The Student Room Group

Bad GCSEs

Okay, okay - I'll admit it, this is the beginning of yet another round of 'Are my results good enough for Cambridge?'

I just got my GCSE results (I can get them online earlier than most schools) and they are bad. I mean, I was predicted mainly A*s and I got this:

Spoiler

The thing is, I'm just so confused. I didn't get cocky and stop revising hard so I'm not sure how some of my grades are this poor. Anyway, they are what they are.

If I were to get amazing (and yes, I understand that I would have to work incredibly hard) A Level results, how likely is it that Cambridge would accept me? I know that I could prove how passionate I am about my subject, so hopefully the only thing letting me down would be these GCSE grades.

I would like to wish good luck to everyone receiving results today.

Banana :h::h:

Scroll to see replies

Those result's ain't bad. I would swap mine for yours any day. :smile:
Original post by Banana00
Okay, okay - I'll admit it, this is the beginning of yet another round of 'Are my results good enough for Cambridge?'

I just got my GCSE results (I can get them online earlier than most schools) and they are bad. I mean, I was predicted mainly A*s and I got this:

Spoiler

The thing is, I'm just so confused. I didn't get cocky and stop revising hard so I'm not sure how some of my grades are this poor. Anyway, they are what they are.

If I were to get amazing (and yes, I understand that I would have to work incredibly hard) A Level results, how likely is it that Cambridge would accept me? I know that I could prove how passionate I am about my subject, so hopefully the only thing letting me down would be these GCSE grades.

I would like to wish good luck to everyone receiving results today.

Banana :h::h:


It will depend on the course but generally, Cambridge place more emphasis on A-Levels than GCSEs. It's certainly not the end of the road.
Cambridge have no set entry requirements for an applicant's GCSE grades. Only Medicine and Veterinary Science have an entry requirement of which are basically Grade C and above.

Honestly your grades are great and most unis care about A level results more than GCSE'S(they only look at this to pick out other either applicant).
Reply 4
Original post by usycool1
It will depend on the course but generally, Cambridge place more emphasis on A-Levels than GCSEs. It's certainly not the end of the road.


Original post by Defraction
Cambridge have no set entry requirements for an applicant's GCSE grades. Only Medicine and Veterinary Science have an entry requirement of which are basically Grade C and above.

Honestly your grades are great and most unis care about A level results more than GCSE'S(they only look at this to pick out other either applicant).

Thank you so much - you've both made me feel a lot better about my current position. I fully appreciate that I've got a lot of work to do but you have made me feel that it is possible. :h::h:
Reply 5
Original post by 2016_GCSE
Those result's ain't bad. I would swap mine for yours any day. :smile:

Aww I'm sure you were fine :smile:



All the best for the future :o::p::smile:
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by Banana00
Okay, okay - I'll admit it, this is the beginning of yet another round of 'Are my results good enough for Cambridge?'

I just got my GCSE results (I can get them online earlier than most schools) and they are bad. I mean, I was predicted mainly A*s and I got this:

Spoiler

The thing is, I'm just so confused. I didn't get cocky and stop revising hard so I'm not sure how some of my grades are this poor. Anyway, they are what they are.

If I were to get amazing (and yes, I understand that I would have to work incredibly hard) A Level results, how likely is it that Cambridge would accept me? I know that I could prove how passionate I am about my subject, so hopefully the only thing letting me down would be these GCSE grades.

I would like to wish good luck to everyone receiving results today.

Banana :h::h:


Don't stress too much. It's true that Cambridge do value GCSEs compared to most other Universities, apart from Oxford, who don't. You have a competitive set of grades there and I would be very proud. I would say that at the end of the day, they do stress the importance of your A level results. As long as you smash them, you'll probably be in a good position for applying to Cambridge/any other University.
Reply 7
Original post by Banana00
Okay, okay - I'll admit it, this is the beginning of yet another round of 'Are my results good enough for Cambridge?'

I just got my GCSE results (I can get them online earlier than most schools) and they are bad. I mean, I was predicted mainly A*s and I got this:

Spoiler

The thing is, I'm just so confused. I didn't get cocky and stop revising hard so I'm not sure how some of my grades are this poor. Anyway, they are what they are.

If I were to get amazing (and yes, I understand that I would have to work incredibly hard) A Level results, how likely is it that Cambridge would accept me? I know that I could prove how passionate I am about my subject, so hopefully the only thing letting me down would be these GCSE grades.

I would like to wish good luck to everyone receiving results today.

Banana :h::h:


Original post by SubZero~
Don't stress too much. It's true that Cambridge do value GCSEs compared to most other Universities, apart from Oxford, who don't. You have a competitive set of grades there and I would be very proud. I would say that at the end of the day, they do stress the importance of your A level results. As long as you smash them, you'll probably be in a good position for applying to Cambridge/any other University.


