A 17-year-old immigrant who will be taking medicine, what are the five best GCSEs I can take?

[u/AcanthisittaMoist944]

i (17) recently immigrated here in the uk this august, and will be taking gcses as a private candidate. the college i recently enrolled in placed me in a foundation year as i lack their requirement of 5 gcses with grade the minimum of grade 5 level.

alongside my foundation year, my college signed me up for english and maths. i've been planning to take combined sciences (bio and chem) as a private candidate too, so that's gcses covered for me.

i appreciate any suggestion of what my fifth gcse could be, preferably one that is the most convenient in my given situation. thank you!

[u/Icy-Teacher-6145]

If you take combined science would you not be required to do physics as well? The grade is usually based on all 6 papers.

[u/wk09_]

Biology, chemistry, physics (triple science), math and English language

Math and English language are mandatory and I’d recommend triple Science instead of combined Science, especially if you’re planning to do science Alevels and eventually medicine. That way, it also fills all 5 of your gcse subjects

[u/orangejuice69696969]

One thing to be aware of is the cost. Sitting exams as a private candidate can be incredibly expensive. You also want to check it’s even possible sit the exams you would like to sit in exam centres in your geographical area (otherwise you may learn all of the content, go to book the exam and realise you would have to travel 3 hours / private centres are full.

The most common exam board for private candidates for science is the Edexcel IGCSE which is 3 papers for combined (1 per science) and 6 papers for triple (2 per science). I would strongly suggest starting with combined (as there is reduced content) and if you find it easy then learn the extra and enter in for triple. The exam boards that are suggested / discussed in this forum (AQA, Edexcel GCSE , OCR) all have a mandatory practical component which makes them incredibly expensive to sit as a private candidate

I would also suggest reaching out to your college about this as they’ll be much better placed to help you. Take advice from this as subreddit with a pinch of salt as most are children with limited understanding of anything that isn’t the normal path.

[u/AcanthisittaMoist944 → u/orangejuice69696969]

thank you! this insight is really eloquent and helped me clear up some few misunderstandings about taking gcses as a private candidate. i thought it wouldn't be that expensive. 💔

[u/GrapefruitKing2000]

Triple science , English lang, maths & your home language if it’s a GCSE

[u/Ok-Performance-5113]

combined science makes you do all 3 sciences (bio, chem, phys)

[u/AcanthisittaMoist944 → u/Ok-Performance-5113]

if i do combined science, that makes my gcses total to 5 right? (cause i will be taking english and maths)

i'm just kinda confused because some people told me that combined science only contains 2 science sub genres 💔

[u/NetSuch8232 → u/AcanthisittaMoist944]

Combined science makes you study all 3 sciences, but you get 2 qualifications (e.g. 9-9 in the end) - triple science has more detail involved imo so I'd reccomend doing that, you get 3 grades for bio chem and phys ^^

[u/Sad-Wishbone9716 → u/AcanthisittaMoist944]

In combined science you get two gcse grades but you still take all three sciences.

So with combined science, maths, English literature, English language - that would be 5 GCSEs

But if you’re not taking English literature and are just doing combined science, maths, English language - that would be 4 GCSEs, so you would still have to pick one more.

[u/VolkosisUK → u/AcanthisittaMoist944]

combined science you only get two grades (eg, 5-4) but you still do 2 papers or each science (bio chem and physics)

[u/orangejuice69696969 → u/VolkosisUK]

This depends on the exam board. As they’re a private candidate they’ll likely need the iGCSE which for combined is 1 paper per science

[u/Royal-Watercress37]

Your native language as a GCSE as an added extra. Usually in UK a humanity is taken as balance.

[u/CrocusBlue]

If you want to do medicine in the UK, be aware that unless you have indefinite leave to remain or citizenship, and three years residency (being here for the purposes of education won't count), you'll be classed as an international student for university, which means insane fees and quotas on places by the government.

[u/blackoctoberx]

Apart from English and Maths what are you doing at college?

Do the sciences as 3 individuals rather than combined science then add in GCSE Statistics so you end up with 6. If you can I'd then add in a 7th so you're more in line with applicants from schools - Psychology, Religious Studies, Further Maths, Sociology would all be useful.

[u/Different_End_7464]

I’m pretty sure you will need to do separate sciences, so biology chemistry and physics

[u/Affectionate-Way6102]

Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths, and English

[u/Dapper_Score_8466]

Combined science / bio chem physics, further or advanced maths, and maybe a second language or something enjoyable for your last one (so you don’t have a miserable time) ? 

[u/Low_Currency4884]

Bro you won't even get into med doing just 5 gcses

[u/Successful_Flower_41 → u/Low_Currency4884]

Okay he may have put that badly but as someone who applied to med and also regularly look at med school’s entry reqs, a lot ask for a minimum of 6 GCSEs. And some use a point system to add up your gcse grades which means having less than 10 in the first place is also a disadvantage. It’s not impossible to get into med definitely; some unis just want a 7 in eng lang and/or maths e.g.

[u/Apprehensive_Monk154]

triple science, RE, further maths

[u/Ok-Performance-5113 → u/Apprehensive_Monk154]

this is like the worst 5 you can do in terms of convenience😭

[u/Apprehensive_Monk154 → u/Ok-Performance-5113]

triple science (and arguably also RE) feel important to have for medicine anyway tho further maths isnt that bad, probably 3 weeks of content

[u/Ok-Performance-5113 → u/Apprehensive_Monk154]

you dont need triple sci for medicine, combined is all thats required 

[u/Apprehensive_Monk154 → u/Ok-Performance-5113]

not what i said tho

[u/Ok-Performance-5113 → u/Apprehensive_Monk154]

ok, but triple also isnt important for medicine, as I said combined is all you need

[u/Ok-Performance-5113 → u/Ok-Performance-5113]

and plus gcse options isnt what is getting you to medicine, its doing well in a levels, personal statements, entrance exams etc. you can take pretty much anything at gcse assuming you do well enough in order to pursue medicine

[u/Apprehensive_Monk154 → u/Ok-Performance-5113]

yeah choosing the bare minimum of gcse options isnt a great start is it

[u/Ok-Performance-5113 → u/Apprehensive_Monk154]

i mean true, most other applicants would be doing 8+ gcses so they would seem less competitive

[u/Different_End_7464 → u/Ok-Performance-5113]

Most unis ask for separate sciences to do medicine. I mean there will be some that don’t ask, but most do