Does GCSE UMS Matter?

I know ordinarily universities don't all look at AS Level UMS, let alone GCSE. Yet due to the new A Level reforms, the prospective lower sixth will have no AS results for unis to look at so they will be looking at GCSEs more closely. Does this mean that for the top unis e.g. Oxbridge, they might actually request GCSE UMS? If you have high GCSE UMS would it be advantageous to mention it in our applications (in a year's time) as you would if it were AS UMS? Thanks :smile:

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Reply 1

Gilo98

Original post by Nomes24

No i don't think it will ever be important. As it stands I believe cambridge is the only Uni to ask for AS UMS let alone GCSE as you say. I doubt there will ever be scope within UCAS for Unis to see your GCSE Ums

Reply 2

WanderLost225

Original post by Gilo98

Yeah that's what I thought. But I thought some people mention their AS UMS on their personal statement/ reference if they're particularly high? I wondered if a similar thing might happen in our year for GCSE. You don't think Cambridge will want to see the GCSE UMS of someone doing the linear A Levels??

Reply 3

Gilo98

Original post by Nomes24

Some do, but its only a necessity to give all your AS UMS for Cambridge. I don't think it will. The vast majority of Unis imply that they are aware of the fickilness in using someones GCSEs to compare them with another applicant and so I just can see them asking for GCSE UMS especially when the vast majority don't place an incredible weight on GCSE grades as it is. Either way, for the time being its only a select few subjects that are going linear and they have access to a lot of other info, let alone the interview which is huge for some Unis.

Reply 4

WanderLost225

Original post by Gilo98

I see your point. Well 3/4 of my subjects are going linear so I feel like they won't have much to go on except my GCSEs which I did surprisingly well in. Shame if the high UMS means nothing ffs- was so chuffed cause thought my UMS would be awful. Oh well.

I still find all this reform business very confusing and weird...

Reply 5

elena2710

Hmm great question :biggrin:

Reply 6

Gilo98

Original post by Nomes24

luckily only 1 of mine is going linear so I shouldn't be affected too much, I don't think UCAS has issues an official response to the changes yet, saying how they will affect admissions. will have to wait and see I suppose.

Would be a shame, I got full UMS in 12 of my 35 exams this year!!

Reply 7

WanderLost225

Original post by Gilo98

Ooh which of yours is linear? Mine are English Lit, Physics and History. Yeah it's just annoying having to wait around when really it's only a year away!

Congrats that's fab! I don't know about my individual exam UMS but I got full UMS in my English Literature, History and Art GCSEs and lost only around 2-5 maximum UMS in all the others. Except Edexcel Maths lol. I'm just relieved I got the A* in that :colondollar:

Reply 8

WanderLost225

I just looked and Cambridge doesn't seem to care that much about GCSEs anyway... maybe Oxford would be interested in seeing GCSE UMS if you offered it but otherwise it doesn't look too hopeful.

Reply 9

Gilo98

Original post by Nomes24

Physics

Others are Further Maths, Additional Further Maths and French.

Thanks!! It was really unexpected really. Thats amazing! I got full UMS in Lit too (the only one I got full across the board)!! How weird is that :lol:

So you must have got near to A* across the board?

Reply 10

WanderLost225

Wow that's a lot of maths- you must be talented! Guessing you've already taken A Levels Maths early? My one non reformed is maths :smile:

Think I just used maths too many times in one paragraph XD It was unexpected for me too! I honestly thought I'd get an A in History but thank god somehow I managed it. Yeah I got 11A*s overall but was expecting to just scrape them aka crap UMS so I've been walking on cloud nine since :redface:

. Yay 100% Lit buddies- congrats!! Lit is notoriously subjective as well so I was like?!?

What are your uni plans while we're chatting?

Reply 11

WanderLost225

Original post by Gilo98

Physics

So you must have got near to A* across the board?

Sorry forgot to quote you!! Message above^

Reply 12

LordPhylogeny

GCSE's dont mean crap if you want to do anything past A levels as long as you have English and Maths you can get in to all but Oxbridge

Reply 13

Gilo98

Original post by Nomes24

Wow that's a lot of maths- you must be talented! Guessing you've already taken A Levels Maths early? My one non reformed is maths :smile:

. Yay 100% Lit buddies- congrats!! Lit is notoriously subjective as well so I was like?!?

What are your uni plans while we're chatting?

