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How many GCSEs did you/are you doing?

How many are you doing this year/did you do? Do you think there is a stage where it just gets to too many?

Sophie

BTW if you have already taken some/are taking more...just add them all together.

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Reply 1

quintsy

I did my GCSEs last year and did 11.5 (although 14 literal subjects) in the same exam period, i.e. Summer 2007. I think there definitely can come a point where you're doing too many. I ended up with about 27 exams in the end, and although fortunately they were quite spread out, if I'd done many more subjects there could well have been clashes.

You have to remember that it's worth more to sit a reasonable number of GCSEs and achieve decent grades, than it is to take 15 GCSEs and end up with much more varied results.

Reply 2

death.drop

I took 12 or 13. I could have easily done more because I didn't have to work at GCSEs.
I know for people like my brother 6 was too many because he had to put a lot of work into each one to pass.

Reply 3

Nimbus

I took my chinese GCSE last yaer, half of my RS and an ICT qualification which equals a shortcourse ICT GCSE.XD
And this year, I am taking my 3 sciences, english, english li, maths, RS, German, Geography, Graphics and Art.

(Irrelevant info: really wished I didn't take graphics and took french though!

And note, don't EVER take graphics if you do not like - too much coursework, especially alongside Art, geography).

And about the good numbe rof GCSEs to take, I pesronally would recommend 12. :smile:

Reply 4

Callipygian

I did 10, thats just the number the school do, you can't do more or less.

Reply 5

Barry Scott

I took ten because that was all my school allowed. I kind of regret not doing more.

Reply 6

Asclepius

I did 14 (and an AS at the same time). I don't think I could've done any more, mainly because I like to spend the majority of my time not working :biggrin:

Reply 7

Archibald246

9 i think? That's all my school would allow... but it didn't do me any harm!

Reply 8

A Stranger in Moscow

12, 1.5 extra (r.e. full + drama)

at my school most people ended up with 10.5 GCSE or 8/9 with GNVQ ICT (apparently worth 4 GCSEs but not really as one person got Merit (B) in that and one other C and didn't get into college for a 4A*-C course)
and there was an option of double business or leisure as well.

Reply 9

SylverStrike

I took 12.5 (half in RS) though technically Additional Maths isn't a GCSE. And I failed it anyway. :P The only extra-ey type thing I did apart from Triple Science was a music GCSE in year 11 as my lessons were after school on Thursdays, and the only reason I did that was because if you have been playing an instrument for at least a good four or five years, it's not too difficult to get a good grade at GCSE music and it seemed worth the extra money and hassle at the time.

It depends on the individual as to how many is 'too many'. I always say it's better to do less and do really well than do more and perform poorly.

Reply 10

Alison267

11, thats all we could do.
a good number i think :smile:

Reply 11

Number6

Everyone had to do 9 but the lucky few in the top set were made to take Statistics :mad:

which meant I ended up with 10. Two of my friends did Music at lunchtime which meant they did 11, but they were the sort of people who get off on work.

EDIT: Just remembered my CCF BTEC is supposedly worth 4, and the Young Enterprise exam (if I pass :rolleyes:

) is worth 2, so that makes 16 in total.

Reply 12

Blackwater

I did 10 GCSEs, and IMO any more is overkill. At the end of the day, who really cares if you do more? Unless you really think that you can handle the extra work (in which case, go for it if it's what you want to do), then it's better to stick to 10 and get 10 A*s than do 13 and get 7 A*s, 5 As and a B, or something like that.

Reply 13

billet-doux

I'm only doing 9, that's the number my school make us do.

Reply 14

Rob 07

I did 11 GCSE's and an AS level 1 year early in government and politics, as has already been said, it is much better to do an average amount of GCSE's and get good grades rather than do lots of GCSE's with only average grades, at the end of the day as long as you get english and maths at grade C or above and 3 other GCSE's at A*-c making the total number 5 it doesnt really matter how many you get unless your applying to a top university which prefers applicants with x amount of GCSE's

Reply 15

Glutamic Acid

I did 12 (failed one). I felt quite a few of them were a waste of my time.

Reply 16

purple-girl

I did 9.5 as my sig says (the 1/2 in ICT), as that's all we could do unless you can speak other languages. I would've liked to do more just so my knowledge was more varied, but I was quite happy doing those subjects. I think the fact we don't do many GCSEs comparatively is one of the biggest reasons why we do so well at my school (not meaning to boast) however I think doing 1 extra would've been doable for most people.

7...

my school was brand new meaning we were the first year and therefore guinea pigs.

So I did 8 single gcses and 4 subjects that were double gcses. So that gave me a grand total 16 gcse grades at the end.

But that totally messed my grades up. You should Never go for that many!