Science GCSE
On this page:
~ Important note about new GCSE science courses
~ How science GCSE is organised
~ Links to details of individual courses
~ Support from me
The last exams for the old course are this summer – 2012, so if you have already taken a science exam (core science) last year, then that will have been the old course. If you are starting science this year, then you’ll be following the new course.
Why do you need to know? Because you will then be able to buy the relevant resources (textbooks, revise guides, etc) and source the relevant online information, such as revision websites and exam board information. Just ask your teacher or examinations officer to be sure.
How is science GCSE organised?
Note – I’m NOT talking about the less common courses such as Additional Applied Science or Applied Science.
Have a look at the diagram below. Simply put, students can follow one of three paths: Core Science, Core plus Additional Science or Triple (separate) Science.
Core science is taken first, usually in year 10. It gives you one GCSE. It consists of the first modules – B1, C1 and P1 – in the diagram. Often this course is simply called ‘Science’, rather than core science.
Additional Science is taken next by those who want to continue science. These are the B2, C2 and P2 modules in the diagram. This will give you a second GCSE.
If you want to take separate sciences, giving you three GCSEs in the separate subjects of Biology, Chemistry and Physics, then you take three ‘extension’ modules after the Additional Science modules. This gives you three GCSEs in Biology, Chemistry and Physics. You don’t get the GCSEs in Core and Additional as well!
My son who is in Year 10 has received his statement of examinations in the post.. He has been entered in the Core Science GCSE at Foundation level. It seems that the whole year has been entered for this meaning that noboby has been put forward for the higher paper. Given that he is a high achiever – is doing the higher Maths paper – am I able to get this changed or take this externally?
Hi Rachel,
This is a VERY common complaint! You can’t take it privately unfortunately while your son is ‘attached’ to their present school. The dates for foundation and higher are the same. But it really is no problem for the school to enter your son for higher. It all comes down to how much energy you can put into persuading them. The controlled assessments are not tiered. The school needs to see some evidence that he is capable of more than a C grade. There are two people that you might talk to, apart from the teacher – the exams officer and the head of science. In my experience, the more you keep on at them, while being polite and respectful, the better your chances. Next year, if your son is taking Additional Science, he can go for higher anyway, so taking core science in year 10 is not a disaster; just very annoying.
Hope this helps – good luck.
My Daughter is in year 9, and is due to take a science GCSE the beginning of March, they have just taken a 2nd mock GCSE test and she got an F (which was the highest of the class!!!) in the previous mock everyone got a U. I cannot not understand why they are put in to take these GCSE’s in March this year, if these grades are going to be shown as part of their GCSE results. Is there a reason the school are putting them in in year 9, could they not hold off until year 10?
This is a hot topic amongst teachers! Now that year 9 is not spent teaching for the SAT exams, many schools are starting their GCSEs early. All science modules can be retaken once. I don’t know which course your daughter is following, but i assume she’ll be taking one of the core science modules. The idea is that, if successful, they can save time in year 10, but if everyone is getting bad grades it seems like a waste of time and maybe a de-motivator.
Tell you daughter to look at the exam as just another mock – a way to test her knowledge. There will be time to retake.
Do get in touch if you have questions about this.
The new GCSEs (for taking in 2014) will all be linear – no modules. So that doesn’t affect the core science that your daughter is taking, which is usually a one year course which, I assume, she will complete in 2013. I’m assuming that she is taking one of the three modules this year and the others next year.
If you want to get the details right, ask your examinations officer at school – they’ll know all the ins and outs of retake and resits for your daughter’s course. The idea of taking a module early is that the school will have more flexibility next year and your daughter will have plenty of time to take the resit. Another good source of information is the exam board themselves – I often call them to get up-to-date details and they are always very helpful.
Hey, im triple science student doing the new spec for Edexcel (2011 one)
D’you know if i get a gcse in core science as well as biology, physics and chemistry, or just three gcse’s without core science?
You only get three I’m afraid. Nice try!
Can you help. My daughter has just completed OCR Core Science Predicted Grade B. She is end of Y10 and has experienced a lot of bullying at a maintained school. Although this is a very bad time for a school move, we are thinking of moving her to an independent school who use AQA as the examination board. Can she have Core Science OCR and do AQA Additional? Or will she have to re-sit all Y10 Core Science AQA?
Core and additional are completely separate, so there is no problem – as long as she isn’t intending to do triple science. If that is the case, you have to stay with the same board throughout.