"Are these GCSEs good enough for x" - the guide
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Original post by Mandiudyaj
hi! i recently got my results and I wasn’t very pleased and was wondering whether it would put me at a disadvantage or would be significantly lower in terms of the average med applicant.
9888888776
9 - biology , 7 - English lang, 6 - Italian, maths - 8
9888888776
9 - biology , 7 - English lang, 6 - Italian, maths - 8
Have you thought of where you'd like to apply for Medicine?
These results look like you'd still be eligible for most if not all Med schools - I will check this later for you.
Original post by 04MR17
Have you thought of where you'd like to apply for Medicine?
These results look like you'd still be eligible for most if not all Med schools - I will check this later for you.
These results look like you'd still be eligible for most if not all Med schools - I will check this later for you.
Thanks for a reply! I was thinking of applying to a London uni like UCL especially due to the structure of their courses. Imperial seems like a university I would like to look into aswell. I was thinking of Cambridge seeing how I’ve visited the city before however I’m not too adamant as I think the average med applicant at Cambridge would have far more than 7A*’s and would pretty much have stellar grades at GCSE’s. I know GCSE’s are just a starting point in your application and can’t determine whether you get into a certain university but I want to know if these grades would be far lower than the average applicant that are applying to these unis that I’ve listed.
(edited 7 months ago)
Original post by Mandiudyaj
Thanks for a reply! I was thinking of applying to a London uni like UCL especially due to the structure of their courses. Imperial seems like a university I would like to look into aswell.
I was thinking of Cambridge seeing how I’ve visited the city before however I’m not too adamant as I think the average med applicant at Cambridge would have far more than 7A*’s and would pretty much have stellar grades at GCSE’s.
I know GCSE’s are just a starting point in your application and can’t determine whether you get into a certain university but I want to know if these grades would be far lower than the average applicant that are applying to these unis that I’ve listed.
I was thinking of Cambridge seeing how I’ve visited the city before however I’m not too adamant as I think the average med applicant at Cambridge would have far more than 7A*’s and would pretty much have stellar grades at GCSE’s.
I know GCSE’s are just a starting point in your application and can’t determine whether you get into a certain university but I want to know if these grades would be far lower than the average applicant that are applying to these unis that I’ve listed.
Please read the first post. Cambridge don't have GCSE requirements.
All med schools assess GCSEs differently, but for most the requirement is at least 5 grade 6s or higher. You smash that out of the park.
Now, you need to focus on getting as high a UCAT score as you can.
Here are the 2022 requirements, some may have changed, but you get the gist.
https://www.medschools.ac.uk/media/2877/entry-requirements-document-2022-digital.pdf
Hi.
Here are my grades (2023):
English Language - 9
English Literature - 9
Computer Science - 8
Mathematics - 8
Physics - 8
Chemistry - 8
Geography - 8
Bengali - 8
Religious Studies - 7
Biology - (Just remarked for a 7)
I'm trying to hopefully study Computer Science at Oxbridge or Imperial.
I'm also open to studying abroad in the US.
Here are my grades (2023):
English Language - 9
English Literature - 9
Computer Science - 8
Mathematics - 8
Physics - 8
Chemistry - 8
Geography - 8
Bengali - 8
Religious Studies - 7
Biology - (Just remarked for a 7)
I'm trying to hopefully study Computer Science at Oxbridge or Imperial.
I'm also open to studying abroad in the US.
(edited 6 months ago)
Original post by CopiousFT
Hi.
Here are my grades (2023):
English Language - 9
English Literature - 9
Computer Science - 8
Mathematics - 8
Physics - 8
Chemistry - 8
Geography - 8
Bengali - 8
Religious Studies - 7
Biology - 6
I'm trying to hopefully study Computer Science at Oxbridge or Imperial.
I'm also open to studying abroad in the US.
Here are my grades (2023):
English Language - 9
English Literature - 9
Computer Science - 8
Mathematics - 8
Physics - 8
Chemistry - 8
Geography - 8
Bengali - 8
Religious Studies - 7
Biology - 6
I'm trying to hopefully study Computer Science at Oxbridge or Imperial.
I'm also open to studying abroad in the US.
