Does it matter if you don't do GCSEs all at one go?

[Caoimhe]

Friend's Ds is at a high achieving, massively oversubscribed Comp. It now transpires that they do their GCSEs over three years, I.e. some in Y9, some in Y10 and some in Y11. She is concerned as she has heard that universities prefer students who have done their exams in one go as it shows ability to cope with a large workload. Is this true? Will her child be disadvantaged by the school policy?

Apparently Eton do some in year 10 and some in year 11. Doesn't seem to do them any harm!

I think that the idea is that it frees bright children up to deal with their A level subjects in greater depth.

I think that what universities do dislike is people having lots of attempts at individual A level modules until they achieve the "right" mark

To my knowledge the vast majority of schools (private and state) spread them.
Why would uni's want them all done at once?
If a kid is bilingual they do that MFL in yr 7 and then take others
if they are v bright they do Maths early and then do Further Maths.
I think the Unis are rather more concerned about multiple module retakes at A level.

I agree, I think it is more A levels & repeats than GCSEs. Certainly no harm in doing some early if you can

A lot of schools do GCSE's over 2 or 3 years now, Universities don't mind igf GCSE's are not taken all at once.

If a pupil is ready to take the GCSE then surely it makes more sense to do it than spend another year going over and over the same ground.

They can then use their time to work beyond GCSE level, or perhaps do another subject.

Thanks everyone for your helpful explanations! Can you tell that my Ds is only in Y7? So many things have changed since my day!!!!

Giddypickle, how would a university know it was a resit?

Sue
I'm pretty sure they have access to ALL of the exam board results....

My son's school puts boys in for GCSE Maths and MFL at the end of year 10 if, and only if, they are pretty much certainties to get an A*. They do their first science modules then too. Otherwise they do them all in year 11.

I can't see much point in taking GCSEs at the end of year 9 if you don't get as high a mark as you would have got with another year or two of study. Or do you just keep re-taking? How very tedious.