GCSE Electronics

Hi!

I am interested in taking Electronics GCSE perhaps early in Year 10 because this subject is my strength and I enjoy studying it. My school does not offer it though so I will need to prepare for it by myself. Not many people apparently take this GCSE so there aren't many resources on the subject.
By the way, I'm specifically taking about Electronics GCSE and the exam board is Eduqas I think?

I have a few questions about it:
1. Have you taken it? If so, how was it?
2. (Linking to first question) how did you prepare for it to get a good result?
3. There are a few online resources, are there any that you would specifically recommend?
4. Are there any notable textbooks for electronics GCSE/ ones that you used? I found some on amazon but they are vaguely called "GCSE Electronics" and are quite old.
5. How was the practical part of the exam and what is the practical question like?

Hello, hope you’re well. Instead of answering your questions, I will provide you some overview of my experience of the course, which should hopefully satisfy your curiosity!

I am currently taking the WJEC Eduqas Electronics course for GCSE at a grammar school. In all honesty, this is most certainly a course I regret taking (my least favourite option subject). The major reasons for this are that it is a difficult subject to prepare for as you are entirely dependent on the WJEC Electronics online textbook, as there are absolutely no other resources tailored for the course, and even other online resources may be pitched at a higher level than required, as electronics is scarcely taught at GCSE and even A-Level. If you do wish to undertake this course and secure a good grade, I would recommend doing past papers and using the WJEC Electronics textbook (https://resources.wjec.co.uk/pages/ResourceSingle.aspx?rIid=2352). Other than this, there are unfortunately no notable textbooks or resources that I would recommend. In regards to the practical, 20% of your grade is based upon coursework that is conventionally assessed internally by an exam centre. As an independent candidate, I cannot advise you as to how you would go about completing the coursework NEA (Non-exam assessment) as most candidates would complete it via their respective centre (their school). Furthermore, purchasing the necessary parts and components could potentially prove as both a logistical and perhaps financial challenge, as you would have to purchase wires, resistors, chips, transistors, potentiometers etc. Moreover, you may have to pay for relevant entry fees (which I believe are around £40) if you wish to enter yourself for the qualification and you would also have to find an exam centre willing to accommodate you. Additionally, doing this course without the necessary guidance and teaching could also prove difficult, as in my experience, I am even struggling with my practical skills despite having access to a teacher. Again, there is a lack of resources on the internet that can assist you with developing and honing your practical skills. Please also do not confuse electronics with Arduino, as Arduino is not a part of the course.

However, in terms of positives, there are a large amount of people who do seem to enjoy both the theory and practical work, which is often intellectually stimulating and challenging. Electronics is a subject that requires rigorous thinking, intellectual capacity and perseverance. You do not necessarily have to be good at mathematics or science to be an accomplished electronics student. The course would definitely provide you with an advantage if you wish to pursue a university degree and/or career in engineering, as the bulk of students will not have encountered these sort of concepts yet.

With that being said, I would personally advise against independently doing this course due to a dearth of suitable resources and guidance available. As aforementioned, the majority of schools in the UK do not offer electronics to GCSE or A-Level, and so you would not be at any disadvantage if you did not take the course. However, if you’re interested in the field of electronics, I would suggest that perhaps this is an endeavour you can pursue in your own time, by reading around the subject, perhaps through news articles or different websites, but without the constraints of the WJEC GCSE specification. Perhaps, this would be a more fruitful way to appreciate and enjoy the subject for what it is.

I hope this will be of some help to you. If you have any other queries, I am happy to help!

Thank You! This is very informative and I will look back at your advice. In terms of buying the components, I actually have a full shelf filled with them already as I have been introduced to electronics from an early age and that is why I am considering doing the GCSE. I definitely agree that there aren't enough resources apart from the online textbook, past papers and maybe my dad??(lol). My biggest problem is how to go about the practical. Maybe I should contact the exam board themselves? When you say that the practical is internally assessed by the exam board, go you have to go to the centre or will some person from the exam board come and assess the practical? Also, what is even in the practical, I can't find anything online that describes it. Is there some sort of briefing that I have to follow? Sorry if this a lot of questions!

Tbh, I'm so glad arduino isn't part of the course!

Hello! Did you find out the answers? We're in the same boat... Is there a center anywhere you found to do the practical assessment?