you and a detailed reply would be appreciated please.
Reply 6
Original post by Ahad67767
I have an A in maths igcse but I hate maths and I don’t wanna do it in Alevels.Firstly,The major I’ll be opting in university is economics and I want to pursue it in a good uni but the problem is that I have to take maths in Alevel alongside economics to get a place at a good uni for economics but I don’t want to take maths.Secondly,if I don’t take maths Alevel can Unis judge me by my maths olevel grade while accepting me in a economics major?Thirdly,Even if I take maths in AS but I’ll drop it in A2...will Maths AS have any significance or importance on my uni applications like will the university advantage me for taking maths at AS level atleast for economics.Thank you and a detailed reply would be appreciated please.

Hi,

Im in year 13 after summer and highly encourage you to take A level maths if you want to do Economics at a top university such as LSE/UCL/Warwick.
I didnt take A level maths and I am obviously too late to pick it up (really regret not taking it). I was seriously stressed about this as i wantee to go to a top University.
I do not want you to make the same mistake as me so take A level maths!
However, I have a huge passion for Economics and there are lots of top universities which don’t require matts. For example,
University of St Andrews
Loughborough University
University of Nottingham
University of Leeds
University of Birmingham
There are many students who dont pick A level maths but still can do Economics at University as some of these Universities teach what you need.
Original post by Ahad67767
I have an A in maths igcse but I hate maths and I don’t wanna do it in Alevels.Firstly,The major I’ll be opting in university is economics and I want to pursue it in a good uni but the problem is that I have to take maths in Alevel alongside economics to get a place at a good uni for economics but I don’t want to take maths.Secondly,if I don’t take maths Alevel can Unis judge me by my maths olevel grade while accepting me in a economics major?Thirdly,Even if I take maths in AS but I’ll drop it in A2...will Maths AS have any significance or importance on my uni applications like will the university advantage me for taking maths at AS level atleast for economics.Thank you and a detailed reply would be appreciated please.

Hi @Ahad67767,

Here at Loughborough we do not require A-Level Maths to study Economics and have a Maths Learning Support Centre on campus for all students to use should you need to. We do have a GCSE requirement of minimum Grade 6/B in Maths and English Language however, which is something to bear in mind.

Our admissions process is transparent and so for the specific more detailed information I would recommend speaking to our admissions team direct or the department.

Best Wishes,
Emily :smile:
Reply 8
Original post by Loughborough University
Hi @Ahad67767,

Here at Loughborough we do not require A-Level Maths to study Economics and have a Maths Learning Support Centre on campus for all students to use should you need to. We do have a GCSE requirement of minimum Grade 6/B in Maths and English Language however, which is something to bear in mind.

Our admissions process is transparent and so for the specific more detailed information I would recommend speaking to our admissions team direct or the department.

Best Wishes,
Emily :smile:

Hello,

For a friend who has a 5 in GCSE English will he have a chance? He has a 6 in maths.
I’m confused, are you doing an A-level in maths? I thought economics was primarily maths and statistics?
If you don’t enjoy maths then why do it? That being said if you do enjoy it is the possibility of a foundation year of maths there for you?
Some unis will only have their minimum requirement for GCSE maths as a C so you could look.
Generally, if people don’t achieve their required grades for gcse maths they resit it again in year 12. A few of my friends did this. You could look into the possibility of resitting it in year 13.
What A levels are you taking?
Unless you are retaking Maths, (and it sounds like a subject that you dislike), you would almost certainly be an automatic reject regardless of your AL grades/predictions.

I would have a look at the course content closely because you may find many Econ programmes have a lot more Maths than you would enjoy.
My son is interested in Economics and thought he may want to do this post A level - and so was considering changing to include Maths A Level in his choices. When we looked into this we found that there were courses where Maths A level was not required however this tended to be the BA Economics courses rather than the BSc.
Original post by Ahad67767
I have an A in maths igcse but I hate maths and I don’t wanna do it in Alevels.Firstly,The major I’ll be opting in university is economics and I want to pursue it in a good uni but the problem is that I have to take maths in Alevel alongside economics to get a place at a good uni for economics but I don’t want to take maths.Secondly,if I don’t take maths Alevel can Unis judge me by my maths olevel grade while accepting me in a economics major?Thirdly,Even if I take maths in AS but I’ll drop it in A2...will Maths AS have any significance or importance on my uni applications like will the university advantage me for taking maths at AS level atleast for economics.Thank you and a detailed reply would be appreciated please.

Hi,

At Lancaster University you can study the BA Economics course without studying A Level maths. The main difference between the BA and the BSC (which requires A level maths) is the different focuses of the course. The BA focuses greater on more analytical and research skills rather than maths based skills and courses, in both you still get to learn a great amount about economics as a whole. Universities often offer a variety of maths support sessions, at Lancaster this being Maths and Stats Help (MASH), so even if there is a portion of maths in your course there is usually support to help you in these modules. This is just my experience at Lancaster but I'm sure you can look at other unis and their policy regarding A level maths.

Any more help feel free to get in touch,
Finn (3rd Year BA Economics & Politics)
Your course options will be rather limited since you're not taking A-Level Maths. Bear in mind that Economics courses are rather Mathematical nowadays apart from some universities mentioned above that focus on the qualitative element. I think this article may help you understand why Maths is so significantly used to study Economics degrees.
https://wearequrious.com/admissions/how-much-maths-in-economics-at-university/
Original post by NiceEconTeacher
Your course options will be rather limited since you're not taking A-Level Maths. Bear in mind that Economics courses are rather Mathematical nowadays apart from some universities mentioned above that focus on the qualitative element. I think this article may help you understand why Maths is so significantly used to study Economics degrees.
https://wearequrious.com/admissions/how-much-maths-in-economics-at-university/

Will core maths work?

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