Congratulations
I got 998776666 for GCSES. I want to do psychology at kcl and was wondering how much they focus on GCSEs (I got a 6 in chem and am doing it for A level and have been predicted an A*). I’d appreciate if you could let me know if they’ll judge me on the 6.
Original post by Hneudkejwuad
I got 998776666 for GCSES. I want to do psychology at kcl and was wondering how much they focus on GCSEs (I got a 6 in chem and am doing it for A level and have been predicted an A*). I’d appreciate if you could let me know if they’ll judge me on the 6.
As I already told you in another thread, no they won't.
Please read the first post in this thread for further reassurance.
Original post by mehrs
can i get in to oxford econ&management with 9999999988A at gcse (i think that's what im gonna eventually get) ? my schl is really well performing (last year my schl got 85% 9-7 grades) so that might make my application seem worse...
Yes you can
There are plenty of other factors that determine whether you get an offer, far more influential than GCSEs
That's why I wrote can, instead of will
But if you are rejected it won't be due to your GCSEs
I'm not all that worried about the GCSE grades I got, but rather the amount I have overall (which is 8). I feel kind of stupid for picking a BTEC in yr 9 but I've already done it and got a L2D* so I guess I cant even be too mad.
Will having less GCSEs put me in a disadvantage in any significant way (as a possible oxford med applicant)? I'm aware there are other factor taken into account (A- levels, UCAT, etc.) and I have looked at the oxford GCSE statistics but I feel sceptical that there's no consideration for 6/7s like at all?
My level 2 stats are 99999888L2D with the L2D* in Health and Social for anyone wondering.
Thank you for reading🙏
Will having less GCSEs put me in a disadvantage in any significant way (as a possible oxford med applicant)? I'm aware there are other factor taken into account (A- levels, UCAT, etc.) and I have looked at the oxford GCSE statistics but I feel sceptical that there's no consideration for 6/7s like at all?
My level 2 stats are 99999888L2D with the L2D* in Health and Social for anyone wondering.
Thank you for reading🙏
Original post by EmyY692
I'm not all that worried about the GCSE grades I got, but rather the amount I have overall (which is 8). I feel kind of stupid for picking a BTEC in yr 9 but I've already done it and got a L2D* so I guess I cant even be too mad.
Will having less GCSEs put me in a disadvantage in any significant way (as a possible oxford med applicant)? I'm aware there are other factor taken into account (A- levels, UCAT, etc.) and I have looked at the oxford GCSE statistics but I feel sceptical that there's no consideration for 6/7s like at all?
My level 2 stats are 99999888L2D with the L2D* in Health and Social for anyone wondering.
Thank you for reading🙏
Will having less GCSEs put me in a disadvantage in any significant way (as a possible oxford med applicant)? I'm aware there are other factor taken into account (A- levels, UCAT, etc.) and I have looked at the oxford GCSE statistics but I feel sceptical that there's no consideration for 6/7s like at all?
My level 2 stats are 99999888L2D with the L2D* in Health and Social for anyone wondering.
Thank you for reading🙏
You'll be fine (from a GCSE perspective) with those grades.
Universities (including Oxford) know that not all candidates have the opportunity to study more than eight GCSEs, and don't so discriminate against those who've "only" studied eight. Typically, when ranking/shortlisting candidates, they'll only look at your best eight GCSEs anyway, for exactly that reason.
Original post by DataVenia
You'll be fine (from a GCSE perspective) with those grades.
Universities (including Oxford) know that not all candidates have the opportunity to study more than eight GCSEs, and don't so discriminate against those who've "only" studied eight. Typically, when ranking/shortlisting candidates, they'll only look at your best eight GCSEs anyway, for exactly that reason.
Universities (including Oxford) know that not all candidates have the opportunity to study more than eight GCSEs, and don't so discriminate against those who've "only" studied eight. Typically, when ranking/shortlisting candidates, they'll only look at your best eight GCSEs anyway, for exactly that reason.
Original post by Sinnoh
READ CAREFULLY BEFORE COMMENTING!
Quite often, the answer to these such threads is yes.
But there are inevitable asterisks. Read more for specific examples.
Are these results good enough for...
