General Certificate of Secondary Education

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The General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) is the name of a set of British qualifications, taken by secondary school students at age of 14-16 in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland (in Scotland, the equivalent is the Standard Grade). It is usually taken between these ages although some students may have the opportunity to take one or more GCSEs early. The education systems of other British territories, such as Gibraltar and ex-British (influenced) territory South Africa, also use the qualifications as supplied by the same examination boards. The International "version" of GCSE is IGCSE, which can be applied to the whole world and which includes some more options, such as coursework options, language options, etc. When GCSEs are taken in secondary school, they can often be combined with other certifications such as a GNVQ.

GCSEs are often a requirement for taking A-levels, a common type of university entrance requirement.

Contents

[edit] Structure

GCSE courses are taken in a variety of subjects, which are usually decided by the students themselves in Year 9 (age 13-14). Study of chosen subjects begins at the start of Year 10 (age 14-15), and final examinations are then taken at the end of Year 11 (age 15-16).

GCSEs are not compulsory, but they are by far the most common qualification taken by 14-16-year-old students. The only legal requirement is that English, Mathematics, Science, Religious Education and Physical Education are studied during Key Stage 4 (the GCSE years of school); in England, some form of ICT and Citizenship must also be studied and, in Wales, Welsh must also be studied. These subjects do not have to be taught for any examination (or even be discrete lessons), though it is normal for at least English, Mathematics and Science to be studied to GCSE level.

For the reasons above, virtually all candidates take GCSEs in English, Mathematics and Science. In addition, many schools also require that students take English Literature, at least one Modern Foreign Language, at least one Design and Technology subject, Religious Education, (often a short, or 'half', course) and ICT (though increasingly this is the DiDA, rather than the GCSE). Students can then fill the remainder of their timetable (normally totalling nine different subjects) with their own choice of subjects (see list below). Short Course GCSEs (worth half a regular GCSE) or other qualifications, such as BTECs, can also be taken.

At the end of the two-year GCSE course, each student receives a grade for each subject. The pass grades, from best to worst, are:

  • A* (pronounced 'A-star')
  • A
  • B
  • C
  • D
  • E
  • F
  • G

Those who fail a course are given a U (unclassified) and the subject is not included on their certificates. Receiving five or more A*-C grades is often a requirement for taking A-levels in the school sixth form, at a sixth form college or at a further education college after leaving secondary school. Most universities typically require a C or better in English and Mathematics, regardless of a student's performance in their A-level or Foundation Degree course after leaving school. Many students who fail to get a C in English and Mathematics (and, increasingly, ICT) will retake their GCSEs in those subjects at a later date.

In most subjects, one or more coursework assignments may also be completed. Coursework can contribute to anything from 20-75% of a student's final grade, with more practical subjects, such as Design and Technology and Music, often having a heavier coursework element. The rest of a student's grade (normally the majority) is determined by their performance in examinations. These exams may either be terminal exams at the end of Year 11, a series of modular examinations taken throughout the course, or a combination of the two. Students can sometimes resit modular examinations later in the course and attempt to improve their grade.

In many subjects, there are two different 'tiers' of examination offered: Higher, where students can achieve grades A*-D, and Foundation, where they can achieve grades C-G. If a candidate fails to obtain a G on the Foundation tier or a D on the Higher tier they will fail the course and receive a U (though there is a safety net allowing those who narrowly miss a D on the Higher tier to receive an E). In non-tiered subjects, the examination paper allows candidates to achieve any grade. Coursework also always allows candidates to achieve any grade. In 2000, GCSE Mathematics changed from a 3-tier system (Foundation D-G, Intermediate B-E, and Higher A*-C) into the standard 2-tier system (Foundation C-G and Higher A*-D). Many schools have complained about this, as it leaves them with an awkward decision about which tier students that have a projected grade of C should be placed in.

Some subjects, such as Science, can be split up into several different subjects: it is possible to be examined on Science as a whole, with one, or more often two, GCSEs (typically known as Double Award Science), or with Biology, Chemistry, and Physics separately (where three GCSEs are awarded, one for each science - also known as Triple Award, or separate, Science).

There are now five examination boards offering GCSEs: AQA, OCR, Edexcel, the WJEC and the CCEA; while all boards are regulated by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) - a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) - the boards are self-sufficient organisations. Traditionally, there were a larger number of regional exam boards, but changes in legislation allowed schools to use any board before a series of mergers reduced the number to five. The Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) acts as a single voice for the Awarding Bodies, and assists them to create common standards, regulations and guidance.

Students receive the results of their GCSEs in the fourth week of August (the week after A Level results). The CCEA publish their results on the Tuesday and the other examination boards publish theirs on the Thursday. Normally, students have to go to their school to collect their results.

From September 2009, there will be a major overhaul of the current GCSE system. Most coursework will be removed, including that in Mathematics, Economics, Science and History.

[edit] History

GCSEs were introduced for teaching in September 1986, and replaced both the O-level GCE (Ordinary level General Certificate of Education) and the CSE (Certificate of Secondary Education) qualifications, which suffered problems due to the two-tier nature of the system. Grade C of the GCSE was set at equivalent to O Level Grade C and CSE Grade 1. Thus the final students to sit the former O'Level/CSE examinations were those of May-June 1987 and the subsequent retakes in September 1987.