@SubZero~ No, Cambridge value GCSEs less than most universities, and only really in context with your school.

@Banana00 - you have good GCSEs. Well done :smile: Now, concentrate on your A-levels and carefully check the entry requirements for your intended Cambridge course. You will probably see they have an Admissions Assessment for it (most, but not all, do). This will be another "chance to shine" and to strengthen your application even more.

http://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/applying/admission-assessments

Good luck!
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by jneill
@SubZero~ No, Cambridge value GCSEs less than most universities, and only really in context with your school.

@Banana00 - you have good GCSEs. Well done :smile: Now, concentrate on your A-levels and carefully check the entry requirements for your intended Cambridge course. You will probably see they have an Admissions Assessment for it (most, but not all, do). This will be another "chance to shine" and to strengthen your application even more.

http://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/applying/admission-assessments

Good luck!


Only went off what one of my cousins said in that he asked one of the admissions officers whether they take GCSEs into account. Apparently, they said we take on students who have excelled both at GCSE and A Level so, I don't know.
Reply 9
Original post by SubZero~
Only went off what one of my cousins said in that he asked one of the admissions officers whether they take GCSEs into account. Apparently, they said we take on students who have excelled both at GCSE and A Level so, I don't know.


Yes. The fact is that most successful students to either Oxbridge university DO have very strong GCSEs. After all, they are all high achievers. But that doesn't mean it's a requirement. And there are many cases of applicants with "less good" GCSE profiles being very successful. :smile:

And, actually, it's Oxford that TSR usually considers to value GCSEs highly not Cambridge. But that's not strictly correct either. And depends on the course.
Original post by SubZero~
Only went off what one of my cousins said in that he asked one of the admissions officers whether they take GCSEs into account. Apparently, they said we take on students who have excelled both at GCSE and A Level so, I don't know.


What @jneill said.
It's only because students who achieved excellent A-levels are likely someone who has achieved excellent GCSEs.
If your GCSE was not brilliant but achieved excellent A-levels (=upward trajectory), that actually works much more positively to your application. They only look at GCSE on contextually basis as jneill explained and also as a sort of bench mark to see where the applicants are at the time of application and how likely they'll achieve the required grades for their course = how their academic ability has been developing and how much potential they may have in the future.
Reply 11
Thank you very much to everyone who has replied and encouraged me. For anyone interested, the subject I wish to study at degree level is History.

Good luck to everyone for the new academic year and all your future endeavours. :h::h:
Original post by Banana00
Thank you very much to everyone who has replied and encouraged me. For anyone interested, the subject I wish to study at degree level is History.

Good luck to everyone for the new academic year and all your future endeavours. :h::h:


It's worth a shot. Try to take as many 'unreformed' AS Levels are possible. That is the main indicator that Cambridge uses to see whether applicants will be successful at cambridge. If you get 90UMS+ in those then cambridge might overlook ur mediocre GCSEs. However, I understand that it is getting increasingly difficult to do 'unreformed' AS Levels.
Reply 13
Original post by jdizzle12345
It's worth a shot. Try to take as many 'unreformed' AS Levels are possible. That is the main indicator that Cambridge uses to see whether applicants will be successful at cambridge. If you get 90UMS+ in those then cambridge might overlook ur mediocre GCSEs. However, I understand that it is getting increasingly difficult to do 'unreformed' AS Levels.


That is, frankly, terrible advice.

OP should pick A-levels they enjoy and are appropriate for their intended course. There is no point picking an unreformed A-level in a subject they don't much enjoy and potentially doing badly in it.

Most A-levels are now reformed, except notably Maths, Philosophy and a few less "facilitating" subjects. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/get-the-facts-gcse-and-a-level-reform/get-the-facts-as-and-a-level-reform

Cambridge has pre- or at-interview assessments for most courses to help fill in the gaps by not having UMS (and indeed adding extra information beyond UMS too).

Original post by Banana00
Thank you very much to everyone who has replied and encouraged me. For anyone interested, the subject I wish to study at degree level is History.Good luck to everyone for the new academic year and all your future endeavours.


What A-levels are you considering? :smile:
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by jneill
That is, frankly, terrible advice.

OP should pick A-levels they enjoy and are appropriate for their intended course. There is no point picking an unreformed A-level in a subject they don't much enjoy and potentially doing badly in it.

Most A-levels are now reformed, except notably Maths, Philosophy and a few less "facilitating" subjects. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/get-the-facts-gcse-and-a-level-reform/get-the-facts-as-and-a-level-reform

Cambridge has pre- or at-interview assessments for most courses to help fill in the gaps by not having UMS (and indeed adding extra information beyond UMS too).



