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Original poster

Number of GCSEs

30 replies

shamoola · 10/02/2022 07:35

My son is choosing his options and he seems to have to take so many - I'm not sure it's normal. He goes to a inner city comp which is not particularly academic but he has to do:
Maths, English X2, RS then he is likely to do triple science. He then has to chose 4 options and he has picked Mandarin, DT, Geography and Computer Science.

It seems like a good range - but ends up being 11 GCSEs. Is that not too many? I'm not sure we can do anything about it but it may mean he swaps his computer science for a Btec.
What do you think?

OP posts:
piisnot3 · 10/02/2022 09:48

Only 2.1% of kids do 11 or more subjects.
The most common number is 9 (mode)
On average, students take 7.85 (mean)
Some universities consider the best 8.

Taking 11 is likely to be counterproductive and result in lower grades unless the kid is very bright. Most kids are better served by focusing efforts on at most 9 subjects (and taking any more than that should be a voluntary decision by committed students)

statistics here:
www.gov.uk/government/publications/infographic-gcse-results-2021/infographics-for-gcses-2021-accesible

Hersetta427 · 10/02/2022 09:37

DD is doing 10 (most do 9 if taking combined science). Not a religious school so no compulsory RE (although she did choose it as one ofher options).

Sunshine2007 · 10/02/2022 09:22

Our school does 9, a handful do 10 if they do for instance additional maths or Mandarin. which are off timetable. I believe there is little or no benefit to doing 11 other than not keeping more options open for A level. Am I right in saying unis look at your top 8 grades?

Original poster
shamoola · 10/02/2022 07:52

RE is the full GCSE. I think the school says if they are studying it they might as well get a GCSE.

If you do double science I think you just do one less rather than having to pick something else. But I don't think they choose whether they do double or triple science, they are selected and that doesn't happen until later in year 10 I think.

OP posts:
TeenPlusCat · 10/02/2022 07:46

Is RE a short course or full course? Often 'compulsory RE' is only a half a GCSE and they 'have' to do something on this topic anyway as it's in the national curriculum.

If he chose just to do combined science not triple would he have to do something else or would he jut be one GCSE fewer?

At her 'leafy' comp, my not academic DD should have done 9 (she did RE full course s an option). Most did 9.5, and those doing triple science did 10 or 10.5.