The Student Room Group

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Reply 20
GCSE's are not the be all and end all of getting offers from top universities.

They are however important as stated before.

There are people who have applied to Oxbridge and got in with lower than average GCSE's and excellent AS/A2 (i.e. All A's)

Example of this is Manellowzworth who got in with 4As, 2Bs, 2Cs and a D to Queens, Oxford to do History.

People also get turned away before interview with excellent GCSE's aswell (i.e. All A*'s.

We can conclude that GCSE's are important, as the majority of people who get offers have outstanding results at GCSE and AS, but there are exceptions to the 'unwritten' rule, thankfully.

I will be applying to Cambridge '08 with A*AAAABBBB at GCSE, AAAA at AS and AAA (predicted) A2 for SPS
Reply 21
I got BBCCC on my gcses. If i don't get AAAA on my a levels. Does that mean i can't go to a popular or a good uni?
uniz care about your GCSE results
Most importantly its english, but as your get more specific with courses, they look at the core subjects, e.g. art for an art related course.
English is a main requirement, especially for all you fellow international students. Even maths for some odd reason, but that could just be for my course: architecture
but places like oxbridge indefinately look at your GCSE results, i mean they have a column in their apps that even ask you which modules you are planning to resit *AS*, and if so when, and they even ask you what you mark was for individual modules... so they really care!
but if you are predicted for low grades in maths, and esepcially english in GCSE, pump that mark up!
what are you planning to do Tibia? coz it depends on what you choose.but remember, grades arent everything, your PS is very important as well
Reply 24
I'm hoping to do Aerospace Engineering in Bristol soon.
Tibia
I got BBCCC on my gcses. If i don't get AAAA on my a levels. Does that mean i can't go to a popular or a good uni?


Not necessarily, but you may need to impress them with your personal statement, reference and (if applicable) interview more than you would otherwise. Was there any reason you only took 5 GCSEs? Most people take between 9 and 11. Some take as many as between 12 and 14, but the lowest I've ever heard of anyone taking is 8. Still, you got 5 good passes, which is the minimum requirement for most unis, so as long as those include English and maths and your A-levels meet the requirements, you should still have a chance.
Reply 26
kellywood_5
Not necessarily, but you may need to impress them with your personal statement, reference and (if applicable) interview more than you would otherwise. Was there any reason you only took 5 GCSEs? Most people take between 9 and 11. Some take as many as between 12 and 14, but the lowest I've ever heard of anyone taking is 8. Still, you got 5 good passes, which is the minimum requirement for most unis, so as long as those include English and maths and your A-levels meet the requirements, you should still have a chance.


I failed my gcses 2 years ago. After i spent a year being lazy and watching tv/dvds of my favourite day (heaven :smile: ) i decided to get my lazy ass to college. I was given the option of doing 6 GCSEs. I decided to be lazy and only do 5. I am not doing english (the one i didn't take last year). The thing is I CAN GET As on all of those subjects. But I don't want to redo them again if it isn't worth it and may make me lose the chance to get AAAA for my A levels.
Tibia
I failed my gcses 2 years ago. After i spent a year being lazy and watching tv/dvds of my favourite day (heaven :smile: ) i decided to get my lazy ass to college. I was given the option of doing 6 GCSEs. I decided to be lazy and only do 5. I am not doing english (the one i didn't take last year). The thing is I CAN GET As on all of those subjects. But I don't want to redo them again if it isn't worth it and may make me lose the chance to get AAAA for my A levels.


You do need to take English because you'll need a C in it for most unis, but I agree that it's not worth reistting to get As because even if you do, unis will still know from the dates that you resat. A-levels are much more important, so getting AAAA in those and having BBCCCC (assuming you take English and get a C) at GCSE will be better than having, for example, CCCC at A-level and AAAAAA at GCSE.
Reply 28
I'm doing english at the moment. I take it along with my As.