GCSEs
GCSEs
General Certificates of Secondary Education (GCSEs) are undertaken in Year 10 and Year 11 over five terms with exams taking place in the third term of Year 11. Most schools will ask that you take maths, English and Science, and most will ask that you undertake approximately 10 GCSEs, although you may be asked to do more.
There are over 50 subjects to choose from, so there will certainly be subjects that interest you. Choosing your subjects is a big decision, but don’t worry - no one expects you to know exactly what you want to do in the future.
Your teachers will give you information about exactly which GCSEs are offered at your school and how they fit together in your timetable.
You still have to study English; maths; science; ICT (England only); PE; citizenship; sex education; careers education; religious education; work-related learning; and Welsh (Wales only); and can choose to take GCSEs in these subjects. At the same time, your school has to offer you subjects in the arts; design and technology; the humanities; and modern foreign languages, however what they specifically offer will depend on your school.
When you are deciding what subjects to study, think about what subjects you are best at, which you enjoy and which might help you in the future. There may be some subjects, such as psychology or economics, which you haven’t studied before.
All GCSEs will benefit you as employers value them highly, however there are 8 which are vocational and relate directly to employment in particular areas. These are applied art and design; applied business; applied ICT; applied science; applied engineering; health and social care; leisure and tourism; and manufacturing.
Some subjects can be taken in different ways, and you will need to check with your school about what options your school provides. For example, you can undertake GCSE science, which is worth one GSCE; GCSE science plus additional science, which covers all three science subjects and is worth two GCSEs; and three separate GCSE sciences.
Most GCSE courses lead to on GCSE, however some can be worth half and other can be worth two. Some, such as citizenship studies, are also available in ‘short courses’ which are half the size of a GCSE - these are helpful if you want to study a subject but you don’t have time for the whole syllabus, or if you want to obtain a qualification in something you have to study, such as RE.
GCSEs normally take two years to complete and may involve controlled assessments (coursework). Controlled assessments count towards your final grade, and may include projects, fieldwork, experiments, investigations or artwork. You also have to sit exams which will take place in the third term of Year 11.
Your GCSEs will be graded from A*-G with A* being the highest and G the lowest. If you don’t obtain the G pass mark, you will be awarded a U which stands for ‘unclassified’. Different subjects are studied in different ways and some offer a choice of two tiers - foundation and higher. Your teacher will decide which tier you should take and if you take the foundation tier you will be able to obtain grades C-G, while if you take the higher tier you will be able to obtain grades A*-D.
If something happens on the day of your exam, such as illness or a death in the family, you may be able to apply for special consideration after the examiners mark your paper - check with your teacher about what to do if you come across this situation.
Results are published on the third Thursday of August (August 21st 2014) and you can either collect them from school or have them sent to your house. If you and your teachers aren’t happy with your results you can request for your paper to be re-marked or have the marks added up again. You can also request your exam papers so you can seen how they have been marked.
You can do your GCSEs at British boarding schools and independent schools.
IB Diploma
IB Diploma
The International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme is a challenging and well-rounded programme of education for sixth form students. The IB is becoming more popular with 147 independent and state schools now offering the Diploma Programme. See http://www.ibo.org/country/GB/ to find a school offering the programme near you.
The IB is accepted by UK universities and is also an advantage if you want to study overseas.
It has a reputation for being demanding but very rewarding. It offers a broader programme of study than A Levels, and encourages you to think creatively and independently.
There are three compulsory, core ‘elements’ to the IB:
- Theory of Knowledge (TOK) - introduces you to theories about the nature and limitations of knowledge, and provides practice in determining the meaning and validity of knowledge.
- Extended Essay (EE) - an independent research essay of up to 4,000 words.
- Creativity, Action and Service (CAS) - provides you with opportunities for personal growth, self-reflection, and intellectual, physical and creative challenges, through voluntary work, sports or creative activities such as the theatre.
As well as the three compulsory elements, you’ll undertake six subjects, three at standard level and three at higher level, one from each subject group:
- Studies in Language & Literature
- Language Acquisition - a second language
- Individuals and Societies - a humanities and social science, with courses including business, economics, geography, history, philosophy, psychology and anthropology
- Experimental Sciences - including chemistry, biology, and physics
- Maths
- The arts - including dance, music and theatre
Points are awarded from 1 to 7, with 7 being equal to an A*, 6 equal to an A and so on. Up to three additional points are awarded depending on grades achieved in the EE and TOK, so the maximum possible mark is 45. In order to receive the IB Diploma, students must receive a minimum of 24 points. The top UK universities usually make offers to students who achieve between 32 and 40 points.
Exams take place at the end of two years and there are two or three papers for each subject. The IB also uses internal assessments through oral presentations, practical work or written work and these assessments account for 20-50% of the mark awarded for each subject. You must also complete the requirements for the EE, CAS and TOK to be awarded the diploma regardless of the point you receive in your subjects.
