The Student Room Group

Falied GCSEs - Passed A levels, dont know what to do?

Title says it all really, would universities accept someone who got mostly Cs and a few Bs at GCSE along with AAA at A level?
Yes, generally GCSEs are less important than A-levels as far as uni admissions go. It may depend a little on the particular course and/or university you wish to apply to, as some will weigh GCSEs more. However if you have achieved grades in A-level this would probably take priority over GCSEs. Also for most universities and "upwards trajectory" in grades is viewed favourably, such as if you did averagely in GCSEs but very well in A-levels.

For example Oxford generally uses GCSEs in shortlisting who to invite to interview, but any pre-interview admissions assessment will usually again be weighed more heavily (except for e.g. medicine at Oxford). LSE does consider GCSEs for some more competitive courses to filter applicants, but the personal statement is usually most important for them. For another example, for medicine generally some courses will use GCSEs as part of their scoring methodology (such as Oxford) and some don't (such as Cambridge), so you would need to identify those that don't to make sure you maximise your chances, if that is the course you were going to apply to).

There are also plenty of universities which don't care about GCSEs nor have any specific GCSE requirements at all though - such as Cambridge. In fact most universities don't care much about GCSEs other than sometimes requiring specific grades in GCSE Maths and/or English language; the few that do (such as the aforementioned LSE and Oxford) are very much exceptions to the rule.
(edited 4 years ago)
I’d say they would, but they would be placing someone with these grades slightly lower on the preference list than someone who has got better GCSE’s . But sometimes depending on the subject they only really care about the maths and English grade so depends
Absolutely, but not Oxford, and probably not for some STEM eg Natural Sciences.
If you genuinely had failed your GCSEs, then this would probably require a very good explanation of the circumstances by your referee. As it is, you have not failed, if you achieved B or C in all of them. A shade melodramatic, non?
I think it’s tough to get AAA in a level when your getting C’s in GCSE. Because personally I felt there’s big difference between 2
Reply 6
I should mention, these are achieved grades, I have no intention of doing Medicine and also fully understand Oxbridge is out of the question. I am a first generation prospective university student so I do not really know how the system works.
Reply 7
Original post by artful_lounger
Yes, generally GCSEs are less important than A-levels as far as uni admissions go. It may depend a little on the particular course and/or university you wish to apply to, as some will weigh GCSEs more. However if you have achieved grades in A-level this would probably take priority over GCSEs. Also for most universities and "upwards trajectory" in grades is viewed favourably, such as if you did averagely in GCSEs but very well in A-levels.

For example Oxford generally uses GCSEs in shortlisting who to invite to interview, but any pre-interview admissions assessment will usually again be weighed more heavily (except for e.g. medicine at Oxford). LSE does consider GCSEs for some more competitive courses to filter applicants, but the personal statement is usually most important for them. For another example, for medicine generally some courses will use GCSEs as part of their scoring methodology (such as Oxford) and some don't (such as Cambridge), so you would need to identify those that don't to make sure you maximise your chances, if that is the course you were going to apply to).

There are also plenty of universities which don't care about GCSEs nor have any specific GCSE requirements at all though - such as Cambridge. In fact most universities don't care much about GCSEs other than sometimes requiring specific grades in GCSE Maths and/or English language; the few that do (such as the aforementioned LSE and Oxford) are very much exceptions to the rule.

That certainly is reassuring :smile:. However is it really the case a university wouldn't pick someone with the exact same A level results as me but with better GCSE results over me?

I should mention the courses I have looked at that do have a GCSE requirement I have met.
Reply 8
Original post by Isinglass
If you genuinely had failed your GCSEs, then this would probably require a very good explanation of the circumstances by your referee. As it is, you have not failed, if you achieved B or C in all of them. A shade melodramatic, non?

Forgive me, maybe I have spent too much time on TSR and think anything less than an A is a fail..

Still they are hardly stellar wouldn't you agree?
Reply 9
Original post by Anonymous
I think it’s tough to get AAA in a level when your getting C’s in GCSE. Because personally I felt there’s big difference between 2

My mistake, forgot to mention these are all achieved, not predicted, grades.

Do not know why there is such a discrepancy between the two, I just didn't fully appreciate the need to study at GCSE level I suppose...
Original post by Anonymous
That certainly is reassuring :smile:. However is it really the case a university wouldn't pick someone with the exact same A level results as me but with better GCSE results over me?

