Are GCSEs important later on in life?

SideWinder · 22 Apr 2009 at 16:20

Right, story time!

Right, my girlfriend was in Colombia for 3 and a half years when she was growing up. She joined into Year 9 halfway through the year and her teachers decided it would be best to repeat the year to ensure she fully understood it. She then took exams in Year 10 but those exams aren't anything like SATS, just simply exams to pass the year. She moved to England and went to college. They let her in after interviewing her etc. and achieved 3 A-Levels (ABB) in Music, Spanish and Psychology. She's now at University and expected to get a high 2.1 in Psychology.

Anywho, graduate schemes and the majority of jobs say that to apply, you need 5 A-C GCSEs but does she actually need them? Surely not as she has the A-Levels? But then again, Maths and English GCSEs are always meant to be...well, there as they are the basics? And she'll have a degree?

Any advice?

SB118 · 22 Apr 2009 at 16:22

I can honestly say i have never used ANY of my exam grades (gcse & a-level) to get a job in the last 15 years.

SideWinder · 22 Apr 2009 at 16:23

SB118 said:
I can honestly say i have never used ANY of my exam grades (gcse & a-level) to get a job in the last 15 years.

Not really my question. I am asking whether she needs them to qualify for jobs/graduate schemes. Unless i've misunderstood your post.

Ciphon · 22 Apr 2009 at 16:23

I studied in a different country during the GCSE years and came back to England without any qualification's.. I went back to school and got a C in GCSE Maths and did some AS Level course before I got bored and dropped out.

This hasn't held me back at all! I just explain in my interviews that I went to school abroad, and didn't finish.

SB118 · 22 Apr 2009 at 16:24

SideWinder said:
Not really my question. I am asking whether she needs them to qualify for jobs/graduate schemes. Unless i've misunderstood your post.

Or it could be that i skimmed your OP and totally missed your point. I'll let you decide

J.B · 22 Apr 2009 at 16:24

I would say she should apply regardless.

Greenlizard0 · 22 Apr 2009 at 16:24

GCSE's are only useful for university because A-Level's haven't been finished.

And for getting a job should that route be chosen.

ironman · 22 Apr 2009 at 16:24

Many grad schemes require you to state individual GCSE subjects and results so it can have an influence in the filtering process. Also certain companies require minimum UCAS points for roles.

Raymond Lin · 22 Apr 2009 at 16:25

SideWinder said:
Right, story time!

Right, my girlfriend was in Colombia for 3 and a half years when she was growing up. She joined into Year 9 halfway through the year and her teachers decided it would be best to repeat the year to ensure she fully understood it. She then took exams in Year 10 but those exams aren't anything like SATS, just simply exams to pass the year. She moved to England and went to college. They let her in after interviewing her etc. and achieved 3 A-Levels (ABB) in Music, Spanish and Psychology. She's now at University and expected to get a high 2.1 in Psychology.

Anywho, graduate schemes and the majority of jobs say that to apply, you need 5 A-C GCSEs but does she actually need them? Surely not as she has the A-Levels? But then again, Maths and English GCSEs are always meant to be...well, there as they are the basics? And she'll have a degree?

Any advice?

Tell the prospective employer the truth, that she got moved around when she was younger.

Ysmalari · 22 Apr 2009 at 16:26

I wouldn't have thought so, I always thought A-Levels made GCSEs useless and degrees made A-Levels useless but I suppose it depends what the employer thinks of the A-Levels she has?

Music may be seen by some as a soft subject (definitely not true but non-musicians don't understand) but Psychology is about as academic as you can get and a foreign language always seems to go down well.

Get her to speak to her tutors with her concerns, there must have been some others in the past in the same situation...

Dazzy_G · 22 Apr 2009 at 16:26

SideWinder said:
She's now at University and expected to get a high 2.1 in Psychology.

Pointless degree, my girlfriend got a high 2.1 in Psychology and you can't do bugger all with it (related to Psychology) you need a masters or phd!

[DOD]Asprilla · 22 Apr 2009 at 16:27

I wouldn't worry about it. If you get a josworth they may worry that she doesn't have GCSE English and Maths, but considering she's got A-Levels and a Degree I can't see that being a problem.

Grimley · 22 Apr 2009 at 16:27

SB118 said:
I can honestly say I have never used ANY of my exam grades (gcse & a-level) to get a job in the last 15 years.

Me neither in the last 25 years. :rolleyes:

Every job I've ever applied for the employer wants at least 1-2 years experience.

SideWinder · 22 Apr 2009 at 16:28

She's finishing her 2nd year at University at the moment so i guess she does have time to take GCSEs in Maths and English if it helps but i'm sure she'd rather avoid the extra work.

Greenlizard0: Makes sense.

gurdas: She should be okay on the UCAS front due to her high grades but get what you mean about the filtering, hmm.

Raymond Lin: Again, makes sense. Probably the best thing to do when she comes to applying.

Nix · 22 Apr 2009 at 16:28

Not unless you're going for those stupidly competitive jobs that only egotistical mongrels would want.

Red Porsche · 22 Apr 2009 at 16:29

If the employer is worthwhile working for they should realise she obviously would be able to pass the required gcses and that she clearly has decent maths and english to do those a levels and a 2.1 degree, the stats part in her degree will be around a level and her english skills needed would be above gcse.

antijoke · 22 Apr 2009 at 16:29

She should sue her parents for wrecking her life! That way she wont need a job.

Raymond Lin · 22 Apr 2009 at 16:29

Ysmalari said:
...Psychology is about as academic as you can get and a foreign language always seems to go down well.

Foreign language is useful but psychology is NOT as academic as you can get!

growse · 22 Apr 2009 at 16:32

Raymond Lin said:
Foreign language is useful but psychology is NOT as academic as you can get!

Not strictly true, pretty much subject you can get insanely academic if you want to. How *useful* that is however, is a completely different question.

SideWinder · 22 Apr 2009 at 16:33

Dazzy_G said:
Pointless degree, my girlfriend got a high 2.1 in Psychology and you can't do bugger all with it (related to Psychology) you need a masters or phd!

She should have known that when she studied it...to get far into Psychology, you need a Masters or PHD. Its common knowledge for the majority of students because there is so much to learn. Statistical anaylsis (Google 'SPSS'...ANOVA, Chi-squared and other tests that measure statistics), cognitive behaviour, autism and then there's the biological side. Also modules relating to Freud and the conscious mind. The list is endless because its so large.
You HAVE to specialise to get anywhere.

Raymond Lin said:
Foreign language is useful but psychology is NOT as academic as you can get!

Depends but see what you mean, kinda related to above.

Back on topic now!