GCSEs

GCSE stands for General Certificate of Secondary Education. It is a set of subject-based qualifications taken in the United Kingdom, primarily by students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, typically at the end of compulsory schooling. Students usually begin two-year courses around age 14 and sit final exams in the May/June exam season, with possible resits in November in some subjects. GCSEs cover core subjects such as English, mathematics and science, plus a wide range of elective subjects including languages, humanities and arts.

Assessment has historically combined external examinations and coursework but modern GCSEs are largely exam-based. Most GCSE grades are awarded on a numeric scale from 9 to 1 since a reform that began in 2017–2019; the previous system used A* to G. A small proportion of marks in some subjects may be derived from coursework or controlled assessment, though the emphasis for most subjects is terminal testing.

Exam boards such as AQA, Edexcel, OCR, WJEC and CCEA set and award GCSE papers. The results are used for post-16 education entry, vocational training and employment. Many students use GCSE results to progress to sixth form or further education colleges; some subjects offer equivalent vocational qualifications.

In Scotland, education uses a separate system of National Qualifications, while Northern Ireland and Wales also operate their own arrangements alongside GCSEs. GCSEs remain a widely used benchmark for secondary schooling and attainment in the UK.