A question about GCSEs

[Cortina]

In the first year of GCSE do your grades count for a % of your final grade, in the same way that A'levels seem to?

It depends on the course, Cortina.

Some of them do GCSE modules in Y10 & those do count, but nothing else does.

You can also do modules in year 9 that count towards the final grade. Quite a few schools do some GCSE modules in year 9. Also you may be doing controlled assessments (the successor to coursework) over the 2 or 3 years of GCSE.

Thanks. So for the most part it is now a one off exam after 2 years of study, like the old O'level?

My DS did his GCSEs last summer & all his exams did come at the end of Y11, Cortina...but they seem to tweak the arrangements all the time...& also some school seem to do some GCSEs early so they're out of the way & the students can do a couple of others on top...

so it's all a bit !!!

oh, but, he did do some coursework during Y10 & Y 11 & that did count towards his final grade. but from what mummytime said coursework (as such) doesn't happen any more?

Controlled assessments are like coursework but done in school so parents can't contribute, presumably, mummytime?

DD is doing an exam on data for maths GCSE in November, which goes towards her final results. She is going into Y10 and will finish GCSEs in Y11.

Also her marks for English Language coursework go towards her final mark.

My DS's GCSEs started in year 9, and will continue in bits and pieces, with controlled assessments (coursework but done in school with supervision, some preparation could be done at home but the exact nature of the topic is not known). So my DS is certainly sitting his English Lit GCSE this year, is doing a module of Maths and I think more Science in November. He will be doing further modules in March. then some in June,and then more during next year. So nothing like old O'level, exams spread out over the two or more years all counting to the final grade.

Some schools do just get the pupils to sit all the exams at once like O'levels, but not many.

What sort of % Cat, and what sort of minimum grade is guaranteed at an early stage? Thnks

Cortina, if the course is modular, then the individual module results do count.

Most subjects have some form of controlled assessment, too, which often contributes something like 20% of the final mark.

You really need to find out from this school what % of marks is awarded during the course, and what % is in the final exam. It will be different for each subject and awarding body, and schools may also administrate some tests in their own way (eg, they may decide to do all the tests in a modular course at the end).