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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

gcse results for university

93 replies

morpurgoo · 03/08/2019 16:24

To ask what a strong set of GCSE results would be to get into a Russell Group university? Obviously a string of 9s would be great but would a mix of 7s, 8s and a couple of 9s be sufficient? DD is going into Y11 and wondering and things have changed since my day in University

OP posts:

Spanners1980 · 04/08/2019 15:14

It very much depends on what they want to study (I support students with UCAS as a tutor, but previously at school as a teacher). Students who want to apply through the Oxbridge program, or who want to study medicine or veterinary medicine will have their GCSEs looked at as part of the application process.

For other subjects, it's more a case of getting the grades to get into college. There used to be 'facilitating subjects', but this has changed from this year. Russell Group runs a website giving advice on subjects: www.informedchoices.ac.uk/

Universities can see the GCSE grades & if they resat anything & when courses are popular, they may be used but that's not always the case.

Long story short - GCSE grades are important.

JacksonCage · 04/08/2019 18:30

Some universities stipulate a certain GCSE grade for a particular course - Lancaster, for example, require maths at a certain grade for science degrees. Whilst not Russell Group, it is top 10.

As a PP said, Oxbridge, medicine, vet science and dentistry courses will look at GCSEs.

It'll be a case of doing research on individual entry requirements. Generally 7s, 8s and a couple of 9s will be considered strong for the vast majority of courses.

EvilTwins · 04/08/2019 23:35

Generally 7s, 8s and a couple of 9s will be considered strong for the vast majority of courses.

Can we bear in mind please that 7s were As, 8s were A*s and 9s are even higher. The vast majority of course are not going to expect that. A full set of 7s, 8s & 9s is going to be well out of the reach of the vast majority of GCSE students.

ErrolTheDragon · 05/08/2019 00:21

Yes - in letter grades, apart from maybe for medicine, a mix of A*/A/B grades at gcse were fine anywhere so long as the A levels were right.

Spanners1980 · 05/08/2019 01:20

You're absolutely right that straight 7+ grades are for top students, but OP asked specifically about Russell Group university applications and as a rule, if you don't have a 7 in the subject at GCSE, the chances of an A* - B at A Level in the same subject is slim.
Yes, the new GCSEs are harder, but so are the A Levels. An example being Computer Science where I'm teaching AS students concepts that I didn't touch until university.
This (in part) accounts for the dramatic rise in private tuition. Russell Group isn't the be all & end all, but if that's the goal then there's no point in beating around the bush.

Lolyora17 · 05/08/2019 03:00

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

SirTobyBelch · 05/08/2019 07:02

Most universities will have minimum GCSE requirements (e.g. a certain grade in English language and maths). Some courses and some institutions will have more rigourous requirements. Some will use GCSE grades in selection. The course that I'm admissions tutors for requires a certain number of GCSEs at grade 7 or higher and minimum of grade 6 in certain specific subjects. It really depends on what subject your son/daughter wants to study, and where.

Ozziewozzie · 05/08/2019 07:15

Actually the GCSE’s are really important.
Firstly, depending on what subject your daughter chooses at A level, her college or sixth form may not allow her for example to do A level Biology if your daughters GCSE grade is a 4-5
Secondly, if you daughter ends up retaking any GCSE’s ( even to improve from 7-9 let’s say in maths), once finished st uni, she may get turned down for jobs. This has just happened to my daughters best friend. Employers are looking at a whole array of diff things now. More and more people going to uni. Competition really high.
Rather than trying to get 9 in every subject, take the pressure off. Encourage her to focus on the key subjects and her best subjects.
For example, my boys had no interest in re. So I encouraged them to not focus as much in that subject and to save that effort for their sciences and maths etc.
The Russel Group unis love extra curricular stuff too. Good luck

NoTheresa · 05/08/2019 10:24

Universities use A Levels - not GCSEs - for selection purposes.

titchy · 05/08/2019 10:41

The Russel Group unis love extra curricular stuff too. Good luck

THEY ABSOLUTELY DO NOT - PLEASE IGNORE THIS.

titchy · 05/08/2019 10:42

The Russel Group unis love extra curricular stuff too. Good luck

THEY ABSOLUTELY DO NOT - PLEASE IGNORE THIS.

ErrolTheDragon · 05/08/2019 12:59

She didn't ask about the grade in the specific subject though - she asked 'Obviously a string of 9s would be great but would a mix of 7s, 8s and a couple of 9s be sufficient?'

And the answer to that is, almost always, 'more than sufficient' because while they may indeed need good grades in the relevant subjects, the overall mix can include lower grades in the 'irrelevant' ones.

The Russel Group unis love extra curricular stuff too
Do many of them even read every PS?

Comefromaway · 05/08/2019 13:11

With a very few exception (Durham being one) universities are looking primarily for things that show interest in the subject you want to study (supra curricular). They really are not interested in any extra curricular stuff unless it is directly related to your area of study.

theunrivalledjoysofparenting · 05/08/2019 13:21

If you do badly in a GCSE you won’t be allowed to do an A level in the subject. At dd’s school you need a 6 at GCSE to do the A level.

Bluntness100 · 05/08/2019 13:29

Has this happened op? Someone failed their GCSEs and did well at a level? I'm assuming mitigating circumstances?

Most schools or colleges you need a certain level of attainment to proceed to a level. Again unless their is mitigating circumstances?

Unis do base it on predicted grades, and also achievement in a level, but gcse is used as a key indicator of ability.

Again it would be very unusual for someone to fail GCSEs and perform well enough at a level to gain the predicted grades and actual grades required for entry to a Russel group uni. Unless as said there are mitigating circumstances?

Comefromaway · 05/08/2019 14:12

If you do badly in a GCSE you won’t be allowed to do an A level in the subject. At dd’s school you need a 6 at GCSE to do the A level.

That isn't what the Op is asking though is it.

A child might get Grade 9 in maths, 7/8 in the sciences and 5/6's in English & History but have the potential to do very well at science subjects at A level.

NoTheresa · 05/08/2019 16:18

It’s A level. Upper case A.

probstimeforanewname · 05/08/2019 16:47

It's also unlikely they could do extremely well at A Level if they weren't capable at GCSE level

I see this trotted out on MN so often and it's not true. You do 8-10 subjects at GCSE, you only do 3 A levels. It's very possible to do averagely well at GCSE and very well at A levels when you can concentrate on 3 subjects you are good at, rather than having to do a wide spread (hence why I think the IB is a better guide of true ability as it has far more breath). But anyway, if you do badly at Maths/science GCSEs it has no bearing on your ability to eg get an A grade in A level English literature and to get a 2.1 in a degree in English.

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