Taking GCSEs early

[Moonsun]

Hi
I need advice on this-- can a pupil who is doing well in a few subjects, give a couple of subjects for the GCSE exam early?
Is that allowed if the pupil struggles with organisational skills and the school has students doing 11 GCSEs

Any advice as I feel this could relieve some pressure

Thankyou

[Daogroupie]

The whole point is to sort out poor organisation skills and be able to do them at the same time.

Trying to get round this by doing a few early is a game the universities know well.

The school will hold exam preparation classes and suggest different ways of getting organised.

Trying to do some early is not the answer. DG

[Moonsun]

Yes I agree wish it was easy explaining this to a teen
Easier said than done

[Eccentric]

One of my daughter's friends has taken 3 GCSE's early one in year 8 one in year 9 and one in year 10. She got A*'s in all 3. She is taking one of those as an extra A level in year 12. So she will have 15 GCSE's and 5 A' Levels (she is apparently taking 4 in year 13). Her parents are professors at Oxbridge, they interview for student entrance and seem to think that to get in she needs to stand out from the crowd and that means doing extra GCSE's early but not doing D of E etc. She doesn't do any of the extra curricular stuff my DD does. No sport, no music, no drama, no volunteering etc.
It leaves my daughter feeling very inadequate.

[scary mum]

I think most schools have abandoned early GCSEs now, the universities seem to prefer them all sat at once. Personally I think it would help if the schools made DCs do fewer GCSEs. Mine "only" did 10 & I think he had 25 exams (and one subject - drama - had no exams).

[Daogroupie]

It can be done.

I had two teens doing exams at the same time and I had to downgrade dd2 to a nokia brick during revision and exams to get it done.

It needs to be sorted. Ask school for some suggestions if nothing is forthcoming. DG

[Guest55]

Please don't do it!! Universities like to see all exams taken at the same time. You have to declare every grade [including any resits (which will upset some unis)] when you apply for university.

Where I taught stopped early entry years ago.

[Schools don't like it as it messes their data]

[Daogroupie]

Very interesting Eccentric, I wonder which subject they interview for as this is not the message coming out of universities about extra GCSEs and A levels at this point. See the other thread on this.

Any idea what subject the dd might be aiming for?

Do tell your dd that this type of overload on exams is really not what Universities are looking for. DG

[Guest55]

Hi
I need advice on this-- can a pupil who is doing well in a few subjects, give a couple of subjects for the GCSE exam early?
Is that allowed if the pupil struggles with organisational skills and the school has students doing 11 GCSEs

Any advice as I feel this could relieve some pressure

I would think the best way forward is to cut down the number of subjects ... 11 is not needed. Is there one that he does not enjoy?

[Moonsun]

The school has said in the open evening , we were not told anything less is an option
Can I ask for this option