What A-levels are you considerin:smile:g?


Of course the OP shouldn't do subjects that they hate, but if the OP was deliberating between maths or a reformed subject, I would definitely suggest that they do maths if they wish to be competitive at Cambridge, especially because they hold UMS in such a high regard.

Many of the interview assessments are new so they might not be such a reliable indicator in the eyes of Cambridge.
Reply 15
Original post by jneill
What A-levels are you considering? :smile:

Thank you again for being so kind and understanding.

My A Level choices are History, Politics, French and Latin.
jdizzle12345

Many of the interview assessments are new so they might not be such a reliable indicator in the eyes of Cambridge.


It doesn't matter at all whether or not the OP decides to do an unreformed subject and thus lacks UMS - if I may say, I believe that the admission's officer from Christ's said that students that do not have UMS would not be disadvantaged, thus your statement concerning the OP choosing Mathematics is invalid, unless he/she realises that he/she needs it.

Being blunt, I do not believe that you are in a place to say that their new means of selecting candidates might be ineffective. Just look at STEP - a program implemented by Cambridge which I believe contributes massively to the success they have at undergraduate level in regards to choosing students with great potential. I do not think that they would implement a defective system, in fact it may be a far better method than UMS scores.

All in all, the OP should just focus on AS/A Levels - if you can prove that you can excel there, what reason would they have to not take you? You certainly have a shot if you are serious as I know a lad that had no A*s and a few As at IGCSE and has made it into Cambridge.

@Banana00 you can make it; I for one am here to support you. Good luck, and hopefully I will meet you at the interview stage or even when we are freshers! God be with you.
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by Enigmatically
It doesn't matter at all whether or not the OP decides to do an unreformed subject and thus lacks UMS - if I may say, I believe that the admission's officer from Christ's said that students that do not have UMS would not be disadvantaged, thus your statement concerning the OP choosing Mathematics is invalid, unless he/she realises that he/she needs it.

Being blunt, I do not believe that you are in a place to say that their new means of selecting candidates might be ineffective. Just look at STEP - a program implemented by Cambridge which I believe contributes massively to the success they have at undergraduate level in regards to choosing students with great potential. I do not think that they would implement a defective system, in fact it may be a far better method than UMS scores.

All in all, the OP should just focus on AS/A Levels - if you can prove that you can excel there, what reason would they have to not take you? You certainly have a shot if you are serious as I know a lad that had no A*s and a few As at IGCSE and has made it into Cambridge.

@Banana00 you can make it; I for one am here to support you. Good luck, and hopefully I will meet you at the interview stage or even when we are freshers! God be with you.


Well, the Christ's tutor did say that students with no UMS would not be disadvantaged. However, it is equally clear from a majority of posts on that thread that UMS is key. I do believe it is 'invalid' to suggest that it would be of some value to the OP to have academic data that Cambridge is comfortable with analyzing, unless of course the OP heavily dislikes such a subject.

I am aware that STEP is hugely successful. However, STEP has been around for YEARS. I am sure that in the first few years, they were wary of its reliability. That is the point that I wish to make. I am not saying that the assessments can never work. I am simply relaying what I have heard from the admissions tutor and my school that these new assessments will be used with caution as they lack data from them.
Reply 18
Original post by Banana00
Thank you again for being so kind and understanding.

My A Level choices are History, Politics, French and Latin.


That sounds solid :smile:

Good luck!

(Have you looked at the new Cambridge HisPol course?)

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Reply 19
Original post by jdizzle12345
Well, the Christ's tutor did say that students with no UMS would not be disadvantaged. However, it is equally clear from a majority of posts on that thread that UMS is key. I do believe it is 'invalid' to suggest that it would be of some value to the OP to have academic data that Cambridge is comfortable with analyzing, unless of course the OP heavily dislikes such a subject.

I am aware that STEP is hugely successful. However, STEP has been around for YEARS. I am sure that in the first few years, they were wary of its reliability. That is the point that I wish to make. I am not saying that the assessments can never work. I am simply relaying what I have heard from the admissions tutor and my school that these new assessments will be used with caution as they lack data from them.


There is still discussion about UMS in that thread because this year's students still have it for many subjects. Far fewer subjects will have it for the next cycle. If it's available Cambridge will use it. If it's isn't then applicants will not be disadvantaged.

Cambridge is VERY used to handling applicants without UMS, notably IB and Scottish Highers. Approx 40% of candidates prior to the reforms did not have UMS. And before AS-levels were introduced a few years ago nobody had UMS. Cambridge can cope...

Try not to encourage candidates to second guess the process and potentially risk doing less well as a result.

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