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Are Gcses Important?

Right everyone, please can someone explain to me how important GCSE's really are. I've heard so many different theories on how important they really are. Some people say that once A-Level's begin they become meaningless, and that Universities do not care about them what-so-ever. Others will say that they affect everything that happens throughout the rest of your life and that Universities will not admit people who don't have a certain number of A*'s etc etc.

I know that these are two extremes but I am beginning to get worried as I know I could have got straight A*'s with just a bit of work, but am now expecting about 5 A*'s and 6 A's at best, maybe less and with some B's in there.

Is this likely to stop me from getting into any Universities? Say I get the 4 A's at A-level and 1 A at AS I should get, will anyone say no because of my GCSE results? Any helpwould be greatly appreciated.

Reply 21

Jsk

1

LEts be realistic,

At the moment they are important because with out the required you cant go to college but when it comes to uni,

They will look at you A levels (some of the big unis, oxford, cambrige, ect look at them but thats just because there are so many people going for places with the same a levels so they look at GCSEs)

Once your at Uni and get your degree your employers will look at that. For example, i want to be a maths teacher so i need a PGCE in maths and to do that i do need a C in english GCSE an A level in maths and a degree where there is more than 50% maths. For what i want to do they will look at all of them.

If you are not planning on going to uni, then employers want you to have a certain amount of GCSEs as well. My couson dropped out of school months before her GCSEs and tried to get a job in sainsburys and couldnt because she didnt have a GCSE at a D in maths or english. So basically you need them but A levels sort of cover them

Reply 22

Vesta

18

I still maintain the fact that they are important (according to their websites, Oxford and Cambridge respectively only invite those with 5 A*+ for interviews, except in exceptional circumstances).

Why shouldn't they be? We spend two years doing them, college/sixth form admission depends on them, of which University admission depends on and so forth (as the poster above pointed out).

So IMO, the are very important.
And (this is not aimed at you, OP) people justifying doing badly with "oh they don't matter so I didn't try hard enough" don't look good in my eyes.

Reply 23

Original Legend

As long as you get 5 A* to C's you will be fine!

Reply 24

tc123

2

Vesta

(according to their websites, Oxford and Cambridge respectively only invite those with 5 A*+ for interviews, except in exceptional circumstances).

Is this true!? I'd never heard that before, not even on here. Can anyone else confirm this?

i believe so

They don't count for nearly as much as A levels, but they do count for something I guess. The fact we spend 2 years on this doesn't necessarily make it more important, we spent longer on SATs...

I seriously doubt Oxbridge only invite people with 5+ A*s for interviews, that's most likely a rumour (I once thought I needed 8+ A*s to get into Oxbridge :P)

Reply 27

Original Legend

GCSE's are very important, without them how can u do a level ^o)

Reply 28

Vesta

18

Zygroth

They don't count for nearly as much as A levels, but they do count for something I guess. The fact we spend 2 years on this doesn't necessarily make it more important, we spent longer on SATs...

I seriously doubt Oxbridge only invite people with 5+ A*s for interviews, that's most likely a rumour (I once thought I needed 8+ A*s to get into Oxbridge :P)

Check the Cambridge website. It's true.

Reply 29

tc123

2

See a girl on another thread got an offer from Oxbridge with 1 A*, but didn't get the A-Levels her offer dictated. That's definately not 5+!?!?!?!?!?

Reply 30

Original Legend

oxbridge is so competitive, so why wud they let someone with poor GCSE's in!!!!!!

Reply 31

tc123

2

Vesta

Check the Cambridge website. It's true.

I've looked and cannot find that anywhere.

Reply 32

Vesta

18

tc123

I've looked and cannot find that anywhere.

Oh. Well I'll look tonight and get back to you!

Reply 33

becky.fm

18

JamieH

oxbridge is so competitive, so why wud they let someone with poor GCSE's in!!!!!!

4 A*'s at GCSE isn't exactly poor... :s:

Reply 34

Chezua

12

tc123

Is this true!? I'd never heard that before, not even on here. Can anyone else confirm this?

No it isn't.

i think i've posted cambridge's matriculation too many times ^o)

OP: http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=423705 i find this thread quite useful :smile:

~~although the OP was me~~ :ninja:

Reply 35

Zygroth

14

tc123

See a girl on another thread got an offer from Oxbridge with 1 A*, but didn't get the A-Levels her offer dictated. That's definitely not 5+!?!?!?!?!?

That was probably for something like Maths...There's other exams and competitions that would count for more than GCSEs or even A levels for maths :smile:

Reply 36

Jsk

1

im going to sound very stupid right now but its really bugging me...

... is oxbridge the same as oxford? I never heard of oxbridge until i started coming to TSR.

Reply 37

mikeski

3

JamieH

As long as you get 5 A* to C's you will be fine!

I think that sums everything up. End of.

Reply 38

Isometrix

11

what kind of topic is this...if they werent important why wud anyone bother to do them?? of course they are important. suppose u got all E's and D's, do u think uni's will be saying "omg this guy got E's and D's but oh well they were only GCSEs"...NO.

Reply 39

mikeski

3

silversurfer

what kind of topic is this...if they werent important why wud anyone bother to do them?? of course they are important. suppose u got all E's and D's, do u think uni's will be saying "omg this guy got E's and D's but oh well they were only GCSEs"...NO.

Lol, exactly :p:

Are Gcses Important?

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