Gcse early

Original post by Muttley79

Please do NOT do any GCSE early - you'll have to declare the grade you get on UCAS and you are too late for 2022 anyway.

Universities prefer to see all GCSEs taken togeether in Year 11.

I totally agree. My high school was put in special measures when I was in Year 8. They brought in a tough super-headteacher. He initiated that we took 2 GCSE'S in Year 9, 2 in Year 10 and the rest in Year 11. The History, French, RE, and Geography Teachers were mad as they said their courses were 2 year courses, not the 8-9 months you get from doing them in one school year.

As a result, I did History and Drama GCSE in Year 9. I got an A in Drama but only a C in History and I really regret I didn't do History in Year 11, as it was my favourite subject. My History teacher was pleased I managed the C pass in Year 9, but admitted to my parents at parent's evening that I would have done so much better taking it in Year 11. Again in Year 10 I did French and Geography...managed to get B's in both, but think an extra year would have made a difference.

They've stopped these early GCSE's now at my old school after a kickback from pupils, parents, and teachers as some subjects need the full 2 year effort from Year 10. Sadly my year was the guinea-pig year and we have the results we got. I do ensure I highlight the year these exams were done on application forms and CV, but I am happy my degree has superseded them to a large extent.

unless it's your native language then I would say no for the average school kid.

Reply 5

OP

Original post by Ellered

I totally agree. My high school was put in special measures when I was in Year 8. They brought in a tough super-headteacher. He initiated that we took 2 GCSE'S in Year 9, 2 in Year 10 and the rest in Year 11. The History, French, RE, and Geography Teachers were mad as they said their courses were 2 year courses, not the 8-9 months you get from doing them in one school year.

As a result, I did History and Drama GCSE in Year 9. I got an A in Drama but only a C in History and I really regret I didn't do History in Year 11, as it was my favourite subject. My History teacher was pleased I managed the C pass in Year 9, but admitted to my parents at parent's evening that I would have done so much better taking it in Year 11. Again in Year 10 I did French and Geography...managed to get B's in both, but think an extra year would have made a difference.

They've stopped these early GCSE's now at my old school after a kickback from pupils, parents, and teachers as some subjects need the full 2 year effort from Year 10. Sadly my year was the guinea-pig year and we have the results we got. I do ensure I highlight the year these exams were done on application forms and CV, but I am happy my degree has superseded them to a large extent.

Thank you so much for your time! I feel as if I am ready for the test I want to take it early as I pretty much know everything. Would you recommend taking one test early? I believe can get high grades on it. Also if I can ask, when you take GCSE early when do you get your results for the exam? End of year 11 or end of year 9?

Reply 6

OP

Original post by Muttley79

Please do NOT do any GCSE early - you'll have to declare the grade you get on UCAS and you are too late for 2022 anyway.

Universities prefer to see all GCSEs taken togeether in Year 11.

Thank you for the response. I am still considering telling the school. When you take GCSE early when do you get your results for the exam? End of year 11 or end of year 9?

Reply 7

dellam8

11

Original post by VoiidDev

Just some quick questions.

Is it a good idea to take a gcse early in year 9 if you know you know everything for the exam?

Do universities know you took gcse early?

What do universities think on early gcse?

How do I tell my school I want to do gcse early?

honestly unis are more impressed by you taking more gcses at once (in year 11) and doing well in them because it shows you do well with a bigger work load!

Reply 8

OP

Original post by dellam8

honestly unis are more impressed by you taking more gcses at once (in year 11) and doing well in them because it shows you do well with a bigger work load!

Thank you for the response! Will universities know that I took GCSE early if I do?

Reply 9

Elo2109

Original post by VoiidDev

Just some quick questions.

Is it a good idea to take a gcse early in year 9 if you know you know everything for the exam?

Do universities know you took gcse early?

What do universities think on early gcse?

How do I tell my school I want to do gcse early?

Universities don’t care as much about gcses as you think. If you want to study biology and get a B in music they aren’t going to decline you an offer based on that. You have to be realistic.

Obviously if you choose to do maths but fail maths the first time round, some of the higher unis are going to look at that but overall they aren’t going to care that much.

