Are GCSE’s as serious for your life as the teachers say they are?

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Spadders87@reddit

Yes and no. If you’re the kind of person who’s gonna make it with or without them, they don’t matter at all. If you’re the kind of person who blags their way through life, they’re probably gonna help.

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Asher-D@reddit

I mean they had 0 impact on my life at any stage, but I was raised on a mixed education system and I had other avenues to get to the same place. If GCSEs are all you have (I mean unless you plan on studying abroad) then yeah they 100% matter and matter a lot. But if you do poorly on them, it's not the end of the world, there are ways to improve things. It just might mean you have to pivot on your goals.

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No-Structure-8125@reddit

If you want to go to college and uni, yes they do matter.

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GrabbedByTheGhost@reddit

If you've got no motivation for GCSEs, what makes you think you're going to be motivated to do A Levels, particularly further Maths? You've got no chance at all unless you book your ideas up.

Never mind this "no motivation" nonsense, you need to respect the process of learning and attainment. I would suggest you quickly develop some kind of healthy routine; eating good breakfast and timetabling in exercise. Stay off your social media and streaming things for the next couple of months. You must value knowledge. Without this, you're not going to be able to face more challenging endeavours further down the line.

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GrabbedByTheGhost@reddit

Their*

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TrackTeddy@reddit

For your chosen career path they are a gate keeper. You cannot progress to your chosen A levels without the grades you need at GCSE. You cannot progress to the uni you want without the necessary A level grades etc etc. So yes they are 100% vital.

The info you gain is also foundational for your career ahead. Things done at A level are based upon stuff you learnt at GSCE. Things done during your degree are based on knowledge gained in your A levels etc etc. Without this foundational knowledge progress gets much harder.

As you progress upward in your career the GCSE grades get less and less important to the next step, but they are essential for getting to that step.

(Chartered Engineer & Fellow)

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Professional-Bat4134@reddit

They are important for further education.

As an example - I am 34 and started a leadership apprenticeship where I had to provide evidence that I achieved a C or above in English and Maths. Otherwise I would have needed to sit additional modules to be eligible.

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caniuserealname@reddit

GCSEs are important for the next step of your education or work.

They won't matter much 10 years from now, sure, but just because something won't matter later doesn't mean it doesn't matter.

But more than anything, getting into the headspace of trying to justify not trying in things is something that will set you up for far more failure than a few bad GCSEs will.

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Swimming_Weight348@reddit

Yes and no..

I left school with no GCSE’s but through hard work and determination I have reached a level of management that no one including myself thought possible.

Don’t get me wrong, had I have done better at school I would have found it easier and much quicker to climb the management ladder, would have understood my job roles better and most likely felt much less stress whilst pushing myself.

GCSE’s are important but my work attitude was never going to let a few bits of paper determine my future. GCSE’s don’t not define who you are, your work attitude and ethics do.

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Fellstorm_1991@reddit

I pretty much coasted through my GCSEs on my natural intelligence, as I had done for all of school. I got into my schools 6th form taking chemistry, biology, PE and history, all stuff I was good at.

I got a pretty nasty shock at A level. There was a huge jump in difficulty, and I was no longer able to get by on my usual, half arsed and little revision effort. I had to put the work in...

But I didn't really know how. I'd never figured out the best revision strategies for me or practiced them. I had little discipline for studying. I suffered badly trying to learn how to learn, and do my A levels at the same time.

I did figure it out, but definitely didn't do as well as I would have liked. My choice of unis was limited because of that.

Put the effort in now, because this is the easy part. It's about to get a lot harder, and if you have the skills to study and revise now, you can focus on your A levels more.

I found University, studying Biochemistry, relatively easy compared to my A levels

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FilmFanatic1066@reddit

I had the exact problem, didn’t get anything below a B at GCSE with minimal effort then got to A levels and ended up barely scraping a C in one of my subjects. Thankfully got a double distinction in my BTEC but the exam based subjects skill checked me hard

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EmperorOfNipples@reddit

Sound like me except I ended up pretty much flunking my A-levels entirely despite finding GCSE's easy.

Couple of E's....not worth much.

I'm now 38, have an fdEng in Avionics systems at Distinction level (with a plan to upgrade that soon) and now work teaching those same Avionics systems to trainee technicians, pilots and engineering managers.

I did alright, but defo gave myself an uphill struggle.

Yeah to the OP, stay knuckled down. Learning how to learn is a skill in itself.

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Keewaa1@reddit (OP)

This! This is what I’ve been doing. I’ve coasted through the entirety of secondary school and now I have no idea of how to revise and I have no motivation as I’m 99% sure I’ll pass most of my gcse but I’m worried at A levels I’ll be lost

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Fellstorm_1991@reddit

Exactly. You're just like me, I'm afraid. There's no short cut dude. It's time to knuckle down and do it. I was terrible at getting distracted whilst trying to study.

Make a space with limited distractions. Give your phone to a parent, print off paper copies of important information and work with pen and paper. Harder to end up on reddit if you don't have an internet connection! Find out what works for you. Personally, explaining a topic to someone else works well for me. Even if that someone else is either imaginary or an object.

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Teaboy1@reddit

This was my journey through school. It came naturally and was easy. I did maybe 18 hours of revision for my GCSEs. A Chemistry A Biology A Physics and a B in maths were the highlights

I got a very nasty shock at A level. Those A*s turned into Cs and Ds. Why? Because I didn't know how to study and lacked the motivation. Why try GCSEs were easy, how much harder can it be? The required level of knowledge was much deeper than GCSE.

Put the hours in now. Learn how you best retain infomation so that at A level you aren't trying to play catch up.

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Fluffy_Ad2274@reddit

This is a very unfashionable take, but forget about motivation. You're not motivated by getting the best grades your capable of, so it's not going to kick in for you (unless it's closer to the time, and cones from fear of failure)- what you actually need is discipline here. Motivation anyway comes from results, mainly - discipline is what gets to that point.

I didn't revise for GCSEs, or A levels, and barely revised for undergraduate exams. It bit me when I came to MA exams, which were intense, and had serious potential to bite you very much in the arse for various reasons. What I'd done to "revise" to that point was reading through lecture notes of that. It was a steep, exhausting, nerve-racking learning curve. I did pull it off, but absolutely more by good luck than good judgement, and because I'm very good at exams.

Do I regret getting some Bs at GCSE and A level (there were no A* in those days)? Very much at the time, and somewhat in retrospect - because it was down to sheer laziness "lack of motivation". I wasn't thick, and I could write well so I made a little go a long way: but I regret never learning the discipline to sit down and do something I didn't want to do, as it made later life harder than it needed to be too, in studies and work.

Don't be me- sit at your desk for half an hour a day now, for each subject, and test yourself/summarise, whatever you need. It'll become a habit, and it will make future exams - and, frankly, your PhD if you end up going that route, much, much easier.

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RufusWorld@reddit

I wouldn't say they're that important in and of themselves, but they are useful if you want to get A-levels and A-levels are useful for University. Think of them as the first rung on the ladder.

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JasonStonier@reddit

I was a massive coaster in my early years. I didn't revise for my GCSEs and got the bare minimum I needed to get into my A-Levels, then I didn't revise for my A-Levels and failed. Hard.

Honestly, it was the best thing that ever happened to me because it was the wake-up call I needed.

I repeated the last year of my A-Levels and took on an additional one at the same time, and worked hard - went from grades D-E-U to A-A-B-C and got my place at university, and I have never stopped working hard since then.

I really suggest you don't do what I did - just revise for your GCSEs mate - it might seem like a pain in the arse now, but if you learn to work now you'll have a much easier life. You've got a month left which is a lot of hours if you knuckle down.

GCSEs are just the gateway to your A-Levels, and your A-Levels are just the gateway to your degree - BUT the skills you learn by working hard for all of them will set you up for success in life.

So, as I approach 50, do my GCSEs and A-Levels matter now? No, but the hard work I had to do to recover from failing them as stayed with me and my life took a decent trajectory where I can now comfortably retire in 9 years and do whatever the hell I like. I just wish I could have learned to work hard without having to fail first.

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Claire4Win@reddit

I had a teacher say this 'grades are a great way into the room'.

However, once you are in the room, it is hard to leave

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worldworn@reddit

Some jobs and education do have a requirement of at least a certain grade in specific subjects.

The really important part is getting the best grades you can, life won't be over if you don't get all 9s.
But you could be making things a lot harder for yourself for no good reason by not trying now.

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Fit_Ad_9354@reddit

I wish I could tell my younger self this as someone who rebelled studying. I didn't know what I wanted to do in life for a long time and I was angry at my parents for always pushing me to study.

Then COVID happened I was not able to do my mocks, I never did my GCSEs, my teachers chose my grades and any lessons I had were online. I didn't think it was an issue, I thought oh well I'm just going to go to sleep and I'll email my teachers my laptops not working.

Fast forward to now. I have a life goal. More than a 5 year plan, but it requires me to study. I have to redo everything.

Flunking your GCSEs or not thinking they are important is EXPENSIVE. VERY VERY EXPENSIVE.

Here's an idea of what my life is like at the minute:

I now have to redo my maths GCSEs I never got the chance to write in the first place- £300 (though I did sign up late)

Have to do an access to HE course- over £3000 pounds

Pay for travelling back and forth from college

Rehire tutors to help me

I'm constantly anxious but try and push away the thoughts that the younger students are going to do better than me.

Watched all my friends go through uni and graduate.

