Question about applying for oxbridge and early entry to school exams

[Palavallama]

I’ve read that when applying for Oxbridge it is preferred that all exams are taken at the same sitting is this true? We are abroad albeit from the U.K. and they stagger taking their igcse/a levels here and don’t want it to hamper any plans for uni applications.

Correct, exams need to be taken in one sitting.

Schools here in England often have kids take 1 GCSE early in Y10, which is good to learn how it works, sort access arrangements and to reduce burden in Y11, but normally for university they want to see GCSEs and A levels done in one block of exams each.

It's about how they score and manage with that level of content. Far easier to get good grades if you're only doing 1 a year.

They take the eight best results from exams sat at the same time - even Oxbridge. So long as you are taking eight or more in the same exam sitting period you’ll be fine.

The above info is incorrect. My children took their GCSEs over several sittings — they are home educated and it’s much easier to manage the logistics that way. They did them over two or three years, never more than four at a time. They are currently finalists at Cambridge and Oxford respectively, so it didn’t do them any harm.

Staggering A-levels may be more of a problem. My DC went to school for those so did them in the usual way. (However, DS did Maths A level after a year and would have done the remaining three A levels after two years if it hadn’t been for Covid. I remember some MNers saying that taking it early would disadvantage him but it didn’t.)

Taking maths early can disadvantage if they then stop formal learning in maths. Taking maths Alevel early doesn't matter if they are then taking further maths Alevel the following year - and this is only really if they're looking to do maths at university. It's because universities, particularly Cambridge maths, are worried about skills being lost. They don't support gap years for the same reason.

This position is public from Cambridge for maths: https://www.maths.cam.ac.uk/undergrad/admissions/faq

I don't think anyone really cares about staggering GCSEs unless it's extreme.

Dd took maths early but also a full complement in year 11. More emphasis is place on Alevel/IB /PreU etc.

Agree for Home Ed staggering GCSEs is fine as a lot of universities don't care that much about them.

I know of kids at Oxford who only have 5 or 6 in total as well.

But for A levels, they do want a block, and you can't do them too early. So if you happen to be very ahead and have been doing GCSEs since you were 12 at a few every year, you can't do one A level at 15, one at 16, one at 17 and then use them for an 18+ entry. Iirc they have to be within 2 years of application.

DD did her Maths A level in a year got an A*. She is now in her second year of A levels and is continuing doing the history and physics she started last year and doing Classics in a year. She had been going to do Further maths in the second year to do Maths at Uni but decided to do History at Uni instead, hence the change. She now has an offer to do History at Oxford AAA but it must be in the 3 subjects she is doing this current academic year, so doesn't include the maths.

Thank you all this is so very helpful. It won’t be extreme ie one a year or anything like that.

it’s more that they stagger a few subjects to allow doing more in the next year so I think they do Latin early, they do maths in one year to allow them to do ‘additional/further maths’ (?) igcse in year 11 and a levels are all sat at the same time.

It’s a small school so I can change things about if I really want to but I like the way they do it but wanted to check I wasn’t disadvantaging dd in any way as they’re more into US. University than uk so I’m not going to get much help from them on applications.

Sorry, to be clear, I meant the school is more into USA applications…

I think a couple of exams taken early does no harm at all. That’s pretty common at UK schools too.

@WetWednes I was told that by Cambridge admissions staff at a recent event. Perhaps they have different policies if HE (which would make sense).

They also said that taking 11 / 12 / 13 GCSEs isn’t going to make your application any stronger than someone with only 8 or 9. Higher numbers are only relevant where the young person shows a genuine interest in the subjects and haven’t just taken them to try and make themselves look more impressive.

It’s the A-levels that matter most. They like them all done at the same time, resits aren’t favourable unless there were extenuating circumstances when they were sat first time round, and yes, no gap year if you want to take maths or a heavy maths based course.

No they don't. Oxford for example will look at gcses in the context of the setting where they are sat. If the norm is 11 x 9/8 and you take 9 at that setting you get a negative score for gcses. They mark between -3 to +3.

@Spirallingdownwards This was at a Cambridge outreach type event. I doubt many people there would actually be taking more than nine GCSEs because that’s all that’s offered by their school. It was definitely reassuring to hear and was being pitched at the audience that was there, not top academic independent schools. It definitely was giving the message that you won’t be disadvantaged by “only” taking nine.

What you’re saying makes perfect sense though. Someone with nine 9s at a school where nine 6s is the average has excelled.

My example was for Oxford - which I stated. Cambridge have always relied less on gcses because they interview far more applicants and thin down at that stage.

Oxford score gcses/A levels/ personal statements and take aptitude test scores into account and thin down pre interview by doing that.

Yes if they qualify for outreach that will also be taken into consideration when deciding when to interview and to offer.

Universities like to see three A levels sat/completed in the same exam session. It demonstrates ability to handle the workload of a full-time degree. They're not nearly as interested in EPQs or fourth A levels as most people seem to think.
They are not keen on gaps in study for certain subjects, particularly maths, so would strongly prefer evidence of recent/continuous study in maths if the degree has a heavy maths content (to ensure no rustiness). A handful of universities, e.g. Edinburgh, have a rule that A level maths taken more than 2 years before the proposed commencement of the degree won't count towards degree entry requirements.
Most degrees require GCSE maths and English to grade 5 or occasionally grade 6, or equivalent. Some unis state they want to see evidence of a broad/balanced education and may look for 7 or 8 GCSEs, but these are generally for the more prestigious institutions/courses. There is also no requirement that GCSEs are taken at the same time - they're much less fussy about when GCSEs are taken.
Universities care far more about A levels or equivalent than about GCSE.
About 10% of students take 10+ GCSEs so 90% take 9 or fewer. Several unis state that where they look at GCSEs, they'll take the best 8, the intention being to level the playing field for candidates coming from schools which only allow for 8. Oxford do look at the number of GCSEs taken but that's the exception not the rule.