I took maths gcse early and some of my science papers (we can can split up our gcses in wales and do some papers in yr10 and some in yr11) and I very much doubt they look at when you sit the paper. Like I doubt they’ll be impressed that you did a gcse in yr9, they just want ppl with a good personal statement, good a level grades and a passion for the subject.

Reply 10

dellam8

11

Original post by VoiidDev

Thank you for the response! Will universities know that I took GCSE early if I do?

no problem! and yes - when you fill out your ucas application, you have to specify the year you received a certificate for that gcse (: i think it depends tbh - if you're planning on doing quite a few gcses for year 11, i don't think they'd look less favourably on you for taking one early. but, it wouldn't give you an advantage in their eyes.

Reply 11

Muttley79

20

Original post by VoiidDev

Thank you for the response. I am still considering telling the school. When you take GCSE early when do you get your results for the exam? End of year 11 or end of year 9?

You don't 'tell' the school - you'll need to ask and it's already too late for 2022.

You get your results in the August after you take them - but please don't do this. Many schools hve stopped doing GCSE early now.

Reply 12

Elo2109

Also if you do bad you can just resit an exam later on. It’s honestly not that big of a deal. People are just trying to scare you. I have loads of friends who resat their history exam and are going to some of the best unis in the country.

Reply 13

Muttley79

20

Original post by VoiidDev

Thank you for the response! Will universities know that I took GCSE early if I do?

Yes - on UCAS you need to to put date and grade of every qualification

Reply 14

OP

Original post by Elo2109

Universities don’t care as much about gcses as you think. If you want to study biology and get a B in music they aren’t going to decline you an offer based on that. You have to be realistic.

Obviously if you choose to do maths but fail maths the first time round, some of the higher unis are going to look at that but overall they aren’t going to care that much.

I took maths gcse early and some of my science papers (we can can split up our gcses in wales and do some papers in yr10 and some in yr11) and I very much doubt they look at when you sit the paper. Like I doubt they’ll be impressed that you did a gcse in yr9, they just want ppl with a good personal statement, good a level grades and a passion for the subject.

Thank you for the response!

Reply 15

username5911962

Original post by VoiidDev

Thank you so much for your time! I feel as if I am ready for the test I want to take it early as I pretty much know everything. Would you recommend taking one test early? I believe can get high grades on it. Also if I can ask, when you take GCSE early when do you get your results for the exam? End of year 11 or end of year 9?

If you are 110% ready for the GCSE then taking 1 may be ok. You get the result for it in August this year, the same as all Year 11's, even though you are in Year 9.

As for university, one thing you must know is that unless you are applying to Oxbridge, unless you are doing medicine or a course that demands a certain grade at GCSE in specific subjects, all universities focus on your A level grades, and maybe that you've got Maths and English GCSE at a Grade 4 or above (C). Everytime you move further in education, it's your last lot of exam grades that count. I'm doing an MA and the uni was only interested in my undergraduate classification which was a 1st.

Reply 16

OP

Original post by Muttley79

Yes - on UCAS you need to to put date and grade of every qualification

Thank you for the response again! I don't want to bother you anymore but just to clarify. I to clarify. I take my early GCSE. Do I get the results in year 11 or year 9?

Reply 17

OP

Original post by Ellered

If you are 110% ready for the GCSE then taking 1 may be ok. You get the result for it in August this year, the same as all Year 11's, even though you are in Year 9.

As for university, one thing you must know is that unless you are applying to Oxbridge, unless you are doing medicine or a course that demands a certain grade at GCSE in specific subjects, all universities focus on your A level grades, and maybe that you've got Maths and English GCSE at a Grade 4 or above (C). Everytime you move further in education, it's your last lot of exam grades that count. I'm doing an MA and the uni was only interested in my undergraduate classification which was a 1st.

Thank you for the response! If I get the GCSE result this year when I get my other results will this year's one be included?

Reply 18

username5911962

Original post by VoiidDev

Thank you for the response! If I get the GCSE result this year when I get my other results will this year's one be included?

No. You'll have a result sheet this year with just the 1 GCSE you took. Then the certificate later.
Then in Year 11, you'll get a sheet with the Year 11 GCSE results on with a Certificate to follow.
Obviously, you just list them in date order, with the most recent exams and dates first, on your UCAS application if going to uni, so this year's GCSE and date would be at the bottom of the list.

(edited 2 years ago)

Reply 19

OP