I should mention the courses I have looked at that do have a GCSE requirement I have met.

If you have both met the GCSE and A level requirements then you will be judged by personal statement, personality and super curricular activities related to your subject (eg watching podcasts -not sports).

You are at NO significant disadvantage with less great GCSES.
Original post by Anonymous
That certainly is reassuring :smile:. However is it really the case a university wouldn't pick someone with the exact same A level results as me but with better GCSE results over me?

I should mention the courses I have looked at that do have a GCSE requirement I have met.


That situation basically will never happen, and even if there were two applicants with the same A-levels and GCSEs, universities will virtually always be looking at grades in context. Someone who got all Cs at GCSE while going to Eton will not be viewed as favourably as someone with the same grades going to a state school in the lowest 10% of exam performance metrics, who is in receipt of free school lunches. Even beyond contextual flags, there are other elements of the application which will never be identical - the personal statement, for example.
It annoys me when people say they’ve “failed” their subjects when really they just mean they didn’t get the grade they wanted. Misleading title...
You can get into uni with average GCSE’s depending on the course. Some unis will really have their focus on what you got in your a levels rather than your GCSE’s. Check the entry requirements for your chosen course at uni.
Original post by EternalKnight_02
If you have both met the GCSE and A level requirements then you will be judged by personal statement, personality and super curricular activities related to your subject (eg watching podcasts -not sports).

You are at NO significant disadvantage with less great GCSES.

Well my extra curriculars are rather strong I have to admit, I am concerned since I have no excuse for performing so poorly in the GCSEs however.
Original post by artful_lounger
That situation basically will never happen, and even if there were two applicants with the same A-levels and GCSEs, universities will virtually always be looking at grades in context. Someone who got all Cs at GCSE while going to Eton will not be viewed as favourably as someone with the same grades going to a state school in the lowest 10% of exam performance metrics, who is in receipt of free school lunches. Even beyond contextual flags, there are other elements of the application which will never be identical - the personal statement, for example.

Well I do happen to be a free school lunch recipient (single parent, low income, first to do A levels etc), however I am reluctant to mention that to any university out of embarrassment for one, but also I worry about being enrolled simply out of pity because of the background and not on the basis of merit.
Original post by Anonymous
Well my extra curriculars are rather strong I have to admit, I am concerned since I have no excuse for performing so poorly in the GCSEs however.


These may or may not end up being important. For Oxford and Cambridge, certainly, they have stated on numerous occasions they essentially do not care about any activities that aren't specifically related to the course you're applying to. Someone being an Olympic gymnast but doesn't tell them anything about their ability to solve differential equations, and likewise someone playing flute in a national orchestra provides no insight into their ability to write nuanced history essays.

For other univeristies extracurricular activities probably will be considered, but you would be unlikely to be disadvantaged by not having done them. For some courses like medicine though you can potentially relate the transferable skills gained to the qualities they will be assessing you for, from most "extracurricular activities". Overall though, for any university what you have done outside of your academic work isn't likely to make or break an application.

Original post by Anonymous
Well I do happen to be a free school lunch recipient (single parent, low income, first to do A levels etc), however I am reluctant to mention that to any university out of embarrassment for one, but also I worry about being enrolled simply out of pity because of the background and not on the basis of merit.


There are no "quotas" or affirmative action to take students with such contextual factors. What these do allow is for admissions tutors to consider your application in the proper context and make sure they can actually assess your "merit". Someone born with a silver spoon in their mouth has a lot of factors which will make their ability to do well in exams etc that are considered by admissions tutors, much easier. People who weren't afforded such privileges will necessarily need to work harder to achieve the same results. The point is to recognise this hard work and make sure it is appropriately rewarded.

That said, for Oxbridge at least they are still fairly firm on requiring at minimum the published standard entry criteria for the course, including any necessary subjects. They still expect you to be fully prepared for the course in terms of both any necessary background knowledge, as well as general academic ability. However as above, contextual flags make sure your application doesn't end up "slipping through the cracks" without being given the due consideration it should be.

At the end of the day it is your decision, however it would be foolish to not do so - the wealthy students at Eton etc take any advantage they can in university admissions (and no doubt in life generally), you don't need to make it easier for them by (potentially) removing yourself from the competition early.

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