Cambridge:
Well, let's see what they say on their website about GCSE results as an entry requirement:
Things to take away from this:
From personal experience: GCSEs do not act as a safety net if you badly mess up part of your application.
So chances are, your results are good enough.
Oxford:
The number of times I've heard "Oxford doesn't look at your application unless you have 8 A*s" (or something along those lines) is too damn high, because it is too damn wrong.
To read their full statement on how they view GCSE results, go here and scroll down. The most important takeaways from this are:
Exception: Medicine at Oxford. When it comes to medicine, Oxford shortlist for interview based on your GCSEs and BMAT scores and they interview a fixed number of applicants every year. The standard of GCSE results for Oxford med is exceptionally high, and no set of results will ever guarantee you a place.
See here for statistics on GCSE and BMAT scores.
Possible exception: PPE. According to their admissions statistics which you can read here, when it comes to shortlisting applicants to interview, GCSE results are given a "high" importance, along with predicted grades and your TSA score.
GCSEs are regarded within the context of the school you were at - whether your results were below average or above average for your school.
But you can also see, the GCSE standards for shortlisting are nowhere near as high as for medicine. People can get in without any A*s at GCSE.
LSE:
LSE actually explicitly say what they're looking for in applicants' GCSE scores.
Let's start off with actual requirements. No matter what the course, they say that "Your GCSE (or equivalent) English Language and Mathematics grades should be no lower than B (or 6)".
However, they do prefer all-round strong performance at GCSE, but just how strong depends on how competitive the course is. For example, with Anthropology and Law they state that
"We are also looking for a strong pre-16 academic profile such as several GCSE grades of A (or 7) and A* (or 8-9) or equivalent, and you will also have achieved a good set of GCSE grades or equivalent across a broad range of subjects"
But with Economics, "Applicants should also have already achieved a strong set of GCSE grades including the majority at A (or 7) and A* (or 8-9), or equivalent."
However, your grades will be looked at in the context of the school where you attained them - if you went to an underperforming school for your GCSEs and your results were good relative to your school, even if it doesn't meet those preferences given above, you may still have good chance.
In summary;
Here's an interesting thing I've just found out - despite having lower preferences for GCSEs, anthropology and law actually has a lower offer rate than economics. Let this be a reminder that GCSEs still aren't all that matters.
Russell Group:
Yes. Your results are good enough, because the Russell Group isn't that special.
They may (and may not) ask for a specific grade in maths and/or English (usually between 4 and 6), but other than that they do not care. For most universities in the Russell Group, the vast majority of applicants get offers.
Medicine:
Delicate one this. Medicine is pretty consistent across the country with how hard it is to get in. You could get into Cambridge but be rejected by Anglia Ruskin. Depending on the medical school you apply to, GCSEs may be used (alongside your BMAT/UKCAT score) to shortlist people for interview, due to the generally high standard of A-level predicted grades among applicants. But it's a thorough process and you can expect all parts of your application to be looked at.
Furthermore there's a bit of variation among what med schools want from GCSEs. Some require five 7s/As minimum (e.g. Sheffield, St. Andrews), some only require passes, some don't have any fixed requirements (e.g. Imperial, Newcastle)
There are some pretty excellent resources on TSR about this already so I'll link them in this section:
GCSE requirements of medical schools: https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/results/gcse/medical-school-gcse-requirements
FAQs of the medicine forum: https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/university/courses/medicine/medicine-forum-guide-and-faqs
"Are my grades good enough for medicine" megathread: https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=5678544
Other medicine threads for any other queries: https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=5523988
One aspect in which specific GCSE results are useful is when a 6th form places GCSE requirements on taking certain subjects at A-level, but that's up to the school.
In summary:
Exception: Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health courses. GCSE requirements are set by the professional body, not the university, as the course involves a professional registration at the end of it. Therefore, the GCSE requirements are non-negotiable and must be attained.
Any other specified course:
In general: yes.
Unless, as mentioned already, there is a specific requirement for a particular grade in a GCSE subject. But if your query is "are these GCSEs good enough for STEM courses" or something along those lines, the answer is yes.
If in doubt, check the university website and check their course page. I get the feeling not enough people do that.
Quite often, the answer to these such threads is yes.
But there are inevitable asterisks. Read more for specific examples.
Are these results good enough for...
