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IMPORTANT: 14-19 option choices are under review by the Government and therefore the information in this article may be subject to change.
Qualification Framework
Qualifications
There are a range of different qualifications available to you and often they can be confusing. Don’t panic as we explain them for you! We also have Connexions Personal Advisers at hand in most secondary schools and our Connexions Centres/One Stop Shops across Essex.
Understand the ‘terms’ used by different qualifications.
Academic- This means that a course is mainly based around a method or steps you would undertake to solve problems. These are theory based. Subjects like history or English would be classed as academic.
Vocational- This is more hands on work, learning by the use of practical training of specific skills which are required for a specific career. Topics like ICT and motor mechanics would be classed as vocational.
Applied- This means a course is vocational-based (see above). Courses which are applied are more specific career-focused.
Find out what the entry requirements are
Different courses require you to have achieved certain grades or have taken certain subjects, before you can start a course. Therefore always check what you are required to achieve before applying. As an example, it may be that you want to go on and study physics after your GCSEs but the course states that you need to have achieved a minimum grade of C at maths GCSE.
Find out how a qualification is assessed
All qualifications are assessed differently, so make sure you find out first, before you start something you don’t like! Many qualifications require you to sit an examination at the end of your learning; this can often account for 70% of your final grade. Not all qualifications have exams like this, some have unit tests that support coursework or internal assessments, which are projects under controlled conditions in school. Other courses may involve group work or be heavily based on coursework.
Useful websites
The Site
Explains what qualifications there are available and provide results advice.
OCR
This site has a useful qualification finder section.
Last updated: 25/01/11
Your Comments
Posted - 11:26, 24 Jan 2011
Hi, GCSE’s allow you to learn more about a subject both from a theory and practical point of view. GCSEs are seen by employers as an educational foundation which you can build on later either within the workplace or if you choose to remain in education post year 11. It’s difficult to break down all the subjects, so I would highly recommend that you talk to individual subject teachers to find out more about what you will study. Hope this helps Connexions PA
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Posted - 10:18, 17 Jan 2011
what are the gcse courses like ?