Education

• After Year 9
• After Year 11
• After sixth form or college
• Qualifications Explained
  • GCSEs
  • AS and A levels
  • The Diploma
  • Vocational qualifications
  • Apprenticeships
  • Foundation Learning
  • Higher Education
• Study skills
• Dropping out of education
• Equal opportunities
• Studying abroad
• Student life
• Gap year

GCSEs are general qualifications that you can do in many subjects, such as English, history and music. They are also available in vocational subjects, such as leisure and tourism — these are available as a GCSE double award and are worth two GCSEs. They are the main qualification that you can achieve at school in Years 10 and 11 and are recognised by colleges, universities and employers.

On this page

Level of qualification
When where and how you can study them
How they are made up, assessed and graded
How long they will take and the costs involved
What you need to do the course
What you can go on to
   

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Level of qualification

• GCSEs are level 1 if you get a grade D to G and level 2 if you get a grade A* to C.

When, where and how you can study them

• You usually study GCSEs in Years 10 and 11 at school.
• You can also study them after Year 11 — post-16 — either in new subjects or by taking resits of the ones you did at school.
• There is no upper age limit for studying GCSEs.
• In Years 10 and 11 you will probably study them at your own school. In some cases, it’s possible to study them at other schools. Some of your compulsory subjects in Years 10 and 11 will be GCSEs, such as English, maths and science. Alongside these, you can also choose to do some optional GCSEs, such as art, food technology and geography.
• Post-16, GCSEs are available at sixth forms and colleges. You can do three or four to make up a full-time learning programme or you can mix one or two with some AS levels.
• If you do a Foundation Diploma or Higher Diploma post-16, you can do a GCSE as part of this qualification.
• GCSEs are also available part-time at some colleges.

How they are made up, assessed and graded

• GCSEs are made up of up to five units depending on the subject. Double awards are worth two GCSEs, and so have twice as many units. There are also short GCSEs which are worth half a GCSE and have half as many units.
• GCSEs are assessed through exams or controlled assessments, or a mixture of both. In some subjects you may have to keep a portfolio of your work or do some practical assessments.
• GCSEs are graded from A* to G. Grades A* to C are known as higher grade passes. Double awards are given as two grades, such as AB or DD.

How long they will take and the costs involved

• In Years 10 and 11, GCSEs are studied over one or two years.
• Post-16, GCSEs are usually completed in one year.
• Full-time education — 12 hours or more a week — is free up to the age of 19, so there aren’t any course fees. Although, you might need to pay for things like materials or trips. If you study GCSEs post-16, you might be entitled to some financial help. Look at money to learn to find out more.

What you need to do the course

• In Year 9, you will choose which optional GCSE subjects you want to study in Years 10 and 11. You will usually complete an options form and attend an interview with a subject tutor or your form tutor. Some subjects will have certain entry requirements, such as good results from Year 9 tests or a keen interest in the subject you have chosen.
• If you want to study resits of your GCSEs post-16, you will need to have a grade D or E in the subject you are resitting. If it’s a new subject you are studying, entry requirements can vary, but you will usually need to have four GCSEs at grades A* to C in other subjects, including English and maths, to show you can study at that level.
• Search for GCSEs on Routes Ahead to find the entry requirements for individual courses.

What you can go on to

• There are many options to choose from, but it depends on the GCSE grades you achieve.
• If you achieve mostly grades A* to C, you can move on to level 3 qualifications, such as AS and A levels, a BTEC National Diploma also known as a BTEC Extended Diploma, a Progression or Advanced Diploma or a CACHE Diploma.
• If you achieve mostly grades D or E, you can move on to level 2 qualifications, such as a BTEC First Diploma also known as a BTEC level 2 Diploma, a CACHE Certificate, a Higher Diploma or an NVQ level 2. You might even want to resit some of your GCSE subjects.