When it comes to finding a job, most employers will look at your GCSE qualifications to see if the subjects you studied are relevant to the type of work they do. Although every job is different, most companies expect you to have at least five GCSEs, including English, Math, and Science, from levels A to C. Mathematics is the most popular GCSE subject, as it consolidates the basic academic skills needed in many life scenarios. Mathematics is used both inside and outside the workplace and has many intersections with other subjects, especially science.
If you have no idea what career you want in the future (like most students in Year 9, 10 and 11), then you should probably try to keep your options open. Studying a variety of subjects will give you a good overview of the different subjects and the different ways of studying, which can help you identify which subjects you are best at. Talk to your career advisor to see if you can get an idea of the type of career you would like to do. You are not obliged to choose a topic from each of these groups; you can choose more than one of the others depending on your interests. At the GCSE level, a varied selection of topics is desirable, as this keeps your options open.
Please note that a GCSE in a particular subject is not always necessary to take that subject at level A. With some A levels, although you don't need to do the subject in GCSE, it would certainly give you an advantage over someone who hasn't done it before; for other A levels, doing the GCSE is essential. It's worth looking for A-level subjects that you might want to do right away, so you can check what the requirements are. The law is an interesting topic that allows you to better understand the UK court system and can better inform you about your own legal options in a variety of situations. However, many law admissions tutors don't favorably view law as a GCSE or A-level subject and end up having to reteach it, so contrary to what you might expect, it's not necessarily a good subject to have on your resume if you want to pursue a law degree (it shouldn't hurt their possibilities, but not actively help them).
This is a useful basis for the A-level course, although not required. Psychology is the study of human behavior, with a little mixed biology (for example, getting an overview of how the brain works and the effect that certain brain chemicals may have on behavior). It's a good way to develop a deeper understanding of those around you and the factors that could be influencing both their behavior and yours. GCSE Music is a fun subject that develops a range of skills, both practical and analytical. It combines elements of performance, composition and listening with the study of the history of music and several different musical genres, from the 17th century to the present day. Ideal for the most creative among you, GCSE Art allows you to unleash your imagination in a variety of artistic media, including painting, drawing, sculpture and photography.
You create a portfolio throughout the course, which will be sent for evaluation at the end. You will also have to take an exam that involves the creation of a work of art in timed exam conditions. Because of the focus on coursework throughout the course, it's not a topic you can leave to the last minute, so it requires your full commitment right from the start. The “Design and Technology” umbrella covers a number of individual topics, each of which constitutes a GCSE in its own right. This includes Food Technology, Textile Technology, Systems and Control, Electronic Products, Graphics and Product Design.
These subjects provide useful knowledge for those who want to pursue business or manufacturing but are largely less relevant to traditional academic subjects that one might aspire to study at university. Business Studies is arguably not considered one of the most “serious” GCSE subjects but it is nevertheless an interesting introduction to the world of business and it is likely to be of great use to you at the beginning of your career. You'll cover how to create and grow a business as well as business aspects such as finance, manufacturing and marketing. It's always good to have languages on your resume (employers love them), so it's highly recommended to take one at GCSE. Although these are the main compulsory subjects some schools make other GCSE subjects compulsory so you should check with your school if there are other subjects you need to take in addition to these. If this is the case then you'll want to have the best GCSE scores you can get in those subjects that are most relevant for what you want to do. The latest concrete evidence of your academic ability comes in form of your GCSE scores so they are important. Hopefully after reading this post you'll have a better idea of what GCSE options are available for you.
However it's impossible to know what future holds so it's important to work towards best GCSE results that one can achieve.