All while holding together a full time job where I get home a 2 am to pay for all this.

I'm miserable. And I just wish I did it right the first time.

DO WELL.

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YragNitram1956@reddit

What is your predicted English grade?

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Logical-Kick-3901@reddit

No. They unlock stuff though. A levels. Certain jobs that require Maths and English at GCSE.

Rarely, they can be used in scoring for graduate jobs where they are very competitive.

But there are also ways to mitigate poor GCSEs, should you need to, later in life.

Do your best. Keep them in perspective. See what happens.

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LemmysCodPiece@reddit

Once I got my A Levels and then my HND, they became less relevant. Once I got into work and then started doing vocational qualifications like CNE they became irrelevant.

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lloydmcallister@reddit

Without minimum C grade in maths English and science you will struggle to get a job in anything above minimum wage, Even some minimum wage jobs still require them. I got super lucky and landed a 40k a year job without having a science gcse but if I apply for a job similar to mine I don’t even get an interview.

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DrinkMyPink@reddit

You can just put on your cv that you have them. Nobody checks.

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lloydmcallister@reddit

I know some guys in recruitment and they’ve said they do check and you can do up to 10 years in prison for it.

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DrinkMyPink@reddit

"I must have lost it".

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lloydmcallister@reddit

There are multiple ways companies can check regardless of whether you have a physical copy, they can also check years into your employment. The company I work for has done this.

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DrinkMyPink@reddit

Dude no one is checking. Chill out.

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MaximumTop6714@reddit

Uni checks so OP will definitely need these at atleast a 4 but worth checking uni requirements in case they need a higher grade

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nintair@reddit

Its the most important pointless thing. The real thing you get out of them is learning how to study. How to revise. How to self motivate and self manage.

They only need to be good enough to get you into your next stage of education or training

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Sir-Craven@reddit

Whats more dangerous is not trying. Because not trying is contagious and will follow you in every path.

Someone who tries hard and gets scrappy grades will go on to better things becuase they will try something else and trying will mean they will find something they can do.

Not trying, for whatever reason, be it not interested, not motivated or not able.. is the biggest issue, becuase if you cant overcome that you will fail in everything you do.

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AsymptoticallyFlat@reddit

This couldn’t be more true. Hard work beats talent that doesn’t work hard

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DrinkMyPink@reddit

Na dude I didn't give a shit about gcses and I have a crazy work ethic.

Sitting in a class and following instructions has remarkably few real world parallels.

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Sir-Craven@reddit

Unsurprisingly you haven't comprehended the comment

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DrinkMyPink@reddit

Damn.

How do you think you could have improved your comment to ensure that I understood it?

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Sir-Craven@reddit

This is a you problem not a me problem.

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DrinkMyPink@reddit

Fair enough.

Have a nice evening.

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DoItForTheTea@reddit

this is so incredibly true. the trying is the most important thing. trying despite not being good at something is a lifelong skill that will set you apart from your peers

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borbva@reddit

This might seem like a cheesy platitude, but actually rings super true with me.

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iamdadmin@reddit

If you want to do engineering then maths and physics, and probably English for communicating effectively, are essential. DT as well since you’ll likely be doing the engineering track of DT. Revise for these and do practice papers and everything you can.

History? Geography? Foreign language? Anything else? Eh. Being pragmatic you should have awareness of that stuff but prioritising it over stuff you will actually need is not the best.

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KatStitched@reddit

Mind maps are good, I had them all over my room but the part that sunk in was actually making them. When I did my GCSEs I would listen to podcasts and revise through listening all the time. Whilst walking to school, walking to town to meet my friends, on the bus, the gym, everywhere you would listen to music. I even listened to it falling asleep in the hopes it would settle into my subconsious.

I also cannot recommend enough writing and rewriting random information you remember on a spare bit of paper during the exam. You can ask for a spare piece of paper at the beginning and just brain dump everything be for you open the exam paper. Everything left my head the moment I saw the first question so that scrap paper saved my life!

Just do your best, they’re important to an extent. I’m 27 and if you decide to do something involving core subjects they’ll want to know how good your basics are. You won’t get your first job without GCSEs, you’ll get your 5th or 6th job on experiance.

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Naive_Reach2007@reddit

So I tell my daughter do your best you can always retake them

It amazes me the amount of pressure people put on kids over this, yet are OK when they fail the driving test and say you can retake

The they will matter depending on the job your going for, once you get older they matter a lot less.

So do your best and try not to stress. Remember you can always redo.

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Radiant-Grape8812@reddit

Well as a college student it's interesting as I didn't get the GCSEs a needed first time round so I was put on a LV2 coirse instead of a lv3 so yeah kinda there will always be another option.

Also sixth form? As far as I know all that gets you is A levels and all they do is get you to uni and all that gives you is a debt you'll take to your grave.

Where I'm on a T level course when I'm finished I am lv3 teaching assistant. Obviously as a college student I'm bias to college but I'd say go to college not sixth form

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Ok-Ambassador4679@reddit

I'm an ex physics teacher - I was crap at maths in school, great at sciences, and made many cock ups along the way. I retook GCSEs after college at 17/18 years old, which ate into my personal life, and started a part time job working Thursday and Friday evenings, Saturday afternoon and Sunday mornings, meaning I only had Saturday mornings and Sunday afternoons to myself. As a result I started uni later than all my school friends, had to do an additional year for 'access' and was way behind all my peers. I wished I'd just developed the work ethic in my teenage years, but I had no support, and no courage to ask.

The work ethic, attitude and ability to study towards achieving GCSEs is critical to A levels and academia, and nowadays is still important if you're looking for an apprenticeship. Sadly, we don't teach work ethic; we teach to an arcane syllabus. You have to figure out how to study for GCSEs by yourself, and you only get one shot at it. Make it count - lean on teachers to help you and fail fast so you figure out what works while you're still in education. Believe it or not teachers want kids to be engaged and they're there for support, but they can't support if they don't know you want it. Also ask your parents - they should be interested in your education, and they should be able to help you study if you want it, or just emotional support is massively important.

Some tips, up to you whether you take it on board or not. Focus on things you're good at, or need for your next steps. You don't need an A in drama if you want to be a vet, but it helps your uni placement if you're good at it, enjoy it, and doesn't take any effort. Put effort in Science, Maths and English because they're core to most things. When it comes to Maths and Science, make sure you write out your working for mathematical equations - questions worth 6 marks can be given a lot of marks still if your approach was right but the answer was wrong - if you write the wrong answer with no workings, it's a straight up zero and markers are given guidance on how to give the most marks. Humans are pretty shit at memorising stuff they don't understand; instead of learning facts and memorising information, you're way better at trying to understand the content. If you understand it, you don't need to memorise anything, because you understand it. You understand by asking questions, particularly why and how questions develops curiosity, practising and testing things until they break, which is all vital life skills anyway. If you need music, don't listen to music with lyrics because they occupy brain space and are massively distracting. Chillhop, lofi, or those ADHD binaural beats are really good for study music and gets you into a 'flow' state. Anyone who says they need music and listens to their favourite tunes filled with lyrics is chatting shit and wants a distraction. School is also a personality competition, and you're in competition with the whole of the UK; it's daunting to think of like this, but you've basically got to be better than most of your peers at learning the content and sitting the exam, both learnable skills within the space of 2/3 years in GCSE's - don't fall into any traps of people distracting you, making you feel bad for studying, or any psychological games - you just need to be successful once, and it's onto whatever future awaits you. I would say as well, don't feel the pressure too much - I fucked up and got It back on rails again, but it has had an impact now I'm older, but we all learn way more from mistakes than from getting stuff right every time (another life lesson we don't teach!) so push hard, but don't break yourself. Even some effort is progress.

If you have any science questions, particularly physics, DM me; I'd be happy to help anyone who wants to be better prepared for their GCSE's.

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Wide_Necessary992@reddit

It’s important in terms of getting into sixth form/college. Some universities ask for them but if they can see you’ve actually completed college then it shows you’re more that qualified to study. Other than that, A levels/college diploma matter the most; I haven’t used my GCSE’s since then.

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Wide_Necessary992@reddit

That being said, obviously continue to study and get good grades because having that positive mindset will benefit you long term

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BRIStoneman@reddit

So I did Maths and Further Maths at A-Level. I got an A* in old money at GCSE.

Further Maths is hard. It is a difficult subject. If you're demotivatedly coasting your way to a 6 at GCSE then A-Level is going to punch you in the taint. Now is the precise moment to knuckle down and take it seriously.

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AdministrativeLaugh2@reddit

I was thinking that. I got an A in Maths at GCSE (which I guess is a 7/8 these days?) and even regular maths knocked me through a loop in Year 12.

I couldn’t even imagine doing further maths, I think I would’ve dropped it within about a week

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BRIStoneman@reddit

I really enjoyed Maths at GCSE. I had a great teacher who pushed us hard and really engaged us, and I was good at it.

I enjoyed C1-4. I was good at Core. It was challenging but fun. Further Pure, on the other hand, was just so far beyond. And Mechanics? Mechanics was a complete fucker. Didn't help that 15 out of 22 in our class were doing Physics so the different teacher we had for Mechanics assumed that all of us were doing physics and clearly resented having to go back and re-cover First Principles with us.

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AdministrativeLaugh2@reddit

Yeah I had a good Core teacher as well. She’d been my teacher from Year 8 onwards so we got on and she genuinely cared.

