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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

100% Coursework GCSES

34 replies

ThingsFallApartLive · 21/05/2019 17:36

Does anyone know which GCSEs if any are 100% coursework? It's actually iGCSEs my child will be doing so I think some of these are different to regular GCSEs. As far as I know, some of them still have coursework components eg. English lit.

Does anyone know if there are any that are fully coursework or almost all coursework (apart from art). It would be nice to be able to cut down on numbers of exams taken at end of year 11, provided of course that my child is interested and competent at that subject.

OP posts:
TeenTimesTwo · 21/05/2019 19:19

GCSEs have less coursework / CAs than previously.

However DD is doing 2 that have some / assessed pieces:

  1. Food technology & Nutrition
  2. Drama

Could BTECs be an option?

ThingsFallApartLive · 21/05/2019 19:29

I am fairly certain my youngest's school doesn't offer BTEC.

My eldest is currently doing GCSE's & has done one btec but that's a different school.
Also did Art so that's 2 subjects which don't require big exams with loads of swotting at the end.

My youngest is taking food nutrition at year 9 more to get more cooking and life skills than anything else but am hoping he'll start to enjoy it too. Maybe that could end up being a way to cut down on exam stress.

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TheFirstOHN · 21/05/2019 19:31

It depends on which exam board. Once you know the exam board (e.g. CIE, Edexcel) you can look on their website to find the specification for each of the subjects being offered.

In the specification (usually near the beginning of the document), it will show exactly how the subject is assessed, what percentage (if any) is coursework and how many exams there are.

Before choosing options, it's a good idea for pupils to look at the overview at the beginning of each specification anyway, to give them an idea of what they'll be studying.

GreenTulips · 21/05/2019 19:32

Hang on o have a list

GreenTulips · 21/05/2019 19:34

I’ll message you the link

TeenTimesTwo · 21/05/2019 19:37

When it comes to choosing options, your school should give you full information on all the choices.
Ours published a booklet which, for each subject, had the exam board and how it was assessed (number exams, % for each exam, other assessments etc).
Broadly speaking these days, more practical subjects are more likely to have bits that are done prior to the final exams, but even practical subjects have exams.
It might be that not having a full timetable could be the way to go if the school permits it for a less able pupil.

Unescorted · 21/05/2019 19:41

Art does have an exam - just not a written exam.

ThingsFallApartLive · 21/05/2019 20:05

The link Tulips sent is helpful and gives a rough gauge to each one.

My eldest is in the middle of his GCSEs right now and has focused most of his revision on the core subjects doing art and a btech has freed him up a bit. Also I think with languages, as long as you work consistently there shouldn't be as much to go over and over in the last few months, whereas the humanities do require it, unless you have a great memory for dates, etc. The youngest is going into year 9 next year, so am being a bit previous really.

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Beach11 · 21/05/2019 20:07

BTEC courses now have exam also

ThingsFallApartLive · 21/05/2019 20:22

Yes my eldest did an exam in btech and in art but neither are 100% like all the other subjects, so defo takes the strain off when it comes to the last few months. Mind you he's getting a shite mark in art (he'd got fantastic marks in art prior to year 10) but a really good one in the btech, so perhaps he would have been better doing a subject that was a 100% dependent on the exam.

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123rd · 21/05/2019 20:56

My DD is yr10 & doing food tech & prep. It was the least worst option in one particular block. (Iyswim...) She absolutely loves it now. And is excelling in it.

Michaelahpurple · 22/05/2019 14:00

Have never heard of 100% coursework GCSEs. Would be astonished if there were any

DS1s does mostly IGCSEs and they generally offer the opportunity to swap one paper for coursework, but still leaves generally at least 2 papers. The UK independent schools don't in my experience take up the optional course work options - the move to IGCSEs in this sector was mostly to avoid the coursework and modularity of the old GCSEs

RomanyQueen1 · 22/05/2019 14:31

I think some of the practical ones have a bit less writing, but not sure if any are 100% coursework.
There's a lot of coursework in Photography, Art, food tech.

MsRabbitRocks · 22/05/2019 16:52

There aren’t any, sorry.

Pythonesque · 22/05/2019 19:30

My daughter had her language oral exam at the end of last term, and the listening/reading paper was a week before the rest of their exams started, leaving just one paper in with the general run of exams.

She's also doing music, which had, for the board she's doing, two compositions and two performances done well in advance, just one written paper.

clary · 22/05/2019 23:13

pythonesque what language is that? AFAIK French is the earliest but that was last week.

Zoflorabore · 23/05/2019 04:58

Ds is doing his GCSE's right now and the ones that were "finished" before the actual sit down ones were art and photography.

There was a lot of coursework for both and a 10 hour exam for art taken over several days with photography being similar though I'm not sure the exact hours for that one.

Ds is intending to do both of these at A level and has been graded already in his coursework and got a 6 for art and a 9 for photography.

Teachers have sent off their exam papers to the boards for official examination but the dc are aware of their rough grades.

As far as I know there is no 100% coursework subject.

Zoflorabore · 23/05/2019 05:02

Forgot to add that drama is also done but it was 40% coursework which involved a devising log and performances in 2 see pieces. The other 60% was an exam which is also done and another A level choice but ds thinks he's messed up badly.
He got a grade 8 in the coursework but had a disaster of a written exam so said he will be lucky to even pass :(

fairweathercyclist · 23/05/2019 07:37

My English literature was 100% coursework but that was back in 1988! I don't think they are offered now as there was a move towards controlled assessment with the new GCSE.

DS didn't have a coursework element in any of his subjects. However, this is all to do with GCSE, not IGCSE which I am not familiar with.

ThingsFallApartLive · 23/05/2019 13:13

I asked the question originally because my eldest said one of his mates has got 100% in computer science, so I assumed it just have been all coursework if the child already knew his mark, Anyway, since then I have discovered it was DT which I think is 75% coursework, which is a good amount of coursework. However, I know my younger child has found DT super boring last year , so probably won't be the way to go.

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ThingsFallApartLive · 23/05/2019 13:15

Fair weather I took my eng lit in 1988. We were the first year. I defo took an exam in it. I can't remember if I did coursework too. I remember doing coursework for maths but could have that wrong.

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clary · 23/05/2019 13:28

Dt is just one exam (tomorrow) but not sure of the percentage. More than 25%tho surely? V little was the actual practical in the end.

Exams in everything, even drama and yy art tho that was done before Easter.

KittyVonCatsington · 23/05/2019 13:58

100% in computer science, so I assumed it just have been all coursework

He can't have done sorry. Computer Science is assessed in two written exams and those were on Monday and Thursday of last week. Results in August as usual.

He may be thinking of a Btech or Cambridge National in imedia or similar but they are not GCSEs.

KittyVonCatsington · 23/05/2019 13:59

Anyway, since then I have discovered it was DT

Sorry - I just re-read this. That will teach me to not rush reading!

KittyVonCatsington · 23/05/2019 14:02

which I think is 75% coursework

It is 50% coursework.

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