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The GCSE test (General Certificate of Secondary Education) has been used since 1988 to assess the aptitude of British students at the high school (pre-university) level.
Hundreds of thousands of students sit for GCSEs every year. With the exception of Scottish highschoolers, who take a different test, most children who are attending school in the UK end up sitting for these exams. Taking the GCSE is mandatory for students in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as confirmation of having “passed” high school (secondary school). In England, GCSEs are graded on a numerical scale (1-9) in Northern Ireland and Wales it’s alphabetical (A-G), with 9 and A being the best possible scores, respectively. The vast majority of students who sit for their GCSEs pass, with only about a quarter of students failing a test (grades below a 4—or a C— are considered failing). Students who fail a GCSE have the option of retaking the test. However, because the exams are only administered once a year—and at the same time every year—students who need to retake an exam must wait until the next year to do so.
The 5 main subjects you for the GCSE are: Math, English, Science, Humanities, and Languages. If you are at school in England or Wales, you will be required to take, at minimum, English, Math, and Science. The number of GCSEs you must sit for and the specific subjects you must take are, in many cases, decided by the school you attend (whatever subject exams you choose to sit for will also affect the courses you take in school, as you will prepare for the exam through enrolling in the corresponding classes). There are over 60 GCSE subjects available to students. The average number of GCSE tests taken by British students is 9. Students can therefore choose to sit for GCSEs in other subjects, including the following (for a complete list of GCSE subjects, contact us here):
GCSEs are offered in the English, Welsh, and Irish language.
Students can technically sit for the GCSE at Year 9, Year 10, and Year 11; most students therefore take the GCSEs between the ages of 13—16. However, because two years of study is generally required to prepare for the exams, most English and Welsh highschoolers take them during their final year at school (Year 11); the final year prior to university, (with most being either 15-or 16 years old at the time of examination).
At the height of the coronavirus pandemic, the GCSE exam schedule was significantly altered due to the academic disruptions caused by nation-wide remote learning. Students sat for the GCSEs in 2022 for the first time in two years. The tests are traditionally given from late April—June. Everyone receives their results at the same time: on the last Thursday of August.
GCSE results are one of the criteria UK universities use to evaluate potential students. The majority of schools in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland consider students who sit for a minimum of 5 GCSEs, however, they are not required by all universities for all courses. For example, while the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge (known collectively as Oxbridge) does not require GCSEs, most British students who apply for undergraduate admissions at either school submit their results as part of their application, and those who are accepted typically do not score below a 7 on any of the GCSE tests that they take. For context, most students receive scores of just over 5 throughout the various exams they sit for.
The majority of British Universities and Colleges require request that two of the subjects be Math and English, although certain universities, such as Oxbridge, do not. However, even students who are not looking to attend university sit for the GCSEs. Students looking to go directly into the working world, or those who intend to pursue apprenticeships may also need GCSEs. Applied GCSEs and Short course GCSEs are two other types of tests available to British students.
In addition to GCSEs, there are other exams and qualifications which are important when applying to UK universities as a British student. GCSEs are not to be confused with A-Levels (Advanced Level) exams, which are also subject tests available to UK students at the secondary school level. However, whereas all secondary students are required to take GCSEs (even if they do not intend to go to university) A-levels are optional. However, the majority of students applying to UK universities sit for A-levels, due to the fact that most UK universities require a student to have taken them in order to be eligible for certain courses.
Of course, GCSEs are not required by UK universities for admission. If you are a foreign student who did not attend a British secondary school/high school, you will not be expected to present GCSE results. Foreigners applying to UK universities will therefore be judged according to different internationally accepted criteria.
Asaad