"Applied Science"

My little sister has just started year 10, and I was reading a letter from school about a trip she is going on for GCSE Applied Science. I did my GCSE's four years ago, and that was Dual Award, but not Applied.

I'm trying to encourage her to work abit harder, which means taking more of an interest in her work. She's not brought much Science home (presumably because the Science department is still as bad as when I was at that school).

Could anyone explain to me the dynamics of the Applied course?

Reply 1

becky.fm

18

Applied Science is a Double Award Vocational GCSE, which basically means that there is much more of a work-related side to the course. The c/w:exams ratio is very different to normal GCSE's, it 66% coursework, and 33% exam. The exam is taken in January of Year 11, but it can be retaken. Almost all the coursework is done in class so usually there wont be any homeowrk like there is the normal Science GCSE. They tend to do lots more experiments and investigations and the content is things like Health & Safety, Basic Science Knowledge (probably about the same amount as one GCSE is normal combined science.... does that make sense :confused:

) and trips will normally take place which deals with the 'vocational' side of the course.

This is meant in no way to offend you, but in my experience of the classes in my class, lots of the 'bad' kids get put in there because 'apparently' there is more motivation to work because you see the immediate results of c/w rather than having to wait for an exam. Generally, it is a good course, and if she is into all the coursework, this is a good GCSE for her. :smile:

I don't know what exam board she is on but the AQA specification is here: http://www.aqa.org.uk/qual/appliedgcse/new_sci.html . I hope this helps, by the way, i haven't actually done the course but i know what it's like because it is similar to my Leisure and Tourism course ( :frown:

) and my friend also does Applied Science. :smile:

Double Post :frown:

Heya hun!

I did my GCSEs in May/June this year and i did the Applied Science course which is a (double award) and i wouldn't worry too much about the ammount of work from it, it's just based around portfoilio work and we didn't really get too much, but at the end of it i eneded up getting 2 B's for the Applied Science course, purely because of the fact that it's just mainly portfolio work!

Reply 4

Loving_Shane_Filan

1

Bexy*at*your*service

Applied Science is a Double Award Vocational GCSE, which basically means that there is much more of a work-related side to the course. The c/w:exams ratio is very different to normal GCSE's, it 66% coursework, and 33% exam. The exam is taken in January of Year 11, but it can be retaken. Almost all the coursework is done in class so usually there wont be any homeowrk like there is the normal Science GCSE. They tend to do lots more experiments and investigations and the content is things like Health & Safety, Basic Science Knowledge (probably about the same amount as one GCSE is normal combined science.... does that make sense :confused:

) and trips will normally take place which deals with the 'vocational' side of the course.

This is meant in no way to offend you, but in my experience of the classes in my class, lots of the 'bad' kids get put in there because 'apparently' there is more motivation to work because you see the immediate results of c/w rather than having to wait for an exam. Generally, it is a good course, and if she is into all the coursework, this is a good GCSE for her. :smile:

I don't know what exam board she is on but the AQA specification is here: http://www.aqa.org.uk/qual/appliedgcse/new_sci.html . I hope this helps, by the way, i haven't actually done the course but i know what it's like because it is similar to my Leisure and Tourism course ( :frown:

) and my friend also does Applied Science. :smile:

We did the exam with all of our other GCSEs

Reply 5

becky.fm

18

Loving_Shane_Filan

We did the exam with all of our other GCSEs

Oh really? OKay, i stand corrected, well my friend does her exam in Jan :p:

Reply 6

Loving_Shane_Filan

1

Bexy*at*your*service

Oh really? OKay, i stand corrected, well my friend does her exam in Jan :p:

lol, bless ye hun! Maybe it's different for each scool :p:

Reply 7

Mellie

OP

1

Thanks everyone for sharing your knowledge with me.

At first, I was thinking it was just the class dossers were put into, but I actually checked and it's the only science they offer now. The year I finished school, something like 40% of people didn't pass either science, and the 60% who did pass seem to be composed of people who only came away with one of the double awards.

Thanks again :tsr2:

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"Applied Science"

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