Is it possible for children to take GCSE before their age?

[Crazydad]

Hi,

I know nothing about GCSE / A level. I just wonder that

1. Is it possible if I want to put DS into GCSE exam before his actual age, say 12/13/14?
2. If possible, how can I do that?
3. If he got C grade or lower, can he take the exam again (and again) to get A*? Does the previous grade count?

Thanks

[Y]

Hi,

I know nothing about GCSE / A level. I just wonder that

1. Is it possible if I want to put DS into GCSE exam before his actual age, say 12/13/14?
2. If possible, how can I do that?
3. If he got C grade or lower, can he take the exam again (and again) to get A*? Does the previous grade count?

Thanks

1. Yes, definitely
2. That depends. If your DS is at a school that offers the qualification (or possibly even just the board), you may be able to have your DS sit the exam as one of the school's own candidates. Check with the examinations officer at the school. If the school won't help, then you will need to check whether the qualification allows for private candidates. (Google the qualification and 'private candidates'). It can be difficult to enter a child as a private candidate, as then you will have to find an examination centre for them. I don't know what would happen if your DS then happened to have a clash with some other external exam his school had entered him for.
3. As far as I know, you can resit virtually anything. However, I know it is difficult (impossible?) to hide previous grades, and depending on circumstances, an earlier poor grade *may* create a problem for your DS. You'd need to check the details out with the examining board, or possibly the examinations officer at your DS's school.

[zee]

Personally, I don't see the point in doing it early UNLESS you are very confident of an A grade minimum.

There is also the issue of what they do next, especially if they are many years ahead.

Every year there are news stories of a 7 or 8 year old who passed GCSE maths. Very impressive in some ways, but many of them have Bs or Cs, which is still a good achievement for their age, but it does make me wonder for whose benefit they did it so early. (Not that I'm questioning your motives, Crazydad.)

[Amber]

Crazydad, are you home educating your child? Many home-educated children take GCSEs early, sometimes as young as 11 or 12, and then stage them over a few years. The biggest problem is usually finding an 'exam centre' as you have to go through one to enter a child for an exam. The home ed organisations Education Otherwise and the HEAS both can help if this is what you are doing. Home educated children often score very highly in early GCSEs.

If this is not what you are doing, sorry - I just thought from the tone of your post that you are 'going it alone'.

[moved]

Hi Crazydad

DS is taking French early due to having lived there when he was younger, he will then go on to take AS over a couple of years, then A2.

His teacher did email me though to say that she was worried that he would get a nasty shock and only get an A unless he did some work. She seemed to think it would be a waste to get an A and expects no less than an A*.

At university entry you have to put down all of your GCSEs and some courses are extremely competitive. Children have been turned away for having too low a percentage of A* versus A grades. Resits are generally frowned upon so although there is no rule against taking the exams over and over it may be frowned upon.