When do your dcs choose their gcse subjects?

[lemon888]

Beginning of yr9 or end of yr9 or yr8?

Pick options in y8 but can change options (time tabling permitting) until Xmas y9.

They pick their options in the middle of year 8 and then start at the school where they do their GCSE's at the beginning of year 9.

We haven't done this yet but March of year 8 start GCSE subjects year 9.

Ds1 starts year 8 next week and has a firm idea of what he wants to drop already (art)

How common is it for schools to take 3 years over GCSEs these days? How will this prepare students for A levels where the work is much harder and takes only two years?