Is 12 GCSEs in one sitting madness?

[montenana]

DD is setting herself to be sitting 12 GCSEs plus a higher level Maths qualification all to be sat in one sitting.

I don't think the school have quite realised...
DD is "up for it" and laughs when i say it's going to be too much. She is bright and hard working and certainly is taking it all in her stride at the moment.

Those of you who have been there - should I put a stop to it before she starts?

I sat 12 in one go (within the last 7 years) and it was do-able. I had no other option as my school only sat GCSEs in year 11. I put in a lottttt of work but came out with really good grades if your DC are willing to put the work in then they should be fine but it really did need a lot of motivation - I was revising 6-8 hours a day.

Agree Viva. The new exams are not comparable to the old ones so even last year's experience isn't an especially valuable comparison.

Although yeah, mine were old spec

My DD did 11 in one sitting, she did maths a year early, alongside the 11 she did AS level maths, she also had a Saturday job. The most stressful was drama. She did it as a "fun" thing alongside the maths and science things but it was more stressful than the other 10 put together. I suppose my point is they are all different and it is so hard to predict but if the worst comes to the worst can't she drop something?

I am not sure of the detail but we have been told that by the time Ds1 sits his GCSEs (he is currently in Year 8) the universities will only actually see the top 8 marks. The application forms will not show any other grades.

If this is correct then there would be no point whatsoever in spreading yourself thinly and doing 12. We have been told that 10 is a sensible number just in case something goes wrong in a couple of exams.

I am qualifying this since I have been told this by a friend who attended the parents evening for her child at the beginning of Year 9 and then passed on this information. I wasn't actually there to hear it first hand. This is at an academically selective independent which is generally very on the ball.

All those coming on and saying "well I did x and I was fine" are not really contributing to be honest since anyone old enough to be hanging around on here did GCSEs in a completely different time. The system has changed beyond recognition.

grannytomine I don't think your daughter is typical. She is clearly very bright, not all children are like her.

"All those coming on and saying "well I did x and I was fine" are not really contributing to be honest since anyone old enough to be hanging around on here did GCSEs in a completely different time. The system has changed beyond recognition."

This ^^ with bells on.

I did O levels (yes I am that old). The most subjects you could take at my school was 8. There simply wasn't room on the timetable to take more subjects.

DS is yr 11 and is doing 9 GCSEs which I'm more than happy with. School have changed their focus from getting lots of GCSEs to getting a smaller number of good quality ones. He did French in year 9, which was something of a waste of time, as he only got a D. The only good thing about it is that it freed up the timetable for him to do computer science which he is excellent at and plans to do at A level.

DD is year 10 and there are no early sittings. She will be doing 9 GCSEs. That was all I did in 1991 and I don't know many that did more than that.

Both my kids do music lessons, two bands after school, DofE, peer supporter/prefect and work on Saturday mornings. I think they've got enough on their plate.