I hated mechanics and frankly I’ve no idea why I took that instead of statistics. I was terrible at it and I was similar to you in that I was part of the minority who weren’t also doing physics, which meant the teacher just assumed everybody was doing it. I ended up getting a tutor for most of my mechanics and I was still dreadful at it.

I think I ended up with a C overall, with my Core results significantly better than my mechanics ones!

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MyAlt4WomanyStuff@reddit

Off topic, but

I got an A in old money* at GCSE.

Cries in 'O' levels and CSEs 😭

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Whole-Turnip-6938@reddit

This. You need to have a solid grasp of algebra, surds, functions and trig to get on at A level. If you’re demotivated now, how are you gunna feel after your first U in maths at C1?

GCSEs in and of themselves are not massively important once you have A levels or a degree, but they are the necessary evil req’d to get you to the next rung of the ladder. Don’t be a lazy shit, study.

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tb5841@reddit

I'm actually surprised they let people do further maths A-level with only a 7 at maths GCSE.

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Important-Reply-7966@reddit

You have to be thick as shit to fail GCSEs. Its the most basic level of education. You need to do well at GCSEs, because your A-Levels have more information you need to memorise in 2 years, than GCSEs do in 5 years.

If you don't learn to revise and study at GCSE, you'll fail 6th form and won't get into uni.

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TogepiXTyphlosion@reddit

GCSEs are very easy. They're a good marker for which kids are motivated and which aren't. If you're 16 and already lack motivation, you think you're gonna be motivated throughout uni and your professional life?

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Front-Pomelo-4367@reddit

You really, really need to practice revising now, while the material is still feeling relatively easy, because this is the best time to set up good habits for your A-levels!

I barely revised for my GCSEs. Found it all pretty easy to remember, genuinely enjoyed learning, got A and A across the board except for one subject. And then A-levels came (and then my degree) and oh man did I regret never learning how to revise. I sucked at it. It made life so* much harder than it needed to be.

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lunchbox3@reddit

YES! This is SUCH an important point. Learn to try / revise when the stakes are low not when it all gets harder!!

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cfehunter@reddit

It's going to be smoother for you if you pass your GCSEs.

That said, there are plenty of other options to replace them later if you do end up failing.

It is a setback if you fail, but it's not as if your life is over and you're doomed to minimum wage jobs. Which a lot of my teachers made it sound like when I was in high school.

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SeniorMoonlight21@reddit

Not the end of the world if you do not do well. I left school having failed my GCSEs due to complex mental health problems.

Ended up doing a L1 course at college while resitting them, then progressing to level 2 and a level 3 BTEC. Did not go to uni but now early in the process of joining the ambulance service and eventually becoming a paramedic.

Even if you just end up doing dead end jobs for a bit then its still not the end of the world since there are loads of pathways to adult educations like redoing GCSE maths and english alongside an access to HE course. Or if you are medically fit enough and really fuck it up the military is always an option.

That being said, you will have a much easier and more straight forward progression route if you get decent GCSE grades.

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cateml@reddit

Are they the absolute end of the world? No. If you have capability and drive and everything else you do in life works out well, not-great GCSEs aren’t going to set you on a life path you can’t change. That isn’t the same as not mattering though.

But honestly, the amount they will matter in 1/3/5/20 etc. years time really depends on where you are in terms of basic grades, and where you’re hoping to end up. I’ll give some examples:

Everyone she really try and pass GCSE English and Maths (4 or above), if at all possible. They are the ones that employers even for unrelated and non qualification based jobs will ask about - even if you end up getting a degree after.
A 4 or above in eng/maths has become a sort of “base level numeracy and literacy evidence” standard, and therefore a number of employers/training pathways will call an automatic no if you can’t say (and sometimes evidence) that you have them. That’s not to say you won’t get employers who will listen to the tale of why not and go “well you’ve shown through x/y/z you’re literate, so…” But really by unnecessarily failing those, you’re just making life hard for yourself.
Which is why FE colleges are required to offer resits in those subjects.

Then beyond that:
Certain highly competitive uni courses will absolutely only offer to candidates with high GCSEs. Medicine, dentistry, vetinary. Engineering for a lot of places.
Partly because they’ve got to decide somehow, therefore why not. And partly because A level/BTEC predicted grades are at the end of the day just theoretical - we have to be able to evidence them, but to an extent that’ll be based on your target grades (calculated via GCSEs) anyway. If you got average of 5 on your GCSEs and your teacher is predicting you an A*… presumably that’s based on something (class tests), but university admissions will raise their eyebrows and suspect that maybe your teacher/college is just a bit soft.
If you’re looking at less academically competitive uni courses maybe that will be OK, but again - you’re handicapping yourself significantly in terms of anything competitive.

I’ve already gotten a place in my schools 6th form/college it’s like a mix of both and I’m taking maths, further maths and physics which aslong as I get a 7 in maths I’ll be able to do(currently predicted a 6 so not far to go) and I’m hoping to go to uni for mechanical engineering after my a-levels.

Yeah, in your specific case… you really want to be getting that 7 in maths. At least. Shoot for higher.
Most 6th forms/colleges would never dream of offering that combination without at least a 7 in maths, and probably want that in physics/science as well - they’re very unlikely to just let you do that combination anyway if you get the 6.
Because that is some hardcore and intensive maths studying you’re saying you want to sign up for next year. And even more so if you carry on in to studying mechanical engineering somewhere worthwhile - you need to be really, really, strong mathematically.
Unless you can walk in to the first day of Y12 with at least a grade 7 GCSE level maths understanding, you’re going to struggle to keep up. That’s why the 6th form would likely make you take other courses.

My question would be - why maths, and why engineering?
I assume it’s your best subject?
Do you really enjoy maths? Why do you enjoy it?

Anyway, revision wise:
For GCSE level, you’re not too late to get started. There is for sure still time to make a difference.
You’re probably best asking your teachers for revision tips, because they know you and might have resources to offer.
Past paper questions are a good shout. But everyone is different - some people like flash cards, some people like mind maps, some people like revision guides. There is always BBC bitesize as well. But especially for maths/science you want to try and combine those condensing techniques like flash cards with past paper questions as well. (Eg. Make a few flashcards for a topic, do a couple of questions related using the flashcards, then try without the flashcards, something like that.).

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Cute_Recording_3796@reddit

You just need to get good grades at maths and fm and English physics like 6-9 for this 3 subjects will be enough for you to get best college/six form /uni don't waste your energy for another subject,they really won't determine your future

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baeworth@reddit

Only in science maths and English. Basically to say you have basic competence. And even then nobody really checks

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fuckssake321@reddit

I think checks will become more common in the future.

The jobhunting culture has completely changed in the last 5 years, and employers are now looking for candidates who "tick all of the boxes", and their key word software/automated forms can auto-reject you if you don't meet a particular criterion. It doesn't matter if you perform well in interviews or have a lot of relevant experience, your application just won't ever get seen by a human over something silly like that. GCSE and college certificates (or lack of) are an easy thing that they can use to aid in this ^

If I remember correctly, the NHS asks that you upload scans of the GCSE certificates to their portal when doing an application for one of their jobs as proof that you've got them. They're the most significant example I can think of.

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baeworth@reddit

You’re probably right, the job market is horrendously toxic like that and increasingly so.

I don’t think I’ve ever been asked to provide any evidence other than for my apprenticeship a few years back, so maybe the fact that I have that certificate now is proof enough. Idk

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WayneCl@reddit

Yes, people do check, it's a matter of public record. And if you lie about what grades you got and you're found out, then you're in big trouble.

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DrinkMyPink@reddit

It is not a matter of public record at all.

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PortPiscarilius@reddit

Is it public record? I've needed to provide GCSE results a few times as an adult but each time I had to provide the certificates.

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asmiggs@reddit

Missing Science isn't that much of a big deal but to go to the next stage in education or a job 5 GCSEs at grade 4 which need to include Maths and English should be minimum target.

But once you have a job, which is possible possible but harder, it'll be alright.

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Tight-Principle-743@reddit

As a teacher I feel obliged to say GCSE’s do matter(especially the sciences!) - they open up many pathways to further education, without solid GCSE’s it could limit what pathways and careers you could go down. However, I will admit, that as you get older and complete various qualifications or go further in employment you’ll notice there is less requirement or need for people to know your GCSE results. But for now, they do still matter.

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lithiumcentury@reddit

Every stage in qualifications is a stepping stone to the next stage. GCSE to A levels to degree or professional qualification. If you can get into a top tier university that will in fact help you throughout life - but if not, then work experience trumps everything after a year out of university.

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Thalamic_Cub@reddit

I cannot tell you how many colleagues have had to do their GCSE english and maths as adults because it blocks career progression. Its harder to do when youre older as youre way less in the 'learning headspace'

5 GCSEs including english and maths are essential to working life. The rest is up to you.

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Ok_Cow5684@reddit

In terms of ways to revise, this is what worked for me across most subjects:

- Do a past paper under proper exam conditions. Time yourself, no pausing, no distractions.

- Reward yourself with a 20-min break.

- Mark the past paper, thoroughly. Don't just whizz through it to see what mark you got; take the time to understand what you got wrong and why. Did you run out of time? Are there key areas that you struggled with?

- Look at your notes from class to try to plug any gaps in your knowledge that you picked up from the past paper. Get a friend or family member to quiz you if you can - it helps things sink in better.

- Reward yourself with a 20-min break.

- Another past paper! Follow the same process again, rinse and repeat.

I generally did 3-4 past papers per revision day. When I ran out, I made up my own questions where I could. At this stage, it's more about making sure the knowledge is fixed in your head and honing your exam technique rather than learning anything new.

