GCSE choices, A levels, Uni - when, which etc? help needed for my friend

[Blondeinlondon]

My friend has a 15 year old son
He is choosing his GSCEs now and is going to stay on at his school 6th form. She expects him to go on to Uni.

It's all changed since I was at school so can you help me with some basic info?
I know she should speak to the school but she thinks her English isn't good enough

How many GSCEs do they do now? usually?
When does he have to choose the AS/A levels? How does the whole AS levels thing work?
When does Uni application have to be done?

TIA

[Smurfgirl]

They usually do 9 GCSEs. Usually these include science, maths, english, a technology subject and sometimes a language.

You choose your A'Levels in the spring before you start sixth form.

AS Levels are half an A'Level. You take 4 AS subjects in Y12 (lower 6th), and then carry 3 of these subjects onto A'Level in Y13 (upper sixth). So at the end of the two years most people come away with 3 A'Levels and 1 AS.

You usually apply to uni in the autumn term of Y13.

[JanH]

They normally choose their GCSE options at Easter in Y3 (aged 13-14).

Many schools do 10 subjects, and Catholic schools 11 because RE is compulsory. Science can be anything from 1 to 3 subjects (single combined award, double combined award, separate sciences), English is 2, Maths is 1, Tech is 1; a language was compulsory but isn't any more I don't think; they usually end up with 3 free choices.

At our 6th form they do 5 subjects at AS (including General Studies) and drop 1 for A2. The 6th form has open evening in the autumn of their Y11 (old 5th form) and they apply fairly soon after that.

UCAS application deadline is January of Y13 (and is based on their AS level results now rather than GCSE although those count too of course), unless they go for Oxbridge/med school in which case it's October.

[JanH]

For Y3 read Y9, lol!

[scienceteacher]

My DS is in year 9 and making his option choices shortly.

He will be doing RS and French GCSE in Year 10, and English, English Language, Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, History, Geography in Year 11 - so 10 altogether.

The school sent home a form with several boxes of subjects, and we have to choose one from each box. DS pretty much made the decision - the only one he was unsure about was whether to do a technology subject instead of geography.

As for A-levels, it way to early to tell.

[Hulababy]

Also, most schools and colleges will expect him to achieve 5 or 6 GCSEs at grade C or above to do his A levels/get into sixth form. Then they do 4 or 5 AS levels, and then specialise th e next year with 3 A2s.

Uni application is done through UCAS in the first term of the upper sixth, or Y13. many students spend the summer term of Y12 visiting potential univeristies.

[mumeeee]

My 16 year old did 11 Gcse's when she did hers ( she did maths a year early). My 16 year old is doing 10 ( actully nine but hshe is doing double science which is worth 2 GSCE's this year, she has just chosen her A level choices for school, she is haning th form in tomorow. although she is also applying to college as she wants to do drama and one of the colleges has a very good drama department.. My 14 year old will be choosing her options after half term I think she has untill the end of March to to this.She is in year nine. My 18 year old wanted to be a vet and the deadline for that was the end of November year 13 other couses were the end of January. She didn't get on to any vet coursed and is now doing zoology at Cardif University and really enjoying it.

[mumeeee]

I meant my 18( not 16) year old did her maths a year early.