What are my GCSE options?

At some point, usually when you are in year nine, your teachers will begin to discuss your GCSEs (which you’ll start in year ten) with you, read on for an overview of your options.

Compulsory subjects:

There are three subjects which you have to study:

• English
• Maths
• Sciences

If you are in Wales you’ll also have to study Welsh. These subjects are seen to provide an important base for your future studies, so regardless of what other subjects you choose you’ll always be expected to study these three (or four).

There are also some different ways to study sciences. You’ll have to study at least one one of the following: biology, physics or chemistry, but some people, especially if they are good at science might study two or even all three at once.

You will also study computing, physical education (PE) and citizenship in some form, but schools have lots of different ways to teach you these subjects, so it is worth asking your teacher how it works in your school.

So what are my options?

On top of the compulsory subjects you will also be able to choose some additional GCSEs in other subjects. All schools offer a different range of GCSEs,  you’ll be able to choose from subjects in four main areas:

• Arts (E.g. Art & Design, Performing Arts)
• Design & Technology (E.g. Resistant Materials, Graphics)
• Humanities (E.g. History, Geography)
• Modern Foreign Languages (E.g French, Mandarin)

How do I choose?

There are many things to consider when you are choosing your GCSE options. One of the best ways to choose is to think about what you might want to study at college or even university, then make sure you choose subjects that relate to these courses.

However, we often don’t know what we want to study in the future, and if you are thinking about universities, as long as you do well (especially in English and Maths), it is very rare for universities to say that you need a specific GCSE.

You might want to think about the subjects you are best at and enjoy the most (Plotr has 19 more questions you might want to ask yourself whilst making your GCSE decisions) but the most helpful people when it comes to GCSE options will be your teachers and careers advisors. They are there to help you choose the right subjects for you, and should be happy to help when it comes to making your GCSE choices.