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BRIStoneman@reddit

If anyone has advice on how to revise for my gcse

Go talk to your teacher(s). Odds are they should already have a revision scheme they're working through. We're running extra lessons, after school revision and drop-ins for our Y11s. Look through your past papers and make a list of the topics that you're shaky on; go to your teachers with this, or look them up on BBC Bitesize (it's genuinely great).

Mathsgenie.com is an excellent resource for exam style questions, with topics listed from Level 1 through to Level 9; basic numeracy through to simultaneous quadratic equations.

CGP revision guides are quality.

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margeyhargey@reddit

as a y13 i’ll say they’re defo more important for uni that a lot of people thing in y11. multiple of my friends have been rejected from courses because they didn’t get a high enough grade in the required subjects or their profile was just not competitive enough. it’s not the most important aspect but there is really no reason not to try your best.

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ESCF1F2F3F4F3F2F1ESC@reddit

If anyone has advice on how to revise for my gcse or get into a routine I’d appreciate it

Google "the pomodoro technique". Basically you split your revision into 25 minutes work / 5 minutes break chunks:

1) Set a timer for 25 minutes and start revising a particular topic

2) When the timer goes off, get up and do something unrelated to revision, ideally which involves a tiny bit of exercise (like walking to another room, nothing ridiculously strenuous)

3) Set another 25 minute timer and start revising a different topic

4) Repeat for however many hours you've decided to revise for

I only discovered this in my 30s after struggling my way through GCSEs, A-Levels, a BA and an MSc, and I'm fucking furious about it because it makes concentrating on things so much easier.

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Vellomanaca@reddit

They make it way more easy think of it as a ship that takes a long time to turn around so putting a small amount of effort in to stay on the right path now will means less effort needed to correct.

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Normal-Height-8577@reddit

This.

It isn't the end of the world and a bad start to adulthood can be overcome - but it gets harder when you're trying to turn that ship around later in life. Not least, because you're going to have to do it part time, while holding down a job and also potentially juggling family commitments.

Doing it now, when learning is the only job you have? It's the easiest time to do it.

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fuckssake321@reddit

You know this thread is making me think that GCSE exams are almost wasted on teens. If we all took them at the age of 25, then a lot more of us would probably be making much more considered choices!

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WatchingTellyNow@reddit

You might want to work on your spelling and grammar too. I've lost count of the errors in your post. For some subjects (including English, of course) you could get marked down for poor spelling and grammar, so there's a way to avoid losing marks.

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fuckssake321@reddit

Good GCSEs are your safety net for your quarter-life/mid-life crisis when you realise you've made a terrible mistake and need to completely change careers/lines of work.

Me for example, from sixth form onwards I only ever did humanities subjects (even though I'd got strong As in Maths and Triple Science), but I ended up hating my uni course (I liked the experience though) and then couldn't find any full-time work with ok pay (few graduate jobs going in 2019 even before the pandemic -> pandemic -> minimal work experience to use as a springboard -> I'm in a region of the country where a significant portion of the local economy is seasonal).

That all ate up what were supposed to be the best years of my 20s.

I landed in surveying (under civil engineering, so STEM) via some inspiration I got from one of my seasonal jobs, and that was only possible because of my Maths and Triple Science GCSEs.

So do at least try to do well in your GCSEs, your future self might be thanking you for the effort you put in.

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OneDay_OneLife@reddit

Depends on your drive and the career you wish to pursue, I didn't do well in my GCSE's but I've worked hard and have an average job with a comfortable life.

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ihavetakenthebiscuit@reddit

You're an inspiration to us all.

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OneDay_OneLife@reddit

Most people give far-fetched scenarios, I think it's good to appreciate what you have and how lucky even being average in a Western world is.

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ihavetakenthebiscuit@reddit

Oh, i didn't mean it in a mocking way, people underestimate how good being average is.

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tmr89@reddit

lol nice rowing back

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ihavetakenthebiscuit@reddit

I should try a career in politics 🤣

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OneDay_OneLife@reddit

All good but 100%!

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Beartato4772@reddit

Once you get into whatever education follows them they become a footnote. Post degree I didn’t even use them on my cv.

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DrinkMyPink@reddit

No.

Only if you are determined to progress into more education. And guess how teachers became teachers? By being in education their entire life. life.

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ConditionImportant63@reddit

You'll be just fine. All I'll say is you will need to learn good revision skills for AS/A level and beyond. But I can't say I learnt those skills myself before that point!

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THXORY@reddit

They can be, but especially if you are going to universitry, your A Levels are masasively more important, because it's A-Levels that determine which university and course you can get into

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PiotrGreenholz01@reddit

They're a significant first step into adult life.

I was sick of school at 16, & I f***ed up my O levels, then my A levels, then dropped out of a one year course, then signed on & it took me years to even vaguely sort my life out - I think I became acclimatised to failure & to the inevitability of letting myself down.

So basically don't let yourself get used to that. Keep moving forward & pushing yourself. Acclimatise to pushing yourself & achieving goals.

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SquirrelIll8180@reddit

In a few years you can tell employers you got straight A's and no one will ever check if you're lying

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PingouinFluffy@reddit

I would say (as an ex teacher), that maths and English are really important. Try not to fail them as it will prevent you from doing stuff like apprenticeships, college courses, teacher training etc. They aren't hard so put some effort in and you can forget all about them.

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HirsuteHacker@reddit

English and Maths are most important, besides those the only ones that matter are the ones that get you the career you want or into the college/uni you want. Not having certain GCSEs could completely block entire career paths for you. You can retake GCSEs when older but it's a pain in the arse.

It's worth putting the effort in now.

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notThaTblondie@reddit

In 10 years no one will ask your gcse scores. But right now they do matter because without them you dont get to the next step. And if you already can't be bothered, you aren't getting in to uni and completing a mechanical engineering course. That takes work and self motivation.

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R_Eyron@reddit

If you want to do STEM at uni you're going to need a lot more motivation for studying than you currently have. It only gets harder and more demanding from here, and it's not something that will just turn on one day without you making a change. You don't need GCSEs to live, but you certainly need them to become a mechanical engineer. Don't think studying stops with school either, for a career in STEM you're always going to be learning and updating your knowledge. Part of the fun of a STEM career is the learning.

Write yourself a calendar of now until your exams, count how many days until each one, divide the time you have feasibly available for revision up by the amount of subjects you have, and then dedicate that amount of time each day to revising. Mix up your strategy between note taking, highlighting, past papers and questions. A hell of a lot of work for a single month will pay off with a relaxing summer where you don't have to worry about how little effort you put in and whether you can achieve your goal of getting into the A levels you need.

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ProfPMJ-123@reddit

Yes, they are.

You’ll not need to look hard to find some knobhead celebrity who’ll tell you not to worry, they failed theirs and they’re still rich and famous.

You know who else failed theirs GCSEs? All the dole dwellers on sink estates in Wigan.

If you fail your exams the chances are you’re on a path to a failed life.

Work hard. They matter.

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kewpiemoon@reddit

My sister had a masters degree and still had to go on benefits because she couldn’t find a job. Respectfully, stfu

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Wise-Pay-8993@reddit

Not really, I done very badly and failed most of my gcses and am doing very well in life so are many others. The claim in your comment that all the dole dwellers done badly in gcses is one of the worst takes i've ever heard on this website. Yes gcses are important but i knew many people who were resitting maths or english at sixth form or college, they then got into uni, etc.

There's also many who go down trades or other job routes and do well in life. Also always be humble in life no matter how rich you are the chances of us becoming homeless and losing it all are still high. Theres plenty of homeless folk who had the degree, the house, job, etc. Don't judge anyone as you never truly know anyone's situation.

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FarAcanthocephala210@reddit

Funny because I did well in mine and I’m the dole dweller while friends who worked for family businesses after failing get job offers I get ignored by simply by having the experience over me. Kinda sad how outdated nonsense is still being spewed as life or death to kids instead of telling them the truth so they know what to really expect in life.

Qualifications are as good as toilet paper in 2026 you need to experience by any means necessary. If you don’t get that you can join the rest of us in the 20% youth employment rate

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hallerz87@reddit

Time to develop a better work ethic. Your attitude won't serve you well for A-Level, and will guarantee failure in university.

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KoorbB@reddit

It’s a step. You need GCSEs to get into further education and A Levels (or equivalent) to get into University and so on.

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Ok_Cow_3431@reddit

"I've been accepted to my choice of further education provided I attain a grade Im not achieving yet" should give you all the answer you need tbh

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DameKumquat@reddit

There are ways round any barriers in life, but if you can do things the straightforward way, it may make your life easier in future.

In your case, if you want to do those A-levels, and presumably the school think you have the ability, it will be a fuck of a lot easier if you already have top level GCSE knowledge. Really, trust me on this. Put the work in to your maths and sciences. If you're literate and can write some stuff that's coherent, then Eng Lang should be OK and the other stuff - meh.

But trying to comprehend A-level maths or chemistry or physics when you're ropey on the background is no fun.

You've got five weeks. Work hard on past questions. It'll make a big difference - physicasandmathstutor.com has loads of past papers and answers for free.

Then deal with the results, but a bit of work pre-A level is always helpful - after some time off!

I'll go and poke my own kid to work too - only doing English and Maths, so that's a lot of life options which will be tougher if they want to do them later, like uni...