A-levels
A-levels
Advanced Levels (A-levels) are undertaken in sixth form, either as part of a school or in college at the age of 16-18.
There are over 45 subjects available. You can study A Levels as part of a Diploma or alongside other qualifications, such as an extended project or NVQs.
A levels are highly valued by universities, colleges and employers, so they will be useful for whatever you are planning to do when you finish your course.
They are modular, with 3 AS modules and 3 A Level modules, but exams take place at the end of the year. You may also have to undertake coursework.
You can obtain a grade between A-E at AS Level and A*-E at A Level.
An A Level is made up of AS (advanced subsidiary) and A2 units. An AS Level is half the size of a full A Level. In Year 12/Lower Sixth you’ll generally take four A Levels and sit AS exams in the third term of the year. You can then either drop the subject and gain the AS Level or continue the subject onto A Level by studying the A2 units. It is common to drop one subject after Year 12.
Results come out in the second Thursday of August (August 14th) ready for clearing and university.
If you and your teachers aren’t happy with your results you can request your papers from the exam body, or check the marking or ask the marking to be added up again. If you are still unhappy and think the awarding body hasn’t followed the correct procedures in marking you can appeal to the awarding body. If this doesn’t work you can take your appeal to Ofqual or the Independent Examinations Appeals Board.
It is possible to re-sit each AS and A2 units the following summer, and if you decide to re-sit a unit, the awarding body will automatically use the highest mark from all your attempts to count towards the final grade.
What A Levels should I take?
Informed choices. Students generally take subjects which shows their forte and then one that they may show off their other skills e.g. sciences mixed with a language. This may be dropped or not at the end of first year. For more information see the Informed Choices website, created by the Russell Group, which offers tips about what subjects to study.
A-levels can be undertaken at an independent school, a boarding school, a private sixth-form college and some pathway study centres.
Pre-U Diploma
Pre-U Diploma
The Pre-U diploma is a recent alternative to the A-level model, seen as a middle ground between A-levels which are too restrictive and the IB Diploma which is too broad. It does, however, offer the same ethos as the IB Diploma, with marks awarded for flair and creativity, and proves to help students build a balanced portfolio of work to arm them with the skills they will need at university.
The Diploma is made up of three principal subjects, with a principal subject equivalent to an A-level. These subjects can be taken alone in their own right, but to qualify for the Diploma, students must also undertake a course on Global Perspectives, which covers globalisation, climate change and geopolitics, and an independent research report - a 5,000-word project that enables students to delve into a subject in greater detail, cross-over between subjects, or study something not usually covered. Principle subjects offered depend on the school or college you are undertaking the Diploma, however they include subjects such as art and design, music, business and management, the sciences, maths and further maths, the humanities, modern foreign languages, economics, psychology, philosophy and English.
The Pre-U Diploma is offered in a select number of colleges and independent schools across the county.
The course takes two years to complete with exams undertaken at the end of the second year. Principal subject grades are equivalent to A-levels, with D3 being equal to an A grade and D2 and D1 higher than this. The full Pre-U Diploma is graded on the aggregate of the three principal subjects, the independent research project and the global perspectives portfolio. The independent research project and the global perspectives portfolio are worth half a principal subject, and in this way, principal subjects are graded out of 24 and the independent research project and the global perspectives portfolio are graded out of 12, giving an overall maximum score of 96.
The Pre-U Diploma can be taken at some independent schools, boarding schools and private sixth-form colleges.
Foundation Programme
Foundation Programme
A foundation year is often taken by international students (non-EU) instead of A-levels. They are offered at a number of colleges, universities and international study centres. Foundation years often employ university style teaching with tutorials and seminar-style classes, as well as group lectures. They are often arranged differently to A-levels and other qualifications with assessment through coursework and exams at the end of each term or module. They often offer fast-track entry to university, taking between 12-18 months to complete through an intensive schedule of classes.
You will generally be offered a ‘pathway’ - a programme that will help you gain the skills needed to advance in your chosen area to university - to choose from such as business and management, engineering, science, or social science.
In most cases you will need to have completed 12 years of schooling (11 in some exceptional cases) and students will usually be 16 years or over. You will also need certain English language qualifications of approximately 5.5 for IELTS, 72 for TOEFL or 46 for PTE.
As well as learning the particulars of your chosen pathway, you will mostly likely have classes on academic English skills, presentation skills, time management skills, exam skills, and referencing and library skills. The course may also offer an enrichment programme which would include extra-curricular activities such as sightseeing, lectures and educational visits.
If your English language is not up to scratch, in most cases you can also opt to have intensive English language preparation as well.
If you studying the foundation programme at a sixth form college, they will help you with your applications to university. When studying with an international study centre you will automatically qualify for an undergraduate programme with the partner university if you obtain their minimum requirements, however if you are looking to apply to a different university they centre will also help you in this as well. The foundation programme can also be used in university applications for countries such as Australia and the US.
The Foundation Programme can be undertaken at Pathway Study Centres and University-run Study Centres.
