Will they look at my GCSE grades?

I'm currently studying my a levels. Hopefully ill be able to get some decent predictions for A2 and I'm also going to sit the LNAT this summer.

My only concern are my GCSE grades. I did get 7 A's and 5 B's. They aren't amazing but they're not so bad on the same hand.
However i achieved a B in english language, which i assume is important for law.

Im hoping to apply to Birmingham and UCL

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 1

Compost

Original post by alevelstudent217

I'm currently studying my a levels. Hopefully ill be able to get some decent predictions for A2 and I'm also going to sit the LNAT this summer. ham.

My only concern is if they look at GCSE grades. I did get 7 A's and 5 B's.
However i achieved a B in english language..

You have to list all your GCSE results on your UCAS application.

Reply 2

alevelstudent217

Original post by Compost

You have to list all your GCSE results on your UCAS application.

Do they play a big part when being offered places/interviews? I know that most unis usually ask for the usual C in GCSE maths and language.

Reply 3

Arvin Bhambra

Original post by alevelstudent217

Do they play a big part when being offered places/interviews? I know that most unis usually ask for the usual C in GCSE maths and language.

in some unis they do play a big part

Reply 4

tterb

Original post by Arvin Bhambra

in some unis they do play a big part

only oxbridge..

Reply 5

alevelstudent217

Original post by Arvin Bhambra

in some unis they do play a big part

Thanks! Do you reckon i should email the uni's I'm thinking of applying to, to see if i have any chance of a place?

Reply 6

Arvin Bhambra

3. They could be used to assess if you're suitable for a uni course
The majority of university courses look for at least Cs in GCSE English, maths and perhaps science. Some university courses go further and ask for specific subjects at GCSE, with certain grades.

A management degree at the University of Leeds, for example, specifies that you must have at least Bs in English language and maths under your belt, while a psychology degree at the University of Bristol asks for ‘maths, English and science at grade B, but grade A preferred’.

Don’t let a disappointing GCSE performance put you off applying to the university course you really want, though – a good AS-level performance, for instance, could outweigh a set of weaker GCSE results.

Plus, since the reform of A-levels (as announced in July 2015), universities you apply to could use your GCSE grades more than before to decide whether to accept you or not.

4. GCSEs may limit the universities you can apply to
Some of the top academic universities (often belonging to the Russell group of universities) will be asking for very high A-level grades – AAB or higher - for most courses.

Because of the assumed connection between your GCSE and A-level results, it’ll be down to you to prove you’re able to achieve top grades. Bs and Cs at GCSE are suggestive of Cs and Ds at A-level – which won’t be enough to get into some universities.

The more competitive the university and course, the higher the number of high-achieving students with top GCSE marks applying. Some courses actively state this in the prospectus – the Department of Law at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) says: ‘Most have already achieved excellent GCSE grades including the majority at A* and A’.