{"id":1687,"date":"2020-07-29T23:03:39","date_gmt":"2020-07-29T22:03:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.manchester.ac.uk\/gatewaysresources\/?page_id=1687"},"modified":"2022-02-08T16:17:34","modified_gmt":"2022-02-08T16:17:34","slug":"gcse-options-9","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.manchester.ac.uk\/gatewaysresources\/home\/for-year-9\/gcse-options-9\/","title":{"rendered":"GCSEs and your options"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Gateways Resources<\/a> \/ Home \/ Year 9 \/ GCSE Options<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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GCSEs and your options<\/h1>\n

What are GCSEs?<\/h3>\n

As I\u2019m sure you all know, GCSEs are academic qualifications that are studied over a two year period, throughout Year 10 and Year 11. GCSEs changed a few years ago, and grading is now based on numbers rather than letters. These grades range from 1 \u2013 9, with 9 being the highest you can achieve.<\/p>\n

You can see in the table below where GCSEs fit into your overall education. As Level 2 qualifications, you must sit your GCSEs in order to progress to further education (Level 3).<\/p>\n

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Why are GCSEs important?<\/h3>\n

You\u2019ll hear people say \u2018your GCSEs are so important\u2019 a lot over the next few years. Although you may not understand it now, you\u2019ll soon realise that these qualifications are extremely important both in terms of the subjects you choose, and the grades you get. Your GCSEs will have an impact on a lot of the decisions you make after you leave school \u2013 for example the sixth from\/college you attend, the subjects you can study at Level 3, the subjects you can study at higher education and university, and the career you can go into. We\u2019re going to look at this in more detail below\u2026<\/p>\n

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  1. GCSEs can determine the sixth form\/college you go to\u2026<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>All school 6th forms and colleges have entry requirements. These are minimum grades that you must achieve in order to go on to study at that place. They use entry requirements and your GCSE results as an indicator of how well you will do in your A-Level or other advanced studies, and as you may go to a sixth form\/college that you\u2019ve never been to before, this will be the only information they have about you.<\/li>\n
  2. GCSEs can affect which subjects you are able to study in further education…<\/span>\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>For some further education courses, you must have already studied specific subjects at GCSE – e.g. you need to have taken GCSE French to do a French A level. This is to ensure you have the right amount of knowledge in the subject, to begin the next level of teaching. Some sixth forms and colleges will specify the grade you must have got at GCSE in order to do it at A-Level too!<\/li>\n
  3. GCSEs are used to assess whether you are suitable for a higher education course…<\/strong><\/span><\/em>Universities and higher education providers will look at your GCSE and A Level or other Level 3 results when deciding if you have the academic ability to succeed on one of their courses. Most higher education providers will look for at least a 4\/5 grade in English and Maths; and some will specify the grade you must have got in a specific subject at GCSE, in order to study with them.<\/li>\n
  4. GCSEs can affect the career that you end up doing…\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Once you\u2019ve finished your A Levels and\/or completed your degree, employers will sometimes still look at your GCSE\u2019s. They are part of your educational journey, and are therefore sometimes included on CVs and applications. Certain professions will require certain grades at GCSE level (particularly English and Maths!).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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    Choosing Your GCSEs<\/h3>\n

    Choosing your options can be a very exciting time! It\u2019s the first time you’ll have had any choice in what you learn, and knowing that you won\u2019t have to continue studying some non-core subjects that you\u2019ve not liked or found difficult throughout school. However, as we\u2019ve seen in the previous section (\u2018Why are GCSEs important?), these decisions are very important. You must be sensible, realistic and take your time to research and really think about them before finalising any choices.<\/p>\n

    Watch this video – by the National Careers Service – to get a good understanding of your GCSE subjects, and what you should\/shouldn\u2019t do.<\/p>\n

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    DO:<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n