How To Choose GCSEs | Oxford Home Schooling




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    How To Choose GCSEs

    There are many different GCSE and IGCSE courses on offer when home schooling, and so choosing the right ones for you can seem like navigating a maze. It helps to have a clear understanding of what you want to do in your education and career, as this will guide you towards the GCSEs you need to be a lawyer, the GCSEs you need to become a vet or perhaps GCSEs needed to become a pilot. If this is the case, then the requirements make choosing your subjects much easier. If you have no idea what you want to do in future and at this stage many students don't, then make sure you have the core subjects and a wide variety of others so that you are not limited later. We have outlined the key things to consider when selecting your GCSEs at home. You can find the full selection of our courses here, including IGCSE options.

    What Do You Want To Study?

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    This is the most important question to ask yourself when choosing your GCSEs. Do you want to be a doctor? Or a lawyer? Perhaps an engineer or a pilot? Some A Level courses, such as Biology. will have specific GCSE requirements, so once you have a path to follow, selecting the options you need for that discipline are easier to pick out.

    For example, to become a lawyer, you typically benefit from having good grades in the humanities, especially English Language and History.

    To be a doctor, a dentist or a vet, you will always need specific GCSEs, including:

    • Chemistry
    • Biology
    • Maths or Physics (studying both will open up more options)

    For some careers it is useful to select subjects that complement each other, like the above but in other cases, especially if you are not certain of your career path, then a wider range of subjects may be beneficial. Which GCSEs you require for each A Level can be found on their respective course page.

    GCSE and IGCSE

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    There are no longer significant differences between GCSE and IGCSE, so you are free to choose courses from either of them. They are academically recognised as the same when applying for A Level courses.

    IGCSEs are examined twice a year in November and summer, most GCSEs except English and Maths which you may be able to take in November are only available in summer.

    Choose What You Enjoy

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    This may sound a little obvious, but ensure that as well as the all important core subjects, you choose GCSEs in subjects that you enjoy. Consider your strengths and weaknesses too. It is probably no good setting your heart on being an accountant if you hate Maths. Think hard about being a vet or a doctor if you are squeamish and hate Chemistry.

    One of the great benefits of Home Schooling though is its flexibility. You can start a course and unlike in school, if you find that you hate it, you can switch.

    On the other hand, you may find that studying Maths your own pace allows you time to understand and even enjoy it, so that accounting career might become a possibility. Anything is possible given the time and flexibility that Home Schooling allows.

     

     

     

    Benefits Of Home Schooling

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    There are unique benefits to home schooling that can make choosing your GCSEs that little bit easier. One such benefit is the ability to choose exactly which GCSEs you want to study and how to go about it. A traditional school curriculum will require you to attend a set structure of courses, whereas home schooling GCSEs gives extra freedom to select your own subjects, with a timetable to suit you.

    Each of our GCSE options are also built to mirror the same study materials as in schools but with the added flexibility of your own time scale and the option of one to one attention.

    Regardless of which GCSEs you choose, it helps to understand exactly what home schooling entails. Take a look at our guide to see what a typical home schooling day can look like.