The Student Room Group

Why do people do so few GCSEs?

I received 14 GCSEs in 2014 and the fewest my school would let me do was 12. Why do so many people on here only have 8/9 GCSEs? I'm assuming it isn't because they failed the rest, as many people say they have all As and A*s.

Scroll to see replies

Not sure really since I had a total of 14 subjects. Everyone does the sciences, maths and english lit and lan so that's 6 already. Most likely not showing their bad choices because 2 others apart from those subjects is just so few.
quality not quantity
Original post by yourmate'smate
I received 14 GCSEs in 2014 and the fewest my school would let me do was 12. Why do so many people on here only have 8/9 GCSEs? I'm assuming it isn't because they failed the rest, as many people say they have all As and A*s.


Most schools only allow 10 GCSEs per student.
Original post by yourmate'smate
I received 14 GCSEs in 2014 and the fewest my school would let me do was 12. Why do so many people on here only have 8/9 GCSEs? I'm assuming it isn't because they failed the rest, as many people say they have all As and A*s.


12+ GCSEs is very much a new thing, since they all got so much easier. It was usual to do 8 or 9 maximum until fairly recently because it wouldn't have been possible to do any more.
What's the point. I'm only doing 10, including 2 foreign languages and triple science. Anything more is just a waste of money on the schools part.
Original post by Reality Check
12+ GCSEs is very much a new thing, since they all got so much easier. It was usual to do 8 or 9 maximum until fairly recently because it wouldn't have been possible to do any more.


I'd love to correct you here. The GCSEs didn't get easier. They added a wider range of GCSEs, including 'easier' subjects. I can admit that even since I did my GCSEs, they are getting harder. My economics teacher, for example, hates how much harder the Economics GCSE has got since 2014.
Original post by yourmate'smate
I'd love to correct you here. The GCSEs didn't get easier. They added a wider range of GCSEs, including 'easier' subjects. I can admit that even since I did my GCSEs, they are getting harder. My economics teacher, for example, hates how much harder the Economics GCSE has got since 2014.


Given that I am in the position of both having taken the harder ones and taught the easier ones, it is I who should be correcting you :smile: I can categorically assure you that certainly within the sciences, GCSEs are easier. And the pass mark in terms of raw marks required for a certain grade is incredibly low.
(edited 7 years ago)
Reply 8
Schools also added in double and triple science as well as additional GCSE subjects.
GCSEs were hard when I took them and they are getting harder still.
Original post by Reality Check
Given that I am in the position of both having taken the harder ones and taught the easier ones, it is I who should be correcting you :smile:


This is an argument not to be concluded by two people. Let's agree to disagree, as neither of us have any conclusive evidence.
Original post by yourmate'smate
This is an argument not to be concluded by two people. Let's agree to disagree, as neither of us have any conclusive evidence.


Wise indeed! :smile:
Original post by Reality Check
12+ GCSEs is very much a new thing, since they all got so much easier. It was usual to do 8 or 9 maximum until fairly recently because it wouldn't have been possible to do any more.


My school and the equivalent opposite gender school had a large amount of GCSE's taken. I had the following (including non GCSE):

Maths
Additional maths
Physics
Chemistry
Biology
ICT core
ICT additional
French
Geography
Geography AS (unmarked but as an example that there was another slot for an extra GCSE)
Business studies
RE (short)
Another subject which I've forgotten

I feel surprised that most people wouldn't have the main core 6, a humanity and then a few other subjects. Granted when I got to year 10 and 11 and was choosing my last GCSE's the few remaining GCSE's felt a bit wishy washy or overtop (so I chose AS geography) but I feel that 10-12 would be a common number especially for those with high grades.

My school had a system where we had to choose from 5 optional subjects and then there were further options like triple science and additional maths (first set). My sisters school being the opposite gender school had an alternate system where you chose subjects in packs but it depended on your academic ability for some of them (some of the lowest set stuff was pretty... crap).
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by Vikingninja
My school and the equivalent opposite gender school had a large amount of GCSE's taken. I had the following (including non GCSE):

Maths
Additional maths
Physics
Chemistry
Biology
ICT core
ICT additional
French
Geography
Geography AS (unmarked but as an example that there was another slot for an extra GCSE)
Business studies
RE (short)
Another subject which I've forgotten

I feel surprised that most people wouldn't have the main core 6, a humanity and then a few other subjects. Granted when I got to year 10 and 11 and was choosing my last GCSE's the few remaining GCSE's felt a bit wishy washy or overtop (so I chose AS geography) but I feel that 10-12 would be a common number especially for those with high grades.

My school had a system where we had to choose from 5 optional subjects and then there were further options like triple science and additional maths (first set). My sisters school being the opposite gender school had an alternate system where you chose subjects in packs but it depended on your academic ability for some of them (some of the lowest set stuff was pretty... crap).


That's an interesting list. How do you possibly squeeze all that into a timetable though - there must be subjects for which you are taught fortnightly at best.
The majority of people do between 9 and 11, I've found. I would consider anything above 12 to be excessive.
Doing maths, triple science, English language + literature, computer science, economics (options) German, history, and r.s short course for 10 and a half basically. I don't think there's a need to more.
Most on average in our area does 11 or 12 GCSE's when I was in year 11 but the Year 10's in our area do 8 or 9 GCSE's due to the reformation of the GCSE's across England. Perhaps it's because of the increased subject demand in the reformed qualifications that the number of GCSE's taken are fewer. Therefore, spending more time on each difficult subject rather than doing many will ensure students do better on average since more hours can be accommodated for lessons for each subject too.
Again simply a hypothesis; I'm only a college student...
Original post by Reality Check
That's an interesting list. How do you possibly squeeze all that into a timetable though - there must be subjects for which you are taught fortnightly at best.


Maths, additional ICT and geography were finished in year 10. Maths wouldn't be finished in year 10 for those below first set. Rest were taught on a weekly basis.
I did 9: English Language, English Literature, Science, Additional Science, Geography, ICT, Business Studies, French, Maths. And one BTEC: ICT.

I don't really understand how you would fit more lessons into a normal school timetable (we had lessons 9-3:05). Maybe rich kids with their better educational institutions can handle more GCSEs though :smile::smile::smile::smile: I guess you'd expect that when your parents are paying thousands :smile::smile:

Spoiler

Reply 18
Why would I study subjects that I'm never gonna need later on? I chose the subjects according to my future specialisation, so I did only 5 IGCSEs.
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by yourmate'smate
I received 14 GCSEs in 2014 and the fewest my school would let me do was 12. Why do so many people on here only have 8/9 GCSEs? I'm assuming it isn't because they failed the rest, as many people say they have all As and A*s.


I have 9 GCSEs all a*-a and I didn't fail any. Maybe it's because more schools are focusing on better attainment in which they can achieve with less subjects.

Quick Reply

Latest