How many GCSEs required in one sitting?
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How many GCSEs required in one sitting?
Does anyone have the inside knowledge on this one? A parent with some good inside knowledge has been told by friends at various upper echelon universities that they look at the profile of GCSEs that a student has gained in one sitting. She has then been told by a Year 13 tutor at her daughter's school, that the number gained in a single sitting is irrelevant. With an increasing number of schools moving to 'personalised learning', and GCSEs taken at all sorts of times, this could be quite a significant issue. Does anyone out there have the inside track on this one?
Thanks.
Thanks.
I would think that this may well be true for a number of universities - it certainly is for AS levels and medicine. However, I would think there would be some possible variation especially with extenuating circumstances.
The only way to be sure would be to contact individual admission departments and ask.
The only way to be sure would be to contact individual admission departments and ask.
Am quite sure that different admissions tutors will have different attitudes - but they are part of a measure of abillty to cope with workload so taking them over elongated period doesn't demonstrate this so well.
However if the standard number are still taken together & extras are to add bredth then must be beneficial?
However if the standard number are still taken together & extras are to add bredth then must be beneficial?
I think the smart money would say that GCSEs are generally easier than O levels . Most GCSEs are formulaic. It doesn't matter how many you take but it does matter what grades you get . For example 6 taken and 6 A*s gained or 12 taken with 6 A*s and some As and Bs. The latter will be less impressive. Taking some early will probably only cut it it if they are IGCSE Maths or English.
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The thing is, that it is becoming standard practice in schools to take a range of subjects early, in order to allow time in Year 11 for 'personalisation of the curriculum'. In the school in question, students are encouraged to take 2 subject types early, and science is of the modular variety, so that many students will finish with science in the January of Year 11. Working through a typical student at this school, their exam profile (if doing 2 sciences, and not 3) might be like this:
Summer Yr 9 - one half GCSE
(Winter Yr 10 - early modules of science)
Summer Yr 10 - 3 GCSEs
Winter Yr 11 - complete 2 science GCSEs
Summer Yr 11 - 5 GCSEs
Total 9 1/2 GCSEs over 3 years. The trade-off for a less intense summer Yr 11 is the constant nag of external exams over such a long period; and students will be expected to do 'other things' in Year 11 in their 'spare' time. But might it be a problem to sit only 5 GCSEs in one go?
Summer Yr 9 - one half GCSE
(Winter Yr 10 - early modules of science)
Summer Yr 10 - 3 GCSEs
Winter Yr 11 - complete 2 science GCSEs
Summer Yr 11 - 5 GCSEs
Total 9 1/2 GCSEs over 3 years. The trade-off for a less intense summer Yr 11 is the constant nag of external exams over such a long period; and students will be expected to do 'other things' in Year 11 in their 'spare' time. But might it be a problem to sit only 5 GCSEs in one go?
I think you would need to check with university admissions officers to get individual responses but given how competitive it is now I can well see them preferring evidence of the ability to cope with the volume & pressure of doing a greater number of GCSEs in one go.
Universities seem to take a while to react to changes further back down the educational system so you might find they simply don't have an 'official' reaction to this yet.
Universities seem to take a while to react to changes further back down the educational system so you might find they simply don't have an 'official' reaction to this yet.