Aha yes it is a lot of maths! Yep, self studied in Yr10 and Yr11 alongside GCSEs and came out with an A* and full marks in 5 of the 6 modules! makes the 6th module even harder to bear :mmm:

Well done! There is definitely some weird telepathy going on right now because I got 11A*s too :lol:

I don't know whats happening xD Tbh I was expecting 7A*s and 4As so to bag 11 was just amazing for me, complete surprise. Your UMS scores are unrealllll, yep - I obviously knew i had full marks in coursework but the marks in exams kind of surprised me.

Cambridge for Maths with any luck. What about yourself?

Reply 14

WanderLost225

Original post by LordPhylogeny

GCSE's dont mean crap if you want to do anything past A levels as long as you have English and Maths you can get in to all but Oxbridge

Yeah but before A Levels... with the new reforms you will be applying to uni with nothing but GCSEs. So will this mean there's more weight put on them as a result?!

Reply 15

LordPhylogeny

Original post by Nomes24

Yeah but before A Levels... with the new reforms you will be applying to uni with nothing but GCSEs. So will this mean there's more weight put on them as a result?!

No...in fact if you have low GCSE's it might make them more inclined to accept you with high predicted A levels because you look like a student who is improving.

ums doesnt matter no

Original post by Gilo98

Aha yes it is a lot of maths! Yep, self studied in Yr10 and Yr11 alongside GCSEs and came out with an A* and full marks in 5 of the 6 modules! makes the 6th module even harder to bear :mmm:

Well done! There is definitely some weird telepathy going on right now because I got 11A*s too :lol:

That is insane. I'm sending you a pat on the back over the internet :tongue:

Especially with self-teaching, I know how hard that can be!! Hahah typical upset about the 6th module :wink:

only teasing think I'd be the same!! Well you did absolutely fab regardless.

Wow this is really weird!? Such a small world! Congrats though! Surprises are the best- unless they're nasty ones :s-smilie:

Thanks

I didn't know any of my coursework marks so everything was up in the air!

Best of luck- you've got a hell of a shot :smile:

well I'd love to do Oxford PPE but PPE at any of the good unis would also be great so we'll see how it goes :biggrin:

Reply 18

Gilo98

Original post by Nomes24

That is insane. I'm sending you a pat on the back over the internet :tongue:

Especially with self-teaching, I know how hard that can be!! Hahah typical upset about the 6th module :wink:

Thanks

I didn't know any of my coursework marks so everything was up in the air!

Best of luck- you've got a hell of a shot :smile:

well I'd love to do Oxford PPE but PPE at any of the good unis would also be great so we'll see how it goes :biggrin:

Thanks! Although it really isn't as hard as it seems, as with GCSEs really, enough past papers and you're covered. Oh it will haunt me for the rest of my life I know it :biggrin:

Yep!! Congrats to you too, as I said to get full UMS as constantly as you did is crazzzzzy. It was great seeing my teachers and making them proud - don't know about yours, but my school doesnt do too well so my teachers were ecstatic, had to be one of the greatest days of my life so far!

Hope so, although the real challenge is yet to come with STEP. You've defiantly exceeded the first mark for Oxford in your GCSEs though!

Reply 19

WanderLost225

Original post by Gilo98

Thanks! Although it really isn't as hard as it seems, as with GCSEs really, enough past papers and you're covered. Oh it will haunt me for the rest of my life I know it :biggrin:

That's relieving! Although I got good GCSE grades I don't want to get cocky and think I don't have to work for A Levels so I've developed this sort of self-doubting/ pessimistic mindset so I'll work super hard haha. :tongue:

It's all a bit surreal but thank you :smile:

your maths is crazy honestly! My school does decently well but they were all so very pleased on behalf of me as well, it was adorable and I felt so loved lol. Greatest day of your life- that sounds lovely!! :smile:

Oh dear I have heard about this horrendous STEP. Good luck with that. I've got the TSA to contend with, yay :redface:

haha thanks you too! You'll definitely be mentioning those A Level UMS :wink:

Okay to add to the creepiness- not being a stalker or anything but I saw on your profile that you were one mark off your German A*?? This is freaking me out because (I did my French GCSE early in Year 8 - I'm not French or anything before you ask haha) when I did my French GCSE, I was literally 1 UMS off the A*. They had moderated my coursework down from an A* to a B and it completely drove my grade down. I think they just did it to stop me from getting an A*! Anyways I got it remarked/ appealed and I went just over the boundary :biggrin:

so this is super duper creepy now hahaha