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CaptainHindsight92@reddit

Honestly, work your arse off for a few weeks and it massively improves your opportunities for life. It just makes everything easier, you will be surprised how many jobs or apprenticeships have specific requirements. My partner wanted to retrain at 25 and she had to jump through so many hoops.

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Langasaurus@reddit

Yes, do your best.

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ramapyjamadingdong@reddit

I'm nearly 40, with an undergraduate degree, a postgraduate degree and chartered status. I apply for a new job and get asked what my gcse results are. You need your GCSEs and even if you do further study, they are always the baseline.

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Nosworthy@reddit

I've always worked on the principle that each qualification is only important to get you to the next stage, then becomes less important.

Let's say you have a career path in mind...

You need GCSEs to get into Further Education. Once you get there, it's all about your A-Levels or equivalents.

You need A-Levels to get to university. Once you get there, your GCSEs aren't important.

At university, you work towards a degree. You need the degree to get interviews and a foot in the door in your chosen field. At that point, neither GCSEs or A-Levels are particularly important.

Once you start working in that field, you need real world experience and achievements to support you to get promoted or develop your career. At that point, the degree is less important.

And so on...

Let's assume you don't have a career path in mind and just want to work - the higher qualifications you have, the more likely you are to stand out from others - until the point where you start working and are looking for a better job, in which case real world experience is more important and GCSEs less important, and so on.

Also - being lazy and not trying is a very easy habit to get into and a very difficult habit to break - you might think it's pointless now but you're far more likely to then take that same approach with everything. A little bit of effort now will set you to go a long way.

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mrsp124@reddit

If you don't get English and maths it'll come back and haunt you when you least expect it. Apart from that, they don't matter to much when you're older. But the jobs market it really tough for young people at the moment, so l'd say you need a bunch of GCSEs just to set yourself apart from the other applicants.

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velos85@reddit

Important but not the end of the world. Don’t stress about them but don’t not bother either.

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HalfAgony-HalfHope@reddit

Yes and No. I cant even remember what my results where, my degree supercedes GCSE and A Level.

But they're stepping stones to the next thing and you do need them for A Levels and Uni.

Incidentally, I have friends who cant find their GCSE certificates and have had to re-do an equivalent qualification for maths and english for a mandatory accreditation at work and they are struggling to re-learn the stuff 20 years after they were taught it.

Put the effort it and keep the certificates safe 🤣

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ToasterMonster69@reddit

Yup, this was me. I passed my GCSE’s, A Levels, and two years of uni (before drop out).

Did a qualification aged 32 and since I couldn’t find my certifications or proof I passed English and maths, I had to take an extra 6 months and lessons to get a certificate for both. I did end up passing, but it was a pain in the ass to have to prove two core GCSEs almost 20 years after I took them.

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yyyyzryrd@reddit

Good grades make everything easier.

I was set on doing CS in college/sixth form, and possibly going to university for a CS speciality. I did CS in high school, but ended up a few marks off a B in maths (I had a horrible year and missed almost half of my lessons). This meant I couldn't do CS in sixth form, which spiralled into me going to university years later.

It's not the end of the world, just an inconvinience.

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Teaboy1@reddit

So you scrape a 7 and get into sixth form. You then scrape a B in what ever subjects you need. You are going to be 1 of 4000 people applying for 40 places on an undergrad engineering course. Why would the admissions tutor pick you with 7s and Bs when others have 8s and A*s?

GCSEs don't matter once you have a degree. But they are one of the keys that get you a degree. So for you they are very important right now. What happens if you don't get a 7 in maths?

Also you need to learn how to study. Its a vital skill for A levels and uni. Its a bit deeper than just reading the textbooks. GCSEs is good practice.

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Aggravating_Cloud657@reddit

It's better to have them, than to not.

You might find you'd have to end up doing them later in life instead (and paying for them, too).

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ihatepickingnames810@reddit

They’re important in getting to the next stage, for you that’s 6th form. Your A-levels will also assume you have a firm grasp of the GCSE content.

Plus, this is your first time studying for important exams. As you plan to go to uni, you’re looking at 5 more years of exams. Learning how to motivate yourself when you don’t want to, learning how to study, how to balance different subjects, how to complete the questions in the time allotted are all important skills you will need to succeed at uni.

For study tips, make a schedule based on your exam timetable and how much work is needed in each subject. Do a past paper, mark it and review the areas you struggled with. Repeat until you’re able to answer every question.

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themflyingjaffacakes@reddit

Use chat gpt and ask it to turn subjects into games/quizzes etc. Make it interactive, give your ai a silly voice or ghetto way of speaking, whatever keeps you engaged!

Good luck and push through.

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sail__away@reddit

Do your best lad. You have no idea if you will need the results of these exams or not, so best course of action is to grade-max. If you lean toward A-level/Uni route, then yes, they matter.

And don't call me Surley.

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HashDefTrueFalse@reddit

Something to bear in mind. Well over a decade after leaving university and thinking I was done with education forever, I needed to return to education temporarily for a professional qualification. Bizarrely, that door would have been closed to me without grades from a long time ago. It has led to me making more money. I have been asked by every education institution I've ever attended to prove my school qualifications. They all want Maths and English at a decent grade, or you'll be redoing them alongside your studies, if they even let you onto the programme. That will seriously impact what you can study and where.

Also, my good grades at school meant that I got awarded money at college (£500 IIRC) and more of the same at college got me extra money for university (£3000 IIRC), which helped a lot.

In some of the more traditional professions you will be discounted almost immediately without decent grades throughout your academic career.

You don't really know where life will take you, but might really matter if have high ambitions initially or you ever want to change direction later.

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Anubis1958@reddit

Also you may find that you need good GCSE grades for some university

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hannahbeliever@reddit

Maths and English GCSE's are very important. You need to pass though as a minimum... Most jobs that pay above minimum wage will have them as a minimum requirement

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Glasgowbeat@reddit

Learning how to revise can be tough. When I was at school I got straight As because I was really good at doing past papers. When I went to uni I discovered past paper didn't exist and really struggled.

I found it very useful to a huge list of short questions and answers about whatever I was studying. Going back through the questions I had written was hugely beneficial. I also found that sitting with a couple of friends and talking through everything was very helpful - if you can explain it to someone else then you know it.

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Morganx27@reddit

They're important, but not the be all and end all. The better your GCSE results, the better college you get into, the better uni you get into, the better job you get into. But if you genuinely try your best and don't do as well as you were hoping, it's not like your life is over.

I have no advice for getting into a routine because I was very bad at revising, I skated through with no revision and got Bs in basically everything. But just try your best, if you get into bad habits now then they'll be harder to break out of.

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DJGibbon@reddit

Don't look at it in terms of the grades you're aiming to get, look at it in terms of the knowledge you're gaining and the good habits you're building. If you dick around now and coast through your GCSEs, you'll probably struggle at A-level and have to work twice as hard to catch up at a time when you REALLY want to party more. And when you get to uni you will absolutely need good discipline to study and make progress. Boring answer I know, but put the work in now and you will absolutely reap the rewards later.

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Sparko_Marco@reddit

Yes but mainly because even now if I apply for a job some will only accept me if I have a C in maths and English even though I done them 30 years ago and would massively fail them now. It's stupid really when they are no longer relevant.

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RedNightKnight@reddit

They don’t matter the further you move away from them, but they’re a stepping stone to higher qualifications that open more doors and give you more choices, is what I tell my kids. So always do the best that you can.

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sakmentoloki@reddit

For me personally gcses have had zero effect on my life beyond I guess my first cv job interview. After that it has never mattered.

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PetersMapProject@reddit

I’m hoping to go to uni for mechanical engineering after my a-levels.

Bear in mind that the universities will be able to see your GCSEs and they will be the only completed qualifications they'll be able to see.

If you have mediocre GCSEs and stellar predicted A Levels, the university is naturally going to wonder if the predictions are realistic.

Finally, even with a 2:1 from a Russell Group university, I have had employers asking about my GCSE English and Maths grades. They are important.

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Keewaa1@reddit (OP)

Thank you all for the reply’s, I appreciate it and realise that trying at least a little for my gcse will benefit me greatly.

If anyone has advice on how to revise for my gcse or get into a routine I’d appreciate it as I’ve never revised before other than past papers!

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peppermint_aero@reddit

Exams and revision - Study support - BBC Bitesize https://share.google/t0LGRimpC6zS6dbOp

Good luck!

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all-the-trimmings@reddit

A lot of universities and courses flat refuse you if you don't have G.C.S.E's. Most require at least English and Maths G.C.S.E, even if if you've done an access course. Functional skills doesn't count for shine, either.

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Sleepyllama23@reddit

They help with whatever comes next. So if you need certain grades to do a levels or a course you want to do etc. It also might be needed if you want to go to uni or do another qualification in the future. Also you will likely need to have passed maths and English at various stages in your life. That apprenticeship or job you really want might have a minimum requirement of GCSE maths and English pass. I’m late forties and jobs often still ask for this. Just try your best. Prepare with revision as much as you can and you’ll be fine. P.s there are qualified teachers giving free YouTube tutorials on GCSE syllabus subjects which my kids found really useful alongside revision books and after school revision sessions the school ran.

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Kiss_It_Goodbyeee@reddit

At your age, yes they are important. Doing well in your GCSEs makes life easier in that you will have more choices open to you. Doing badly is not the end of the world, but does majorly reduce your options for your next step.

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JustUseDuckTape@reddit

GCSE's will factor into university offers, so it can have some pretty lasting impact. There are companies out there that care about your GCSE results, and will dismiss you out of hand without the relevant grades; not many, but it would be a real shame to miss out because of it.

