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Do GCSEs matter?

So I've got GCSEs coming up and I'm revising and everything but I'm curious to whether they really matter when applying to university and in the future. Considering I'll no longer be taking AS levels do you think GCSEs will start to mean more and be taken into consideration a lot more?
Doubt it, by the time you're out of uni, they won't be valid anyway. All that matters is English and Maths at GCSE.
so what are you gonna do after GCSEs?
Reply 3
Avatar for AfcFob
AfcFob
18
GCSE will mean a lot more if you are looking to go to Uni as they are going to use your GCSE as an indicator as to how well you will do at A Level. It's not a good indicator as I know people with all A*s and A's who struggle at AS but it's how Michael Gove wants the system to be
If you're looking to go to Universities (especially prestigious ones!) then yes they do! Without any doubt, I bet we will regret not doing as well in our GCSEs when we see that they are the things letting us down when applying to that dream University.

However, after that no one gives a flying toss.
I see, I'm looking at going to Imperial, Cambridge or Bristol for engineering
Reply 6
Avatar for samkajj
samkajj
13
Yeah
Reply 7
Avatar for Tsrsarah
Tsrsarah
3
Meh only maths, English and sometimes science is important when applying to uni. You just need to pass them all as most unis require 5 GCSEs A*-C.
(edited 8 years ago)
Reply 8
Avatar for Asolare
Asolare
20
2 sides to every coin.

Yes:
- Certain unis (esp. prestigious ones) and uni degrees (e.g. medicine) look highly upon good GCSE grades
- GCSE English and Maths at C is pre much required for loads of jobs and college nowadays.
- A lot of college courses might require you to have a GCSE B grade in that subject before you're allowed to do it at AS Level.

No:
- After college/uni it won't matter much at all providing you have the Cs in English/Maths.
- You can get bad GCSEs yet get good AS grades in similar subjects.
- Apprenticeships are a way into employment which will get you into work without too much emphasis on GCSEs.

But from my personal opinion, please try to do your best in GCSEs. Better to try and succeed and then view them as irrelevant than to just fail and find out you needed good GCSEs for a prestigious uni or something.
Original post by harrisonchar
I see, I'm looking at going to Imperial, Cambridge or Bristol for engineering


Cambridge, just get straight A*s and you should be OK.
Reply 10
Avatar for Wammio
Wammio
3
You can still do AS levels in all your subjects, they will just be a separate qualification. Uni will still look at them.
Reply 11
Avatar for Wammio
Wammio
3
Original post by harrisonchar
So I've got GCSEs coming up and I'm revising and everything but I'm curious to whether they really matter when applying to university and in the future. Considering I'll no longer be taking AS levels do you think GCSEs will start to mean more and be taken into consideration a lot more?


You can still do AS in all your subjects as a separate qualification and Unis will still look at them.
Original post by Wammio
You can still do AS levels in all your subjects, they will just be a separate qualification. Uni will still look at them.

Really? I'm doing maths and further maths so I'll still be doing an AS level for them but we were told we can't take AS levels for our other subjects

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