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GCSEs

The General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) was introduced in 1986 with first examinations in 1988.

GCSEs are widely available to all 14-19 students and are often used as an entry requirement for level 3 study. The most recent revisions to GCSE qualifications were introduced in September 2001, with the first qualifications being awarded in the summer of 2003.

In 2001 the Government introduced new GCSEs in vocational subjects to give a vocational option to all young people and to promote vocational learning. The new GCSEs are available in eight applied subjects and are double awards (twice the size of an academic GCSE). They became available for courses starting in September 2002, with the first awards in the summer of 2004.

The so-called "hybrid" GCSEs are a new form of GCSE qualification giving the student the flexibility to choose between an academic or vocational emphasis for part of the course. Each GCSE will have a common core beyond which students will have a choice of units that provide general, applied or mixed learning pathways leading to short-course, single or double award GCSEs.

The grading system will be the same as for existing GCSEs, and the qualifications will provide progression to further general qualifications, for example, GCE AS and A level in related subjects, to vocational qualifications or to NVQs.

QCA Online Shop publication

> A brief guide for careers services on qualifications at level 2 (QCA ref: QCA/00/600)
> GCSEs in vocational subjects (QCA ref: QCA/02/906)

QCA web links

> GCSE, GCE, VCE, GNVQ and AEA code of practice 2007
> The story of the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE)
> GCSE subject criteria
> GCSEs in vocational subjects