In this article, we’ll be exploring the GCSE qualifications subjects in depth with the goal of shedding some light on the different choices available to learners, along with their similarities, differences, and the possibilities that they might open up.
Accordingly, this article is aimed at young students who are either about to make their GCSE choices, or have already made their choices but are having second thoughts… Remember, it’s not too late to change your subject choices even after you’ve made them!
By the end of this article, you should have a good understanding of all the compulsory GCSE subjects and the optional subjects, along with a general idea of what it will entail for you if you were to choose them… Without further ado, let’s get right into it.
Understanding the GCSEs: What are they and what do they mean?
To understand what exactly is meant by GCSEs, let’s try to answer some common questions that one might have about them:
- What does GCSE stand for? GCSE stands for ‘General Certificate of Secondary Education’. This basically means that they are the entire reason students attend secondary school at all. If schools were a business or company, the GCSEs would be the product they sell. While you’re likely to get a lot out of your education, including skills, experience, good memories and lasting friendships, your GCSE qualifications are the prize at the end of the race. So when it comes to your option choices, it’s vital to choose a prize that you’d actually want to win for your efforts.
- Does everyone have to do GCSEs? The short answer to this question is yes, GCSEs are a part of every student's compulsory education. Meaning that it’s something that everyone has to go through before either moving on from the education system, or going to college/sixth form to continue their educational journey. It’s worth mentioning that while some subjects are compulsory for everyone, the GCSE experience will differ for every single student, depending on which subjects and extracurricular activities they choose to do.
- How many GCSE subjects do I have to do? The minimum number of GCSE subjects that students can take is 5, however only doing 5 subjects is very uncommon and most students will take about 9–10 subjects, which will result in a full timetable of study. 9-10 might seem like a lot of classes and grades to earn, but keep in mind that your timetable will have just as many lessons as you had before starting GCSEs, so it’s the difficulty, rather than the quantity of material, that is increasing. For those who are all about academia, it is possible to take additional subjects but be prepared for the additional stress that comes with a bigger workload. We wouldn’t recommend this unless you’re already getting excellent grades before GCSE.
- What’s different about GCSE subjects? There is surprisingly little difference in the format of secondary school life after the start of GCSEs. The main changes to look out for are the very noticeable increase in difficulty and larger amount of contents to learn and revise for exams. Don’t worry though! GCSE subjects are delivered slowly at first, and gradually ramp up, in order to ease students into the correct pace for their learning. The other key difference is the variety and specialisation of the optional subjects. It’s likely that before GCSE you’ve had sporadic lessons from the various subjects that don’t go into much detail. But at the GCSE level, you can really start to get more focused and involved with your interests, alongside like-minded people.
- Why are some subjects compulsory and others optional? When you enter the world of work or further education, there is an expectation that everyone has certain skills in mathematics, literacy and science, since these subjects also form the foundation of your understanding of society and the wider world; alongside education to be a good citizen which is part of ‘skills challenge’ subject taught in some schools. The other subjects fulfil a different role, that being your specialisation as a student. It is of course possible to specialise in compulsory subjects, if you go on to study mathematics after GCSE, however most employers will expect at least some level of competence in the subject regardless of the nature of your work, hence it’s compulsory nature.
List of compulsory GCSE subjects:
The list of compulsory subjects is shorter than the list of optional subjects, so we will start with that first, along with the reasons they are compulsory:
- English – It’s no surprise that the national language of the UK is compulsory for all students to learn. However, you might be wondering why it continues to be mandatory all the way up to GCSE when most of us can already speak it fluently by then. There are some key reasons for this. The main one is that some skills taught in GCSE English, such as acute grammar and how to write in various tones of formality and compose letters and emails, are vital to whatever future career you find yourself in. Whether or not you’re able to recite Shakespeare verses when you leave secondary school, at the very least you should be able to effectively communicate with employers, educators, clients and customers in a professional context, thanks to your GCSE English qualification.
- Mathematics – Maths is a subject that can be quite polarising among students. It might come as a disappointment to some that continued study of mathematics is compulsory at a GCSE level… That said, a good level in mathematics is something you will be grateful for, for the rest of your life as a student and eventually as an adult. Your teachers aren’t joking when they say you’ll need to use maths every day; this will be in the form of keeping accounts, paying subscriptions and bills, keeping track of time and dates and organising various aspects of life for yourself and others. It might not be for everyone, but it is an unavoidable part of life as a modern human.
- Science – Much like the other two, science, more specifically the individual fields of physics, chemistry, and biology are a compulsory subject in all schools in the UK. Fortunately, you won’t find yourself in as much trouble if you fail to obtain impressive grades in the sciences, since they are less vital to everyday life outside of school. However, science serves another purpose which is more important than ever in our online world. Having a good grounding in the scientific method will help you avoid the pitfalls of false media and misinformation in modern media, thus keeping you safe as a learner in contexts other than school.
List of optional GCSE Subjects
There are an extremely vast amount of optional subjects available to GCSE subjects, and to make matters more complicated, different schools and institutions can sometimes offer completely different subjects to their students.
Luckily, we can separate these subjects into four main categories: Modern Foreign Languages, The Arts, The Humanities and Technical Subjects.
What follows is a list of some of the more common choices within these categories, but make sure to check with your school to find out exactly what is available for you to choose.
Modern Foreign Languages
Learning a language is a highly valued skill in the modern world of work. This skill will not only make you a desirable and versatile employee, but will also give you opportunities to travel, explore different cultures and make new friends that you would otherwise never get the chance to communicate with. Though it’s not for everyone, learning a language has to be one of the most versatile skills available to all students through the education system.
Common foreign languages offered by secondary schools include:
- French
- German
- Spanish
- Portuguese
- Japanese
- Mandarin
- Italian
The Arts
The arts are a range of subjects that represent the creative expression at rest in all of us. Everyone expresses themselves in different ways and thus there are many artistic subjects that can be studied at the GCSE level, which will further specialise as your educational journey continues.
- Visual Art and Design
- Drama and Performance Arts
- Dance
- Film and Media Studies
- Music
The Humanities
The Humanities might not be a familiar term to you, but to explain briefly, they are the subjects that concern the experience of being a part of culture and society. The common theme that unites these subjects is that they are all about people and their environments, especially when it comes to the way they interact with one another.
With that explanation, the following examples should make more sense next to each other:
- Geography
- History
- Economics
- Sociology
- Psychology
- Religious and Cultural Studies
Technical Subjects
Technical subjects are a broad category which cover everything involving technology, analytics and science, which aren’t included in the compulsory science subjects. If you’re into your computers and gadgets, this is where you’ll find the subjects that suit you.
- IT
- Design and Technology
- Food Technology
- Business
- Engineering
- Electronics
- Physical Education
- Computer Science
As previously stated, there are in fact many more subjects available at most schools, but it really comes down to the individual institutions and what they are prepared to offer. If you see a subject here or elsewhere that your school doesn’t offer, but that you are passionate about and determined to study, there is always the possibility of changing schools. So make sure that you are not only taking the right subjects for you, but also in the correct environment for your learning.
Afterword
Thank you for reading this article about the different GCSE compulsory and optional GCSE subjects. If you want to read more about the secondary school experience, or a whole range of different academic subjects, we’ve got it right here on the Superprof blog, so make sure to check out some other articles while you’re here.
Until next time!
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