Cambridge:
Well, let's see what they say on their website about GCSE results as an entry requirement:
Things to take away from this:
•
There is no fixed requirement for GCSE results
•
If you do badly it's not the end of the world
•
They care more about A-level performance.
•
Good A-levels can compensate for "less than stellar" GCSEs, but not the other way around.
From personal experience: GCSEs do not act as a safety net if you badly mess up part of your application.
So chances are, your results are good enough.
Oxford:
The number of times I've heard "Oxford doesn't look at your application unless you have 8 A*s" (or something along those lines) is too damn high, because it is too damn wrong.
To read their full statement on how they view GCSE results, go here and scroll down. The most important takeaways from this are:
•
A*s, 8s and 9s are regarded as equal (for now). Someone with 10 8s is not disadvantaged against someone with 10 9s. As of 2021 this appears no longer to be the case.
•
Like with Cambridge and every other university in the country, they care about a lot more besides GCSE results
•
There is a correlation between excellent GCSEs and application success. But then again, that's because of the much more obvious link between GCSE and A-level performance. Someone who excels at A-level, who would consider applying to Oxford or Cambridge would probably have excelled in their GCSEs as well.
Exception: Medicine at Oxford. When it comes to medicine, Oxford shortlist for interview based on your GCSEs and BMAT scores and they interview a fixed number of applicants every year. The standard of GCSE results for Oxford med is exceptionally high, and no set of results will ever guarantee you a place.
See here for statistics on GCSE and BMAT scores.
Possible exception: PPE. According to their admissions statistics which you can read here, when it comes to shortlisting applicants to interview, GCSE results are given a "high" importance, along with predicted grades and your TSA score.
GCSEs are regarded within the context of the school you were at - whether your results were below average or above average for your school.
But you can also see, the GCSE standards for shortlisting are nowhere near as high as for medicine. People can get in without any A*s at GCSE.
LSE:
LSE actually explicitly say what they're looking for in applicants' GCSE scores.
Let's start off with actual requirements. No matter what the course, they say that "Your GCSE (or equivalent) English Language and Mathematics grades should be no lower than B (or 6)".
However, they do prefer all-round strong performance at GCSE, but just how strong depends on how competitive the course is. For example, with Anthropology and Law they state that
"We are also looking for a strong pre-16 academic profile such as several GCSE grades of A (or 7) and A* (or 8-9) or equivalent, and you will also have achieved a good set of GCSE grades or equivalent across a broad range of subjects"
But with Economics, "Applicants should also have already achieved a strong set of GCSE grades including the majority at A (or 7) and A* (or 8-9), or equivalent."
However, your grades will be looked at in the context of the school where you attained them - if you went to an underperforming school for your GCSEs and your results were good relative to your school, even if it doesn't meet those preferences given above, you may still have good chance.
In summary;
•
Make sure you've got at least a 6 in English Language and Maths
•
It depends on the course
•
There's no strict cut-off
•
If the majority of your grades are 7-9 then relax
•
If you went to an underperforming school for GCSE and didn't get those results, don't panic
Here's an interesting thing I've just found out - despite having lower preferences for GCSEs, anthropology and law actually has a lower offer rate than economics. Let this be a reminder that GCSEs still aren't all that matters.
Russell Group:
Yes. Your results are good enough, because the Russell Group isn't that special.
They may (and may not) ask for a specific grade in maths and/or English (usually between 4 and 6), but other than that they do not care. For most universities in the Russell Group, the vast majority of applicants get offers.
Medicine:
Delicate one this. Medicine is pretty consistent across the country with how hard it is to get in. You could get into Cambridge but be rejected by Anglia Ruskin. Depending on the medical school you apply to, GCSEs may be used (alongside your BMAT/UKCAT score) to shortlist people for interview, due to the generally high standard of A-level predicted grades among applicants. But it's a thorough process and you can expect all parts of your application to be looked at.