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LowarnFox@reddit

I have a friend who was educated outside of the UK and so doesn't have formal English and maths qualifications. They have a degree and a masters, but the lack of maths still comes up occasionally when applying for jobs. In a job market where there are potentially 100 people applying for the same job, filtering out people without basic qualifications is an easy way to cut the field down.

Having English language, maths and science to a good standard is probably enough- employers are less likely to care about Spanish or history or food tech (or whatever) in most cases.

It is worth bearing in mind that depending on the uni, they may look at your GCSEs as part of the entry process- a decent number of 6s will be enough for most unis. You do have to declare all qualifications on UCAS, so any fails/grade 3s etc would need to be declared and won't look impressive for a top uni.

It's also good practice to build good study habits now for your A-levels (which you'll likely find harder).

You will always see people, especially older people, saying lack of GCSEs hasn't held them back- and it's true that this is the case, but things are changing and it is harder and harder to build a career with a lack of basic qualifications these days. It's also the case that a lot of these people didn't follow a traditional accademic route.

Do you have a back up plan if you don't get the 7 in maths? Is there no English requirement at all for your sixth form?

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peppermint_aero@reddit

The exams are so close now. It's not long to go.

If you fail, you enter a cycle of retaking and retaking and it may delay your 6th form entrance which would then have a knock on effect on other things.

Universities also do care about GCSE grades.

For the sake of a few weeks' revision now, lock in to free your future self.

Have a chat with a teacher you trust at school. Explain your motivation struggles. They'll have seen it before and will have some suggestions.

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Amazing_Winter_725@reddit

Yes, they do. Think of them as the key to unlocking the next step.

If you don’t get good GCSE grades, you might not be able to take the A-level subjects you want, it sounds like your predicted grade is already one grade below what you need, so that indicates to me you need to do some revision! Universities do look at your GCSE grades as well as your predicted A-levels in order to make offers. You never know who you are up against in the application process, you could easily be up against someone who got an 8 in GCSE maths and a science and has the same predicted grades as you for A-level, so they end up getting the offer instead of you.

The more secure you are on the GCSE material, the easier you’re going to find the A-level material, the more secure you are on the A-level material the easier you’ll find the jump to university level subjects.

Also, something that absolutely is taken into account for first jobs is how good the university you went to is - there are different companies and different jobs available if you went to Oxbridge vs Russell Group university vs other universities. And that will affect your first salary, and the job offers going forward.

Getting good GCSE results is absolutely the easiest way to springboard yourself into success in the future. Can you work around it and make a successful career without them? Absolutely - but it can be much harder, and will depend on a mix of luck and personality.

And I’m in my mid-30s with 15+ years work experience, and I still include in my CV my maths and English GCSE results as I didn’t take those subjects for A-level or as part of my degree.

Do your future self a favour and spend tonight drawing up a revision plan, and starting tomorrow you can stick to it and get as good grades as you can.

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PortPiscarilius@reddit

I'm in my thirties and have A-levels and a degree - despite this, my last two jobs have required my GCSE results (they wanted five A* - Cs or 4 - 9s in new money).

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zero_sevenn@reddit

They’re important for A-Levels and University. If you don’t get the grades you need to study the subjects you want to do in A-Levels which you’ll need for University, you’ll have to find an alternative path. Your GCSE results will be worth it for Uni.

If you’re hoping to get into mechanical engineering, you need to lock in

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shadereckless@reddit

Not getting decent grades in Maths and English will really limit your options moving forward.

Practically any course you might want to put yourself forward for in the future will reject you.

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ydktbh@reddit

Only relevant to get into college / apprenticeship. Then college results only matter to get into uni (or a job related to your subjects). Anything after that depends on how well you sell yourself

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Stitch_Face_1982UK@reddit

They are needed to get into the further education you want. Outside of that later in life, no. I work for a global bank and have recruited alot of people, if I'm totally honest I've never asked about degree level education in interviews let alone GCSEs or A-levels. In fact only time I ever raised anything in an interview was for a PhD

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sheepandlambs@reddit

20 years from now? No. But they matter now. They will determine your options after Year 11. Which will then determine your post-18 options. Which will obviously impact future career prospects.

I am 29, and my GCSEs do not matter in my life. But they did matter in the past, because they were the first step on the path to where I am now.

So please do try your hardest at them. When it gets to August and you open your results, you will be grateful that you put the work in.

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WilliamShaunson@reddit

I also had an unconditional place at college by the start of year 11, as I'd got 5 A-C grades in year 10. This did 2 things, 1 positive and 1 negative.

It took the pressure of GCSEs away.

It allowed me to coast for a year, which was hard to pick up again in y1 of college.

What happens as you move up the education layer is people start to drop out. If you are one of the smartest at secondary school, you'll find everyone on your college course was the smartest at theirs.

Then at uni, you'll find they were all the smartest at college etc.

Coasting this early will set up badly if you let it

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notouttolunch@reddit

Having briefly considered your use of English language in your post, I sincerely hope for your sake that they aren't. Americanisms, incorrect spellings and a generally questionable construction of your paragraphs.

I suggest you work as hard as possible to pass these exams because you are not going to passively achieve success.

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WeSavedLives@reddit

no. but this work ethic "I’ve done like 6 hours of revision in total and genuinely have no motivation" will hinder you in life.

Sometimes we have to do things we dont want to and its best to grab those moments and make the best of them.

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FarAcanthocephala210@reddit

Everyone here is probably 30-40+ so you’ll get outdated information. None of this matters, I got 7 GCSEs, then I went to college and messed up my first year doing A levels, was forced to start over at another college and they only did level 3s so I did one in IT, after that I was given the Option of work through the colleges connections, a higher level apprenticeship or Uni. My parents forced me to go to uni even though I didn’t want to and ofcourse I dropped out in the 2nd year.

I thought since I’m not really aiming for a graduate level job anyway I’ll just find a job and work my way up from the bottom. Too bad covid happened, the economy went to shit and companies started cutting costs, no one was willing to train me. Every role I was qualified for needed and still needs a minimum of 2-3 years of experience.

The years just went on, time passed me by and all I’ve done is work odd temporary jobs. The best job I’ve ever been offered was 4 years ago as a fraud analyst at a bank in a town 3 hours away and nothing since.

My point is you can study, you can think everything the “adults” tell you will keep you safe and on track but they don’t control the job market. You can do your GCSEs, you can finish college all with good grades and be 25 unemployed. There’s genuinely no difference between me and someone who doesn’t speak a word of English let alone has qualifications in 2026. That’s why the only jobs I get are temporary in warehouses with Indians on work visas who don’t speak English.

Going back to uni won’t save me, applying for jobs won’t save me and all of it was for nothing. If I was in your shoes I wouldn’t know what to do but I sure as hell wouldn’t care about GCSEs anymore look at the youth unemployment rate. I have a friend that failed everything but because he worked for his dad’s business, that experience got him other jobs. All that matters is nepotism, connections and a network.

Take from that what you will

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SpudFire@reddit

A lot of jobs will still want a C (or whatever the equivalent is now) in Maths and English. Even unskilled jobs such as working in a shop or restaurant, which you might want to do part-time whilst studying, as you'll need to be able to count money quickly for example. English is important for communicating with customers/clients and even colleagues.

For uni - when they're choosing who to offer places to, it might come down to who has higher GCSEs in other subjects. If they see you that did well in Maths, English and Physics but low grades in everything else, and somebody else who was solid across the board, they might pick them instead of you as it shows they might be more willing to study, less lazy or naturally more academic. They want people that will get the highest grades on their uni courses because it will make the uni more appealing to future applicants.

Do your revision. Get the best grades you can. Maybe it won't make much difference, but it's less than a couple of months of effort. You'll kick yourself if it does make a difference and you didn't put the work in. Unless you happen to be an Olympic prospect with a lot of training to do then I can't think of anything a 16 year old would be able to put the time to better use with

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Fast_Assumption_118@reddit

You need at least 5 including the important ones English and maths etc to get most jobs as a minimum. Other than that it is more just a way to get in to college

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starderpderp@reddit

As a fresh grad/candidate to job applications, depending on how competitive your field of employment is, your GCSE will matter.

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Less_Mess_5803@reddit

They won't determine your whole life, but the lack of them can close doors before you even knew you wanted to go through them. I know very successful people with no qualifications, but I also know very poor people with no qualifications too.

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EntirelyRandom1590@reddit

I knew someone that had a 1st in Aerospace Engineering MEng, but couldn't get through the Airbus grad scheme because his GCSE weren't good enough. It was an easy, but utterly pointless, way for them to reduce the headcount of the potential candidates.

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Scared-Room-9962@reddit

Of course they matter.

So you think they make every kid in the country sit them for a laugh or something?

Of course they matter less the more highly educated you get, but you need them to open to door to a levels etc.

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Teh_yak@reddit

Every stage you fuck up, you restrict your future options. Failing GCSE's restrict your immediate life afterwards.

Doing badly may be alleviated by your next step not requiring them. But, having them increases choices from just the ones that will accept you, to whatever is available. Much easier to be the one choosing.

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Equivalent-Ad-2373@reddit

Yes, absolutely. Take it from me—don’t let anybody tell you otherwise.

I used to believe that GCSEs didn’t matter, because you could always do A-levels, go to uni, and so on. But let me tell you something: without GCSEs, you’ll struggle to get into a good college or sixth form. And without good A-levels or solid qualifications after that, getting into university and studying a strong course becomes much harder.

