Qualifications: a breakdown…

First things first: a qualifications overview

Whichever path you choose, it will no doubt involve academic study of some form, with the following GCSEs being compulsory:

English (English Lit and English Lang or single English GCSE)
Maths
Science (Core Science, Double Science, or Triple Science)

So what does an academic route involve?

There is no set path as such but if you do decide to go down the academic route, it will tend to involve taking A levels after your GCSEs and then possibly a university course.
On this pathway, you will probably study in a 6th Form college or college of further education at age 17/18 and then a university to study for a Bachelor’s degree.
Degree qualifications can lead to a specific career such as medicine, teaching or law, or you might want to study them for their own sake. You can also choose to study more general subjects such as business studies, languages, history, art, etc.

Want to know more about the possible degree courses available to you? UCAS is one source to check out some degree courses available in the UK.

Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF)

Qualifications: all you need to know

The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) regulates qualifications, examinations and assessments in England.

It has created a single system to catalogue and index qualifications by their ‘level’. It is called the Regulated Qualifications Framework or RQF.

What does this mean? The RQF broadly groups the difficulty and complexity of the knowledge and skills required to attain certain qualifications.

Take a look at the table below for a number of existing qualifications and courses undertaken at school, college, university or the work place for students.

You’ll be able to see which level you’re currently at and where your potential study choices will place you within this framework

Depending on whereabouts you live in the UK, the qualifications open to you may vary. Click on the links below for more information:

What’s new for GCSEs?

You’ll probably know by now that GCSEs in England have changed quite a bit recently – and if you don’t already know then you’ve come to the right place!

GCSE reforms are gradually being phased in between 2015 and 2018.

Changes include:

2-year linear courses with all exams taken at the end of the course
A new grading scale – see below.

GCSEs are now graded from 9 to 1:

GCSE grades 3-1 reflect the old grades D, E, F & G and are classed as Level 1 qualifications.
GCSE grades 9 to 4 reflect the old grades A*, A, B & C and are Level 2 qualifications.
Grade 9 is now the top GCSE grade. There won’t be as many grades 9s awarded as there were A*s. But don’t let that stop you from aspiring to a grade 9!

How will I be affected by GCSE changes?

Depending on when you take your GCSEs and which subjects you take, you could get a combination of letter and number grades.

If you’ll be doing your GCSEs in 2020, all your grades will be numbers.

The core academic subjects of English language, English literature and maths have been the first to be graded 9 to 1 (this year) and another 20 subjects will join them next year with most others in 2019.

Combined science will now receive twin grades e.g. 1-1, 1-2, 2-2… to 9-9.

A new spoken English language GCSE started in 2017. It does not contribute to the 9-1 grade but is reported separately with either a pass, merit, distinction or not classified.

Are you in Wales or Northern Ireland? Your GCSEs are changing too but will not carry the new grading:

What’s new for AS & A Levels?

AS & A levels in England have also undergone reforms that are gradually being phased in between 2015 and 2018.

The changes include:

Refreshed course content with greater input from universities.
AS results no longer count towards an A level.
A levels will typically be 2-year linear courses with AS assessments at the end of one year of study – usually taken in year 12. A level exams will be taken after two years of study- usually at the end of year 13.

The grading scale for AS and A levels will remain the same:

AS – A, B, C, D & E.
A level – A*, A, B, C, D & E.

More What’s Next info…

Qualifications: a breakdown…

First things first: a qualifications overview

So what does an academic route involve?

Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF)

Qualifications: all you need to know

What’s new for GCSEs?

Changes include:

GCSEs are now graded from 9 to 1:

How will I be affected by GCSE changes?

What’s new for AS & A Levels?

More What’s Next info…

Degree Apprenticeships

Gap Year

Apprenticeships

School Alternatives

Further & Higher Education

Qualifications Breakdown