GCSE Resits

[calvi]

I know this must be on another thread but can't see it. DS currently sitting GCSEs. Did Maths early, got an A but decided to resit to go for an A* and was allowed to do so. Now been told that if he resits his GCSEs for instance any that he gets a B or C in and wants to better the grade this will not help with a University place as they know which are resits.

So, has he blown it by resitting Maths already and if he gets anything below an A with his GCSEs is that really his only shot at them?

What usually happens is that GCSEs are "cashed in" at the end of year 11 and a final grade achieved for each subject, whether anything had been resat or not. If exams are resat after this point then it would be listed as a separate exam an university applications. It isn't usual to resit things in the sixth form unless its to get above a C for English or Maths.

So there isn't any problem with the maths GCSE but there isn't usually an opportunity to improve on GCSEs after taking them in year 11.

I agree wtih webwiz. It is fine to do resits of individual modules before the qualification is cashed in. The system is set up like this, so students should feel free to take advantage. A lot of schools will do early modules instead of internally set mocks, with the full intention of doing the whole lot in the summer.

It is important to be fairly strategic with resits, which means knowing what is important for his chosen course at uni.

As a rule of thumb, Russell Group universities will not look at a UCAS application unless there are 6 or 7 A* at GCSE.

If the GCSE grades are not particularly important, then resitting for the sake of it will detract from A-level efforts. I would only recommend resitting in Y12 in English, Maths and Science in order to get a C.

I suppose he will lose the cachet of sitting it early and getting an A. Personally I think he has done very well already and wouldn't have thought there was much point resitting unless he was going to progress to A Level maths or physics.

Regarding the comment on Russell Group unis not even looking at an application unless there ar 6 or 7 A at GCSE, I would be interested in seeing the statistics behind this statement. My son and his friends have all received multiple offers from Russell Group unis this year and only a few have this number of As, most have a few A*s, majority As and some Bs.

I don't know if things have changed but when DD1 went to universityto do zoology all they asked is that she had physics ans chemisrtry GCSE, They didn't look at any other GCSE's. She went to Cardiff which is considered a good university.
Getting an A in Mathxs is very good and I agree with another poster that it is a bit pointless to retake it.

Lady Lapsang - I was relived to read your comments re the number of A required for Russell Group Universities. My DS will be applying in the Autumn and he is definitely hoping for a RG uni but has less than 7 A

Mme TrueBlueberry - I did wonder if perhaps you had found this was the case for students at private/selective schools?

It was either Oxford or Cambridge (can't remember which) who said that the average applicant had 6 As and the average person accepted had 8 As.

Presumably it approximately goes down from there as you go down the league table, depending on the subject.

Oxbridge is something else and always has been.

Obviously a big difference on offers based on what subject your child wants to study and where, which does not always correlate with the league tables, e.g. DS got second lowest offer from the top uni on his list.

The issue of A* at A Level will impact more widely soon & I'm sure that will become more of a deciding factor.

An admissions tutor from Birmingham did a UCAS presentation at my son's school last year and he gave the 7A requirement - so straight from the horse's mouth, as it were. He said they wouldn't even look* at applications with less. That is something that I have heard elsewhere as well.

They simply get so many candidates with compelling personal statements and references, and superlative predicted grades, that they have to quickly pare down applications.

I doubt that it has anything to do with indpendent schools. My son has 8A* and has been accepted at a top London University with a ABB conditional offer, even lower than they published for the course (AAA-AAB).

MmeBlue - it must be course specific because a know a good few friends of DS1 accepted into the likes of manchester/nottingham without an A* between them. I can only remember 2 of the courses which were politics and international relations and history of art.

MmeBlue - DD1 had an offer from Birmingham for Biology last year with only 4 - her offer was BBB which was their 'lower' offer. Birmingham does have a minimum number of A for medicine but certainly not for other subjects.

This year, they are claiming 7.

My DS has an offer from Birmingham (not medicine), he has 4 A*

my son got offer from Kings college, Leeds and Sheffield University to study Maths with only one A* in maths and most A and B with and couple of C. We heard this myth from his school and other sources but didn't stop him to get the offer.He firmed Kings college and finger cross he will get the grade this summer.All I can say is please don't stop your children from applying to RG universities but put a couple of other universities in case.

OP getting early A in Maths is very good to write in his personal statment, if his taking A- level maths that shows his ability in the subject. good luck

DS2 got an offer from Sheffield and didn't have any As let alone A* for his GCSEs.
On the other hand, DS1 did a course at Nottingham for which 6 A to 8 at GCSE are generally required.
Not all courses at RG universities require the highest levels of marks, but some do: English/History/Economics/Law/Medicine etc