Taking Science GCSE online - experiences?

[MerylSqueak]

Hi My daughter may want to repeat a Science GCSE online because the local college only does the three sciences together and she only really needs Biology.

It's a all completely new to me. I don't know what happens about actually physically sitting the exam, about practicals, what companies are recommended. Nothing.

Would anyone be kind enough to give me a quick starter guide?

Hi my daughter did this, it was to support a uni application that needed it. We used A star equivalency as a lot of unis referenced accepting it. It’s a GCSE equivalency rather than a GCSE. They provide lots of content, videos etc and you can sit regular tests and sit online past papers to assess your progress. Think it cost around £500 with the exam fees but google would confirm current pricing. You get the exam results within 20 working days so much better than waiting until August. DD found it hard but managed to get a grade higher than she was expecting.

Hi, I’ve taught home-ed students science GCSEs and they all take the international gcse (iGCSE) run by Edexcel. No practical endorsement needed, it’s all assessed within the papers. You’ll need to find somewhere to sit the exams - a lot of private schools do the iGCSE, so you could try contacting them. Otherwise there’s a company called Tutors and exams that run private exam centres - they charge around 250-300 per gcse.

This website is handy for all the details. As a pp said you'll want to do an iGCSE as this takes out any practical work and it’s all exam based. Decide where you’re going to take the exam as an external candidate and then chose an exam board that they support.
https://he-exams.fandom.com/wiki/HE_Exams_Wiki?fbclid=IwAR3OdnsksNWi3ygz3f2ilZDQVXaCnhb21tw37HrnRm_ufz49M6GyRUBjgMQ

While it is possible to sit GCSE sciences as a private candidate, as pps said, most sit IGCSE sciences.

Having said that, you say repeat. Do you mean resit? If you mean resit, you could look for somewhere who will allow her to carry forward the practical sign off. This will mean she can sit GCSE biology and you don’t need to worry about practicals. Some exams centres accept private candidates for GCSE sciences when they are carrying forward practical but don’t accept private candidates when they aren’t, so carrying forward the practical will open up more exam centres.

Can you give more information about this please? Particularly how you found out which universities accepted it? My DD needs a grade 5 science GCSE in addition to her predicted DDD* BTEC to meet entry requirements at B'ham university, this seems like it could be an option for her.

Thank you for your replies. It would really be starting from scratch as she's been doing A Levels for two years. GCSE Science was a disaster as she was put in a very high achieving top set but was really a C/D borderline candidate (don't ask - we did take it up with the school - total fiasco). She needs it now at a C for her preferred Uni course.

@Itstartedinbarcelona could you please explain about 'equivalency'?. I'm not clear what that means in this context.

For IGCSE, you could look at Southwest Science for the teaching part. (It’s online, you don’t have to be in the SW.) Then you would also need to arrange the exams.

@lifeturnsonadime it is probably best DD/you ask the admission tutors at the University of Birmingham directly.

Very similar situation here. Ds finished a levels, now working for a year whilst taking triple science GCSE at evening class at the local 6th form college. University place for this sept assuming GCSE result is favourable. I think lots of colleges offer this course to adults. Mainly the people taking it are people who want to retrain as a teacher and they need a science GCSE to be, say, an art teacher. Rule is a bit daft but it means these courses exist. Cost was a few hundred but taking just the exam privately would
Have been a similar costs and this meant all the tuition was included.

Thanks for your replies. It sounds like it is doable.