How much does Durham take GCSE grades into consideration?

I'm looking to apply to Durham for history, I know it's one of the most competitive courses at the uni. I haven't got predicted grades yet, but they're most likely going to be A*AA. I did alright at my GCSEs, getting 8s in all of my a-level subjects, including history, but my grades weren't anything special. I was wondering if Durham really looks into these, and how much they take it into consideration when they are sending offers.

Reply 1

Durham Rep Ghala

Official Rep

Original post by Anonymous

Hi there

Because there are no formal GCSE requirements, they're not given much weighting. However, when there's a big pool of students whose applications are of similar standing, GCSEs can be used to differentiate between applicants. The admissions team also take into account any mitigating circumstances and contextual information, so you can ask your referees to mention them in your references. From my perspective, I think your GCSE grades are just fine. You can't change them now anyway so try and focus on making a strong application through your personal statement, predicted scores and references as they will be the more crucial factors.

-Himieka