If you wanted to become a doctor, for example, you’d need A-levels in subjects like chemistry, biology, or maths (depending on the course). To be able to take those at A-level, you need a good understanding of them at GCSE.

Your GCSEs are what set you up for everything that comes next. It might seem insignificant now, but try your best. It’s far better to have tried and not done as well as you hoped than to not try at all and fall short, because you’ll always look back and wonder, “what if?”

You’re at an age where you can still become anything you want. Make the most of it. People used to tell me the same thing, because they had been told it too, and I didn’t listen. I regret it everyday!

P.S. Your offer is provisional, not formal. If you fail to meet the grad requirements, you won't get in..

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Sea-Reply-7596@reddit

To add to your points if you want to be a doctor through undergraduate route ypu need great GCSEs to get an interview!

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signol_@reddit

In each stage of life, things are important for the next stage. So GCSEs are important, but only until you're at college or doing A Levels. Then A Levels are important, but only as a stepping stone to university or a first job. Uni is important but then only for the first job. And so on.

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MaleFeministActuary@reddit

Mathematics and English language do matter, the rest you can sleep through.

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PutTheKettleOff@reddit

For someone wanting to be a mechanical engineer, I'd be wanting a 6/B in physics/ science bare minimum.

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BillynBanjo@reddit

As you've acknowledged yourself, you cannot study your preferred A-Level courses without achieving certain grades at GCSE. Without those preferred A-Levels, you are far less likely to be able to study your chosen degree.

This is where the value of GCSEs is.

If you don't get your 7 in maths, you basically need to either resit the GCSE or entirely rethink your plans for your future.

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poopolisher@reddit

Not at all

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toommy_mac@reddit

A 7 won't cut it for further maths. Even if it technically reaches the entry requirements, its not good enough. Your algebra needs to be top-notch, your logic airtight, and you need to be willing to struggle and persevere. It's a hard course with lots of content, lots of abstract working. Are you doing it because you like maths, or because those are subjects that look good? There's a big difference.

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SermoLupiAdAnglos@reddit

If they're all you get, then yes, they will be important in the early years of your career.

If you get A Levels, nobody will care about your GCSEs apart from English and Maths.

If you get a degree, then nobody past your first job will care about your A Levels or your GCSEs

Once you get a job with a few years experience, nobody really cares about any of it, apart from the basic fact of having a degree.

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BennyHudson10@reddit

Every form of education is important for unlocking the next stage, and then it ceases being relevant. If you leave school with only GCSEs, your GCSEs are very important to getting you that first job. Once you have your first job, your second job will only be concerned with your first job.

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WiseBelt8935@reddit

Not a single person has actually asked not even the sixth form I attended.

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WayneCl@reddit

Doing well in your GCSEs is not just about the grade you get, it's about the learning you do. If you scrape through maths at this stage because you haven't learned the basics, you'll struggle at maths and physics at A level and engineering later on. You can't catch it up later. The point of studying is to learn stuff, not just to get the grades.

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TraditionalScheme337@reddit

Speaking as a 40 year old, I have not had anyone look at my GCSEs for over 20 years. But, they look at my degrees and my experiences and I would never have got my degrees without having GCSEs prior to that and the same goes for my experiences, the companies wouldnt have hired me without the degrees.

Same goes for my wife. She is partner of a law firm now but would never have got her law degree without her A levels which she wouldnt have got without her GCSEs.

They do very much shape what you can do in tue future.

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PootMcGroot@reddit

Broadly, it depends what your plans are. They're generally viewed as stepping stones to higher qualifications.

However, passing and English and Maths is likely critical no matter what your plans are - this is a baseline requirement for many employers at all levels (and will make your life much easier if you're properly numerate and literate).

Even more broadly, they're critical in just understanding how basic things in the world work. Knowing how your kidneys work or how a glacier is formed or who the wives of Henry 8th were is unlikely to directly impact your life directly... but you'll be thought of as a bit of an idiot by your social circle when you're 40 if you don't.

Education isn't just about passing exams, it's also about how people will (silently) judge you in the future.

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notspringsomnia@reddit

It depends on your career. I’m in education when I’m in employment and GCSEs are important for applicants for teachings positions. It’s genuinely required that teachers or teaching assistants have at least a C or modern number grade equivalent in maths and English.

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Weird-End5410@reddit

English and maths are essential for everyday life. I think all the others are about finding out what you enjoy doing. Do those subjects at college/uni/apprenticeship and try and get yourself a job you love.

Once you have your first job and got some experience, no one is interested in the GCSEs listed on your CV.

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fayemoonlight@reddit

To get into college and sixth form they are. Once you get your A Levels and degree then they’re useless. You will need at least a C in English Language and Maths. My friend unfortunately got rejected from a course at uni when returning as a mature student as she didn’t have her maths GCSE

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MrMonkeyman79@reddit

They're the most important thing till you get a levels or equivalent, which are the most important thing until you get a degree/ experience in a job.

You won't get those other things without the base GCSEs though.

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JKO-1991@reddit

Absolutely pointless by the time you hit 25/30 😅

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Substantial_Wheel_96@reddit

Trust me, you will look back and wish you did more if you don't try now.

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ThickTadpole3742@reddit

They haven't been important to my life in the slightest, I'm 40. However if I could go back I would have revised and tried harder. Not to get a "better job" but just because. This is almost the very last chance you have to gain qualifications and knowledge for "free", enjoy being 16 and all that comes with it.

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bqw74@reddit

It's a right of passage. Your first truly formal examination experience. If you want to study engineering, you better get serious about exams and there is no better time to start than right now.

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nikhkin@reddit

In 20 years? They won't matter too much. Right now? They're very important for you and will make sure that they don't matter in 20 years.

Your GCSEs will secure you a place in sixth form. When applying for universities, your GCSE grades will help the university decide if your predicted level-3 grades are accurate and if they want to offer you a place.

You could be lazy and get yourself a passing grade. That will put you at a disadvantage when competing with someone who put in a bit more effort and got a slightly higher grade. Put the effort in now, and it'll make your life a bit easier in future.

It's literally 2 months until you are done with year 11 and you can be lazy until September.

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GushingAnusCheese@reddit

Important if you want to move to the next stage of your education, if not then they are not that important no.

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sennalvera@reddit

Well it's true that there's a minimum floor of GCSE qualifications that, if you don't have, you're not going to get into any form of professional job and will struggle even with some manual jobs.

More generally, drifting along doing the bare minimum is okay in the early years of school, but it isn't going to work in university. You might as well learn now how to discipline yourself to do work you don't want to do, and to push through even when it's boring or frustrating or too hard.

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NoChoiceForSugar@reddit

English and Maths, yes. Everything else, no.

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mattt5555@reddit

From a different point of view:

Back 20 years ago, I joined the police, couple of years after university, a few of my new mates on the course had failed everything or not bothered with their GCSEs and worked random jobs until our start date. They didn't care back then about your school qualifications, and it hasn't made any difference to my job prospects whether I did the degree or not compared to some of my colleagues who have gone the promotion route. It's about showing you can do the job or at least explain about it well! But since then, you need A levels or equivalent to join, and that's similar in a lot of public services. My friend changed career to be a midwife and had to go back and do Maths and English GCSEs at 35 years old.

If you do anything, try and get a few, as you never know where you're going to end up, but it's helpful to have that head start.

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sharpied79@reddit

All depends, at 18 years of age and applying for jobs, probably.

At 47 (like I am now) with nearly 30 years and a multitude of jobs behind me, no.

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Loud_Fisherman_5878@reddit

If you’re not motivated to study for GCSEs, what makes you think you will be motivated for Alevels or a very difficult degree? I’m guessing by your subject choices that you naturally quite good at maths and probably got quite far by not having to work (although, no offence but you aren’t so good that you don’t need to do any work at all as you aren’t yet predicted a 7). A level maths is harder and mechanical engineering is very difficult and unless you are an absolute genius, you will need to work hard to pass them. If you don’t like studying then is it the right path for you?

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ThrowRAkitty13@reddit

Not exactly for life, although you will be required to have a pass in english and maths minimum to get pretty much any job, but they are a stepping stone into the next level of education.

Good GCSE grades determine which A-Levels you can do, and good A-Levels determine what sort of uni you can get into, if that's the path you choose.

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DukeSunday@reddit

It's one of those things where your actual results will stop being relevant about five minutes after you open them - nobody will ever care about them - but the knock-on effect for poor results could potentially be quite big.

Like I can't for the life of me remember what my actual results were, but they were good enough to allow me to do my a-levels of choice. That turned into my uni of choice, etc. If they'd been poor enough to derail my immediate A-level plans that would've had a pretty big knock on effect through my life.

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Reasonable-Isopod736@reddit

Yup. If you do not have them, you do NOT have them. I was mass denied almost every apprenticeship I applied for within seconds because I had a C in maths 15 years ago and not a B. This was for a level 3 course, and I had a full degree in a different subject when I applied.

I only got one in the end as I started cold emailing people and my degree interested them as it was adjacent and unusual for someone in the industry to have, yet also quite nice to have.

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Joshthenosh77@reddit

Yes get them

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Surreywinter@reddit

Universities look at GCSEs as well as A’Levels - or at least the better ones do

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geeered@reddit

If you want to got to university and do well... then more important than the grades are being able to focus on learning.l, even things you find boring.

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lapodufnal@reddit

Posted this a while ago, just went back to find it since I liked the way I explained it.

