Double science ? weak on physics side

[ultra]

If you sit double science GCSE do the marks from all 3 sections go through? -- what happens if you are weak on the physics side?

All the the subjects count. Your overall mark will be lower if you score lower in one of the subjects.

FallenMadonna is right, they average your marks for the three sciences.
Look on the bright side and think of biology and chemistry as pulling up the physics!

You're right. That is a much better way to think of it

Each science counts for a quarter of your marks and then your best practical (ISA) makes up the final quarter of the marks. I think most schools make you take a practical in each subject & then you use the best one for each GCSE, so your weakest two subjects count for less overall (assuming you are equally weak on the practicals as well as the exam).

Depends on your course really. We do 21st century science, and the coursework element varies in year 10 and year 11, and between Additional and Additional Applied.

I thought all the courses were structured quite similarly TFM? Probably a big assumption on my part though.

Additional is like that in year 11. The year 10 course (Core Science) has two bits of coursework, only one of which is practical. The Additional Applied is 50% coursework, and again that's not all practical. We don't do Physics topics for our coursework for that though, so it would suit OP

Oh OK, that's interesting. I stand corrected

But therefore in your case if physics is excluded from the coursework element of additional science, then the overall physics component of it is only about 16% - so much less than a third! But it does assume the OPs school doesn't do Physics coursework/practical topics or gives a choice.

I ment additional applied in the last post I think! Do many people do that?

Well indeed. She could be unlucky and they only do physics...

Unlikely though IME. Grrr (physics teacher)

Not so many now BTEC is taking over with the lower achievers

There isn't really such a thing as Double Science anymore. It is Core Science in Year 10 and Additional Science in Year 11.

Each awarding body is slightly different.

If you are using Edexcel 360, the Year 10 course is split into 10 different modules. For each of Biology, Chemistry and Physics, there are 2 external examinations and 1 internal exam (the internal exam is the best mark from up to four tests). In addition, there is a practical skills test that can be taken from anywhere on the course. This means that each individual branch contributes a minimum of 30% of the total marks available.

The student can resit individual modules of the Year 10 work in Year 11, so perhaps some targeted revision can help pull up the Physics mark?

The other option is to do Separate Sciences - three GCSEs - if Biology and Chemistry are strong and you can guarantee an A* or A. If not, it is better just to concentrate on Core and Additional.