Could I get all 9s at GCSE?

Ttt

(edited 3 years ago)

Original post by limoncelloispeng

These are my mock results

French- 9
Physics-9
Drama-9
Chemistry-8
History-8
Latin-8
English Lang- 8
Biology- 8
Maths-8
English literature- 5
Further maths-5

I’m predicted all 8s/9s by my teachers do you think it’s a possibility that I could achieve all 9s at GCSE if I really worked for it, any tips as well!!!
I have an English scholarship to my sixth form yet for some reason I always do TERRIBLY in it even though I’ve revised and my writing is of a high standard??

No one can give you a definitive answer or a % probability.

The best answer anyone can give you is maybe.

Reply 2

Torigracex

You’ve got a good chance of getting 9s in the subjects you’re on 8s and 9s for, but getting those 5s to 9s is really big challenge, especially further maths I got an A in OCR GCSE fm and had to work my arse off for it! However it is possible to get 9s in all of them, make sure you know the content back to front and do AS MANY practice questions and past papers as you can. Good luck!

Reply 3

lubasud

Original post by limoncelloispeng

I got a grade less than you in History, French, Maths and a grade higher than you in English Literature. But the thing that I definitely would like advice on is English Language - I got THREE whole grades lower than you. Please teach me your ways

Reply 4

limoncelloispeng

@lubasud I go to a very academic school so I’m under a lot of pressure to succeed which partially helps.
For English language- do not stress it’s so difficult and partially based on luck I can range from a 9 to a 4 in different papers, some of the cleverest people I know got 3s in their mocks. It’s based on technique, do loads of English language past paper and read the EXAMINERS REPORT to see how they like to see questions being structured. Being well articulated certainly helps I’m lucky because I’ve read a lot I recommend reading some advanced books to cop lines off for your creative writing hahah.
For maths- practice papers, practice papers, practice papers and then mark thoroughly. If there is a topic you’re incapable of I highly recommend buying the CGP maths work book as it has every topic with specific practice questions
For history- No the content really well but that’s definitely not the most important part, know key figures and places etc but put more emphasis on learning the SIGNIFICANCE and key factors leading to the event. I have an amazing teacher so I’m lucky as I’ve been taught how to structure each possible question . Don’t be afraid to give complex reasoning as it’s definitely plausible and mark worthy as long as you have evidence!!
French- I struggled with french for a long time so I feel you but I’ve finally cracked it. With listening (always the worst), do practice papers on line and try and expose yourself to the language as much as possible, the Paul Noble audiobook is incredible!!!!!! For reading, go onto quizlet and there Is a 2000 word or something list of core gcse vocab, learn that and do practice readings and you’ll be fine. KEY TIP FOR FRENCH- you can revise for writing and speaking together “two birds with one stone” by simply learning impressive phrases for each topic which you can take from textbooks, or look up an article on the topic in french, be comfortable with the tenses and be able to flip a word into a certain tense confidently, LEARN SUBJUNCTIVES/ COMPLEX SENTENCE STRUCTURES these are a gold mine!!!! Like “ A moins que” or “ j’aurais bien besoin de...” use these at the beginning of sentences in writing and speaking and a 9 is on your way!!! Also on quizlet if you look up A level french phrases these are very impressive to pop in your work too
To be quite honest I am more of a crammer when it comes to revising which is so bad but I find it really effective
By the sounds of it your mock results were amazing, you can definitely get all 8/9s with work I hope this helps

Reply 5

army of 1

Original post by limoncelloispeng

I did my GCSEs in 2019
mocks vs GCSEs
English lang: 6 -> 8
English lit: 6 ->8
maths: 8 ->9
biology: 8 -> 9
chemistry: 8 -> 8
physics: 8 -> 9
geography: 8 -> 9
fine art: 7 -> 8
DT: 6 -> 9

obviously I didn't do the same subjects as you but if I was able to get a 9 in DT (aka the worst subject ever) then you can get 9s in everything lol
with English I consistently got 5s or 6s in class tests and mocks which I think was partially due to my teacher marking us harshly (which may be what is happening with you?) in the actual exams I think I got lucky with the questions, the mark schemes and the examiner

My advice would be lots and lots and lots of practice papers for English and maths and with your other subjects I would suggest making mindmaps, flashcards or quizlet, maybe memrise for french?

Reply 6

Rexicon7

Original post by limoncelloispeng

Yes. I got all 9s, and my predicted grades throughout my GCSEs were relatively low (5s, 6s and 7s). My mock results were also a lot lower than yours too. For example, I went from the bottom of a 6 in history to a grade 9 in less than half a year. I can personally recommend practice questions/papers as a primary source of revision, backed up with textbooks to fill in any knowledge gaps. A good way of making sure you know all the content for academic subjects (e.g. science) is to mentally list everything you know about a topic. Then go through a textbook and highlight any points that didn't come to mind when you recapped the topic. In a few day's time, repeat the process. Anything you left out this time, highlight in another colour. After repeating this process several times, you will be left with only a few key points. Then, go out of your way to make sure you learn these points. Try teaching them to someone (even a pet will work) or making flashcards for those points, if you think that works for you.

Reply 7

1st superstar

Original post by lubasud

But the thing that I definitely would like advice on is English Language - I got THREE whole grades lower than you. Please teach me your ways

@Tolgarda might be able to help?

Reply 8

am.