Every stage of education closes off some doors depending on how well you do and what you choose to study. If you do great at GCSE you can pick any A Levels, do great at those and can choose any relevant apprenticeship or degree and so on.

Doing badly closes some doors, or turns them into a small window that’s harder to get through if that metaphor makes sense?

I was very academic and studied a STEM degree and masters. I had doors open all the way through to choose what I wanted to study. My best friend was limited to certain choices because she didn’t do well in GCSEs and nothing she would get to do at college interested her at all. She worked in entry level positions, used those skills to progress to the next thing and so on. She has a great career now but had some difficulties like having to re-do maths and English GCSEs while working and being a parent.

Things are a bit tougher now, it’s not super easy to find an entry level job with low qualifications and work your way up but it is possible and there is support like being able to do the qualifications around work.

Long story short, don’t panic overly about GCSEs, it’s not the be all and end all. But having decent grades gives you more choices and keeps more doors open for you, so do your best. If you find it too much, focus on the ones that will keep open the doors that matter most to you. Always Maths and English, then the ones that are required for what you want to do next. For example, if I’d done terribly in Art I just would have never mentioned it on any applications and no one would know I ever studied it

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IsOkay_No@reddit

No one can motivate you to do anything but I do remember having to take my wife to re sit her maths GCSE in a school with year 11s because she needed it to start working despite just finishing her masters

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72dk72@reddit

Yes it can affect your whole life as early on it will define what career paths are open to you. Overtime it matters slightly less,but in can still stop you living your dream.

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dinkidoo7693@reddit

Maths and English are the most important ones.
All employers want this.
The rest will determine whether you want to take certain alevels and a degree afterwards. Its great getting a good grade in history but at the same time it probably won’t help you become a skiing instructor.

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BrillsonHawk@reddit

If you can't be bothered with your GCSE's what makes you think A-Levels and a degree will be any easier.

GCSEs aren't really valuable once you have finished education, but universitys will look at them and if you fail at a-levels and your degree they will be the only qualification you have to fall back on

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x_S4vAgE_x@reddit

The further you get away from them, the less they matter and then further qualifications and workig experience are more important.

But if you want to go to sixth form/uni etc then you'll need to meet the entry requirements so in that regard GCSE's can be very important and shape your life

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jock_boy1980@reddit

This….

GCSE’s are what helps open the first door / take the first steps into further education and subsequently your first job

The further you go in life the less they are asked about when applying for a job.

But for that very first job GCSE’s are one of the only things an employer has to view on your CV and they could make the difference between inviting you for an interview over someone else

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AssumptionBudget279@reddit

No it’s not true, there are plenty of courses to do for young people that employers would find interesting rather than your GCSE’s. And certain volunteering and summer jobs etc

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xcxmon@reddit

They are a shortcut to A-Levels, which are a shortcut to University, which is a shortcut to a decent career, which is a shortcut to a secure and rewarding life.

That’s not to say that there aren’t LOADS of alternatives to this, I’m just saying that GCSEs can lay the foundation for a promising future.

Better to have them than not!

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Total_Rules@reddit

I was expelled from school and didn’t take my GCSEs.

I enrolled at a vocational college as a mature student and then went to university and got a degree in Computer Science.

I’ve a software engineer for 12 years and nobody has ever asked me about my GCSEs.

It certainly made things more challenging for me initially but I don’t have any regrets.

That said I’d still recommend younger people focus on their GCSEs as things will be easier.

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Full_Fun9829@reddit

They are important to get to the next stage of education. As an adult no one is asking about them but to get into college I needed them. My results weren't great so at the time I had to fight to get into college without having to redo my GCSEs. Getting into uni they are asking for a levels and sometimes GCSEs. And post graduate they want you to have a decent undergraduate grade. But outside of education, depends on your field of work. Personally I've not been asked about my grade at uni. And certainly no one has asked about GCSEs.

If you're continuing with education it's a good habit to get into studying. In general being able to research as an adult is a great skill which is essentially studying.

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bsnimunf@reddit

Yeah they are pretty important. Even if you dont want to do A-levels alot of the good trade apprenticeships are very competitive and good GCSEs will help with those. If you want to run your own business English writing and comprehension is extremely important for understanding contracts and obviously want a good understanding of maths for running a business. You want to do well in life the. GCSEs will put you on a good footing.

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Fish_Minger@reddit

Yes they are that important, but only as a stepping stone to the next step.

Your GCSEs will determine what if any A-Levels you can do.
Your A levels will determine what university if any and subject you can do.
You degree will determine what Masters you can do and then on to PhD.

The further along you go, only the most recent becomes important to get to the next step.

Of course, there are employers and universities that might ask for your GCSE grades, but it's unlikely the further you progress.

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Jesisawesome@reddit

you need to learn to take exams and get qualifications and GCSEs are a step in doing this. Get good at these and you will find studying for a-levels easier, then studying for your university exams etc etc etc. It's a training level.

Convefrsely as others have said - if you leave school after GCSEs, they are the only evidence you can show of your ability to learn and commit to something, so best efforts in.

Piece of advice - no one EVER has said 'oh i wish I had spent more time fucking around and not tried as hard as I did for those exams.'

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asterallt@reddit

Are they important for a 40 year old? Probably not. Are they important for a 16 year old to have confidence going into A levels and not just scraping in? Yes. Same as A levels are important if you want to go to Uni or get an apprenticeship. Same as doing well at uni or that apprenticeship gives you a spring in your step to your first proper job. It’s always about the next step. Keep plugging away. This period of your life, right now, ahead of GCSEs, is so short. Just ace it and you get the summer off to chill and then go again in September.

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Lau_kaa@reddit

They don't matter to employers later on once you have higher qualifications. If you go on to get a degree no one will really care about your GCSEs. But you do need them to do your A Levels.

And you will also make your own life easier if you get into the habit of revising and working by yourself now, because at degree level no one will hold your hand to study.

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Ok-Airline-8420@reddit

GCSEs are the tutorial level.

You don't absolutely need them but if you skip them it just makes everything harder later on, and you'll probably have to come back the them later on anyway to get where you want to be.

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Educational-Angle717@reddit

They are important but the main ones are to get A-C in are Maths, English and Science. I had a mate who did well overall but got like a D in Maths and then years, and I mean years later like at 25 he had to go back to colleges to get the Maths again to do a course he wanted.

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Gornal-Annie6133@reddit

They are stepping stones to the next set of qualifications. Fail your GCSEs then you won’t be able to progress, until you hit the required grades, which could mean re-sits. If you don’t acquire the expected A Level grades then you won’t get into your chosen Uni. It’s a chain reaction and the harder you work, the more chance of success.

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LichenTheMood@reddit

Not really. However if you don't learn how to practice now a levels will fuck you. And God forbid anything else you want to do.

The low motivation is going to be the killer here. Not your gcse results.

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liverpoolfuckingsuck@reddit

100%. If you fail then that’s it.

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liverpoolfuckingsuck@reddit

I can’t believe you all saw a post from a year 11 saying asking if GCSEs are worth studying for and you’re all saying no. Come on, at least pretend they are so that actually try. Christ alive

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NotMyRealName981@reddit

My feeling is that they are likely to be important for around 10 years after they have been taken. After that, subsequent exams and work experience are likely to be more important. Don't be tempted to ease off on the maths at this point, engineering/physics based courses at university are usually maths-heavy.

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ihavetakenthebiscuit@reddit

Well they are important to get you onto your next step on your ladder. Better to give yourself more options later in life by getting better qualifications now.

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BobBobBobBobBobDave@reddit

Depends what you want to do, but beware a lot of jobs want you to have decent grades in at least Maths and English. And if you want to go to university, they will consider your GCSE grades as well as your predicted A-level grades.

The irony is that if you do well in your A levels and get a degree, no one will ever ask you about your GCSEs ever again. If you don't, though, they might. And bad GCSEs might stop you getting there.

Look at it as a stepping stone and a help in getting interviews later on in life. Wouldn't it be good to do as well as you can here? Then pretty soon you never have to worry about most of those subjects again unless you want to.

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WranglerOriginal@reddit

GCSE Maths and English are good to have in a general sense.

But for Uni you can just do an access course or Foudation year for most degrees.

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Caveman1214@reddit

Same thing was just posted on r/northernireland Good advice on there. As someone said it’s the first rung on the ladder, essential to get to the other rungs

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Brilliant-Crab7954@reddit

Yes and no, as you go into higher education, it means less and less, your A-levels will be worth more, then your degree then masters etcL if you go into vocational courses, they still expect a minimum of C in english and maths , and you dont want to fail them and be at college and take extra classes to pass them. * Im 32 so some of this might be dated.

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Rh-27@reddit

Just do your best. Ultimately, they only really determine what college or sixth form you attend. Thereafter, it's all about A levels and degrees assuming you stay on for higher and further education. If you don't, they suddenly become a lot more important.

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Worried_Suit4820@reddit

GCSEs open the door for you to progress in life. I seem to think my daughter had to put down her GCSE grades on university applications too.

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Xemorr@reddit

Depends on your goals, something like engineering yeah it's important.

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KlausesFriend@reddit

Not really. But you want to try and do well.

If continuing in education it’s going to help you get the signs take you want. And if going to the workforce is going to help you get that first job.

What is also going to help you get that first job is a willingness to put yourself out there and try and prove yourself in a lower paid role. But if you can’t be fucked to go to school for like 6 hours a day you probably won’t enjoy working much.

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