Furthermore there's a bit of variation among what med schools want from GCSEs. Some require five 7s/As minimum (e.g. Sheffield, St. Andrews), some only require passes, some don't have any fixed requirements (e.g. Imperial, Newcastle)
There are some pretty excellent resources on TSR about this already so I'll link them in this section:
GCSE requirements of medical schools: https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/results/gcse/medical-school-gcse-requirements
FAQs of the medicine forum: https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/university/courses/medicine/medicine-forum-guide-and-faqs
"Are my grades good enough for medicine" megathread: https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=5678544
Other medicine threads for any other queries: https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=5523988
One aspect in which specific GCSE results are useful is when a 6th form places GCSE requirements on taking certain subjects at A-level, but that's up to the school.
In summary:
•
Loads of A*s/8s/9s can't hurt
•
But exceptional grades are not a requirement.
•
Don't neglect the BMAT/UKCAT and don't think of your GCSEs as a safety net.
•
GCSE requirements vary among medical schools. If your grades are on the edge, choose carefully.
Exception: Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health courses. GCSE requirements are set by the professional body, not the university, as the course involves a professional registration at the end of it. Therefore, the GCSE requirements are non-negotiable and must be attained.
Any other specified course:
In general: yes.
Unless, as mentioned already, there is a specific requirement for a particular grade in a GCSE subject. But if your query is "are these GCSEs good enough for STEM courses" or something along those lines, the answer is yes.
If in doubt, check the university website and check their course page. I get the feeling not enough people do that.
Can I get into Cambridge law with these GCSEs
9-business
8-history
8-chemisyry
8-biology
8-physics
7-maths
8- English lit and Lang
Merit 2 Imedia
6-spanish
9-business
8-history
8-chemisyry
8-biology
8-physics
7-maths
8- English lit and Lang
Merit 2 Imedia
6-spanish
Original post by Joke19
Can I get into Cambridge law with these GCSEs
9-business
8-history
8-chemisyry
8-biology
8-physics
7-maths
8- English lit and Lang
Merit 2 Imedia
6-spanish
9-business
8-history
8-chemisyry
8-biology
8-physics
7-maths
8- English lit and Lang
Merit 2 Imedia
6-spanish
Can you? Yes, it says so in the first post.
Are you guaranteed a place? Of course not, competitive business. Why people are so desperate to spend 3 years in a glass box is beyond me though.
Original post by 04MR17
Can you? Yes, it says so in the first post.
Are you guaranteed a place? Of course not, competitive business. Why people are so desperate to spend 3 years in a glass box is beyond me though.
Are you guaranteed a place? Of course not, competitive business. Why people are so desperate to spend 3 years in a glass box is beyond me though.
Would you say GCSE grades normally correlate To my a level grades as I'm taking English lit and Lang combined, biology, history and business. Could I get a few A stars
Original post by Joke19
Would you say GCSE grades normally correlate To my a level grades as I'm taking English lit and Lang combined, biology, history and business. Could I get a few A stars
That's a conversation for you to have with your teachers. However, you are already hurting your chances by taking 4 subjects.
Hi,
My IGCSE grades are
9- english lang
9- english lit
9- business
8- chem
8- bio
8- physics
8- maths
8- history
6- economics
I didn't work very hard during IGCSE's and I'm regretting it now (rightfully so). I'm hoping to study Political Economy at KCL! What are my chances of getting in considering I get good predicted grades (A*AA) and such?
My IGCSE grades are
9- english lang
9- english lit
9- business
8- chem
8- bio
8- physics
8- maths
8- history
6- economics
I didn't work very hard during IGCSE's and I'm regretting it now (rightfully so). I'm hoping to study Political Economy at KCL! What are my chances of getting in considering I get good predicted grades (A*AA) and such?
Original post by ee_joe_ee
Hi,
My IGCSE grades are
9- english lang
9- english lit
9- business
8- chem
8- bio
8- physics
8- maths
8- history
6- economics
I didn't work very hard during IGCSE's and I'm regretting it now (rightfully so). I'm hoping to study Political Economy at KCL! What are my chances of getting in considering I get good predicted grades (A*AA) and such?
My IGCSE grades are
9- english lang
9- english lit
9- business
8- chem
8- bio
8- physics
8- maths
8- history
6- economics
I didn't work very hard during IGCSE's and I'm regretting it now (rightfully so). I'm hoping to study Political Economy at KCL! What are my chances of getting in considering I get good predicted grades (A*AA) and such?
Have you read the first post in this thread?
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