Ive got the same worries, I'm predicted mainly 9 for everything but for the mocks I got
maths 8
bio 8
chem 8
physics 6
history 6
re. 7
psychology. 9
sociology. 7(2 marks from an 8)
English lit. 7 (1 mark from an 8)
English Lang 8 (2 marks from a 9 😭)
french. 7 (it's sooo hard omds I'm so bad at writing, I got a 5+ for that section)

I got an 8 in the last history mock I just really messed up in this mock I forget how to structure my answers and didn't really revise

Reply 9

limoncelloispeng

@_asia.xo3 those are amazing mock results you could definitely get all 9s!!!!! If your getting all 7s and above (As and above) in your mocks you’ll smash the real thing we have 4 months to crack down I know a girl who got 5s in her mocks to 9s in the real thing

Reply 10

am.

Original post by limoncelloispeng

Thanks I'm just really nervous good luck, I hope we do really well I wouldn't be able to handle regretting anything

Reply 11

username4863724

Original post by limoncelloispeng

Yep, it is 100% achievable. I did it in 2018 and, although I'm not exactly sure how tf I managed to pull that out of the bag, I do know that if you work hard enough it, it isn't out of reach. Your mock results are really good, continue working hard and doing practice questions and papers for all your subjects. Maybe spend some more time revising english lit and further maths. I didn't do further maths but I know doing a lot of practice questions online for regular maths really helped me to improve. For english lit, make sure you know all your texts really well. Use mr bruff youtube videos, they really helped me.

Hope this helped :wink:

keep at it

Reply 12

aeneas_son

it is doable!! i only did 10 subjects, but i still got all 9s, even with art and dt (which was a bloody lot of coursework). if im being honest, and you probably hear this a lot, gcses seem like lightwork when you get started on a levels. so as long as you dont procrastinate and start revising until you know all the specifications in and out, and are comfortable with what you need to know, you're good!

all i can say is that you need to do practice papers for subjects like the sciences and maths, and more even practice for latin (start early for this one, especially with vocab and memorising the texts; trust me you're gonna love yourself for it).

for english, practice timing, read examiners reports and exemplars, and make up essays for past questions (do past papers and mark them yourself or give them to a teacher to mark). it's all about confidence- i was getting 5s for lit and lang all throughout y11, so i have no idea how i ended up with a 9 for both, but i was confident in what i knew when i did the tests, and thats what helped i guess.

i didnt do french, history, or drama, but you seem fine with them anyway. its 100% possible, as long as you try and dont waste your time! dont get burnt out though, and form a nice routine which doesnt leave you sick of studying after a while.

Reply 13

Tolgash

Hey, I got very far off all 9s, but I did get over 95% in English language and literature. You can definitely improve in this subject. I actually got a six in English literature in my mock, but I only ended up dropping six marks in the real thing! I now study the subjects at A Level.

Here are my tips that I think will really help you:
1. Know the AOs and what is assessed where. There's no point about referring to context if AO3 isn't assessed. It wastes the time of all parties involved and takes up space that could be used on more appropriate analysis.
2. Read examiners' reports and exemplars. These explain what examiners are looking for, which might be what your essays are lacking. Examples can help reify these comments. You can find grade-9 exemplars here and here.
3. Practise writing essays in timed conditions. This is absolutely essential if you want to score top marks. Make sure you have a feeling of the experience that is writing in exam conditions. Respond to past questions or ones that your teachers have set, and ask your teachers to mark them for you and give you constructive criticism. Use this feedback as a springboard for your next essays.
4. Make essay plans for possible questions. If you make essay plans for possible questions, you can have a very clear idea of what to write if you face them. This exercise, albeit lengthy, can be very beneficial. I never did it, but I have friends who scored higher than me that did do this.
5. Remember quotes that are versatile. Quotes that can cover a range of themes are a godsend. You'll see yourself succeeding in no time if you're able to wring such quotes out as if they were sponges.
6. Know your context well. This seems axiomatic. If sociohistorical influences on the writers and the audiences are assessed, ensure that they are accurate and relevant. This can really help a piece stand out and impress an examiner.
7. Write with care. Even if AO4 isn't assessed, always take care of your spelling, punctuation and grammar. It does mark a piece look refined and pleases an examiner. Also, it shapes your mentality. If you have an eye for detail, you'll strive for perfection when writing your essays. Sometimes a person's pedantic nature can really help them, and literature exams are one of those times.

Thank you, @1st superstar. I appreciate the tag.

Also, congratulations to @aeneas_son, @suf1 and @Rexicon7. Credit where credit is due. Your achievement is stupendous.

(edited 4 years ago)

Reply 14

Bashir-GCSE's

Mate you can get all 4s and 5s now and still achieve 9s. Its all about how much work you put in between now and your GCSE'S.

Original post by limoncelloispeng

Reply 15

aeneas_son

Original post by Bashir-GCSE's

Mate you can get all 4s and 5s now and still achieve 9s. Its all about how much work you put in between now and your GCSE'S.

i agree with this. mocks mean something only if you're willing to continue/ increase the effort for the final thing. theyre only support to be sort of progress mark- dont use it to actually predict your gcse grades. you can do extremely well, or do horribly if you dont revise properly. this isnt to scare you or anything, but time management is key. after mocks i was pretty exhausted, but id say pick it all back up by the end of february the latest and start casual revision from then, and start increasing intensity of revision as you near exam period.

ngl, the actual gcse's period was so calm. you only need to revise the subjects for which you have a test the next day, so revision is a lot more spaced out and focused, and after those exams you're done so its so freeing. but you need to remember its only rewarding if you've put in the effort

Reply 16

Rexicon7

Original post by aeneas_son

gcses seem like lightwork when you get started on a levels.

I personally disagree with this. I think that the fact that you spend more time on the subjects you 'enjoy', combined with study periods and the significantly reduced amount of subjects makes A levels much more enjoyable, despite the increase in the actual intensity of each individual subject.