The table below shows what each GCSE grade is equivalent to (note that the O Level grades are the ones used at the end of the system):[citation needed]

GCSE Grade O Level Grade CSE Grade
A* A 1
A
B B
C C
D D 2
E E 3
F U (ungraded) 4
G 5
U (unclassified) U (ungraded)

The format of the GCSE has been basically the same since its inception, though many minor changes have been made. Initially, there were three tiers for examinations: Higher (grades A-C), Intermediate (grades B-E) and Basic (grades D-G). Basic was renamed to Foundation fairly quickly. During the 1990s, all subjects except Mathematics moved to the current two tier system (see above) and Mathematics eventually followed suit in 2006 (for the first examination in 2008).

In 1994, the A* grade was introduced to distinguish the very top end of achievement.

The GCSE Grades are split into two levels, level 1 (grades G-D)this is a foundation level and level 2 (Grades C-A*)this is a intermediate level,if students get a level 2 in a certain GCSE they can take that subject for A/AS Level, Level 3 (E-A) Higher level

Introduced in 2000 was the Vocational GCSE, which encouraged students to take the work-related route and included courses such as Engineering and Manufacture, Applied Business, ICT and leisure and tourism. From September 2004, the word 'Vocational' was dropped and a Vocational GCSE is now known simply as a GCSE. This is to show that the vocational side is 'on par' with the traditional academic side.

Science GCSEs were overhauled in 2006 (for first examination in 2008). The most popular course, Double Science, where students received two identical grades for a course with twice the content as the normal Science GCSE, was scrapped. Students studying for two Science GCSEs now study the single Science GCSE (known as Core Science)and then one of two complementary GCSEs: Additional Science (which has a more academic focus) or Applied Science (which has a more vocational focus). Students now receive separate grades for their Science GCSEs.

[edit] Special educational needs

For students with learning difficulties, an injury/RSI (repetitive strain injury), or a disability there is help offered in these forms:

  • Extra-time (the amount depends on the severity of the learning difficulty/disability/injury/RSI)
  • An amanuensis (somebody [normally a teacher]) types or handwrites as the student dictates, this is normally used when the student cannot write due to an injury, RSI, or disability.
  • A word processor (without any spell checking tools) can be used by students who have trouble writing legibly or who are unable to write quickly enough to complete the exam
  • A different format exam paper (large print, Braille, printed on coloured paper etc.)
  • A 'reader' (a teacher/exam invigilator can read out the words written on the exam, but they cannot explain their meaning)
  • A different room (sometimes due to a disability a student can be placed in a room by themselves, this also happens when an amanuensis is used, so as not to disturb the other candidates)

There are other forms of help available, but these are the most commonly used.

[edit] Criticism

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Some commentators[Who?] feel that the GCSE system is a dumbing down from the old GCE O-level system (as it took the focus away from the theoretical side of many subjects and taught students about real-world implications and issues relating to ICT and Citizenship), joking that it stands for "General Certificate for Sitting an Exam"; some[Who?]. Only slightly more than half of students sitting GCSE exams achieve the 5 A* to C grades required for further education.[1]

In recent years, concern about standards has led some public schools to go as far as to remove GCSEs from their curricula and to take their pupils straight to A-level or the International Baccalaureate.[citation needed] Other private schools are replacing the GCSEs with IGCSEs in which there is an option to do no coursework[citation needed]. The new Science syllabus has led to many independent schools switching to the IGCSE Double Award syllabus.[citation needed]

Proponents[Who?] of the GCSE system contend that the exam is just as hard as the old GCE O-level system it replaced and that the recently rising numbers of top grades is due to better teaching and pupils working ever harder. The GCSE's adherents[Who?] further assert that it enables the ability of the student to be assessed over the duration of the course, through coursework. Opponents of the GCSE[Who?] argue that coursework offers too much scope for plagiarism and undue help from parents, especially since the advent of the internet. The coursework system is in the process of being re-structured to stop plagiarism by making all coursework be completed under strict environments inside school [2]. Opponents[Who?] cite the view that the former GCE O-levels were designed for students to fail, and hence only the very brightest students passed with A-C grades. They[Who?] argue that GCSEs have been deliberately structured for students to pass at grade C or above unless students represent the lowest possible denominator of overall applied intelligence outside of the special needs range. However, many[Who?] would say that in reality a pass grade today is a C rather than the pass grade previously being an E, and that this confuses many outside the education system.

[edit] List of GCSE subjects

Note: Many of the subjects in this list are not offered by every school. Also note that subjects which are extremely rare, such as minor languages or subjects taught by only one or two schools, are not listed below.

[edit] Core subjects

  • English
  • Mathematics
  • Science (students can take a number of different 'routes'):
    • Science as a single subject (which includes elements of Biology, Chemistry, and Physics)
    • Science as a single subject and Additional Science (a more academic course)
    • Science as a single subject and Applied Science (a more vocational course)
    • Science as separate subjects (studying one or more of Biology, Chemistry and Physics)
  • Welsh or Welsh Second Language (in schools in Wales)

[edit] Languages

[edit] Technology

[edit] Humanities

[edit] People and society-related subjects

[edit] Expressive arts

[edit] Others

[edit] See also

Wikibooks
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Education Portal

[edit] References

  1. ^ UK Parliament publication
  2. ^ Times online "Most coursework for GCSE's to be scrapped"
  3. ^ GCSE. Council for the Curriculum Examinations and Assessment. Retrieved on 2007-08-21.

[edit] External links

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[edit] Revision

Although there are many different revision websites covering different exam board syllabuses and subjects at various skill levels, below are some of the more popular websites used by schools for student revision and coursework preparation.

[edit] Examination boards

[edit] UK government education bodies

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