Some people may believe that comment - its actually is not true just a bad joke. Remember students looking for uni and passing exams are very stressed.
Interesting video. I was 1 mark off the next grade in 2 subjects. One mark stayed the same, the other went down. But the grades stayed the same. Still don't regret doing it. Definitely worth a try getting it remarked!
same for me. 1 mark off a 7 in maths and 1 mark off an 8 in physics. Got them both remarked but the marks stayed the same :(. Retaking maths GCSE with A level too to get a 9 since now I wanna get into Cambridge.
I go to a school where most people get straight 9's for GCSE, whereas I got an even mixture of 8s and 9s. I'm just really concerned that this will affect my chances of getting into Cambridge, as I know that they'll probably contextualise my results against everyone else at my school. I would say that over half of my year will apply to Oxbridge as well, so do you think that I should be concerned?
A mixture of 8s and 9s is still very strong, I mean it's equivalent to all A*s. Yes, they will look at how your school does as a whole so it won't be as impressive compared to someone who got the same grades at a worse school. I think don't worry too much about the GCSEs and focus on A-levels, which are much more important. In terms of how many people from your school apply, I don't think that should be an issue.
Hi, I'm doing my GCSE's right now and it's really stressful and I have my 3rd and last Maths paper tomorrow and I have a music listening exam tomorrow, wish me luck! Great video by the way! ❤
His results: Dutch: A* Latin: B English literature: A English language: A* Maths: A* Biology:A* Chemistry: A* Physics: A* French: A* Further maths: A* Computing: A Design: A History: A*
@@George-xw6nc I don’t want to sound spammy but I covered your question in this video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-zqC5n3uhWmk.html (minute 6:25)
Hi, for GCSES now, we are doing lots of assessment's (a 5 week period in which we have 2-3 exams each day) - seeing as we thought exams were cancelled until recently and therefore not having as much time to revise, will Cambridge be more lenient when looking at these grades or not?
The admissions tutor will consider the circumstances and I anticipate that they will be more lenient when looking at grades achieved on the covid circumstances. You will also have plenty of opportunities in your application to talk about how your learning was disrupted
@@IlyasCambridgeAdvice thankyou so much, I’m predicted all A*’s and A’s other than in English, french and music where I’m predicted B’s for them all, do think I have a chance if I get these grades in my exams ( I am doing 10 GCSEs)
The chances of getting into Cambridge aren't binary; everyone has a chance but some have a bigger chance than others. Anyway, your grades are generally good so it's worth applying.
I have a grade 5 (C) in english language and for medicine minimum requirement is 6 - I am European so when I took my GCSE my English wasn’t good. Can I now take IELTS exam and score sooo good , can I still apply for university ?
I think that the 5 in English Language GCSE will weaken your application, but it doesn't mean you can't get in. Doing well in IELTS will probably be helpful for your application, so if you want to maximise your chances then make sure you do well in the IELTS in addition to the BMAT and A-levels (if you're doing those).
@@IlyasCambridgeAdvice hi i just moved to uk and i dont understand. Is cambridge a college or uni and can you apply for a full paid scholarship. Im in year 11 at my school
A lot of your questions are answered in this video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Re3tfjcZBQk.html But in summary: Cambridge is a university that consists of about 30 colleges. British students are eligible for student loans (this applies to all UK universities) and at Cambridge there are bursaries for British students whose parents earn below a certain amount (£40k per year I think it was). Scholarships are rare and hard to get, but you can try do some research to find some.
uhm so for anyone reading this that is applying/looking to apply. Cambridge don't care about your gcses. They are much more interested in your A-level predicted grades and how you performed in entrance exams/interviews. It is true that most accepted people have high GCSE grades but that's just because the people that get in have usually been good students since at least GCSEs. In theory it barely matters oh also, people care about latin and dutch.
This is a bit misleading. GCSEs do matter a little bit, though yes like you said not as much as those other things. Realistically you're not the type of student to get into Oxbridge if all your GCSEs are the national average or lower. The lowest GCSEs I know of that an Oxbridge student has is 3A*s.
This is random, but given the COVID Pandemic, do you think universities in general including Oxbridge will lessen the factor of GCSE grades, compared to the past several years, because I assume our grades will be very subjective and varied within the school and definitely across the country.
I personally think that there will be less emphasis on those GCSE results given the pandemic and that they are predicted grades, although they'll still look at them.
Thank you for the quick reply! :) Also, would you say that having 5 8s and 5 9s is essentially the same as getting almost all 9s or 8 9s and 2 8s, since they're both A*?
My school only allows 9 GCSEs per student (2 science, 2 English, 1 maths and 1 MFL, and three choices), and even though I've been rather argumentative with my teachers I am stuck with a limit of 9. Would I still have a chance at getting into Oxbridge with only 9 GCSEs and will I have to perform exceptionally (A* in every subject)? My mother got into Oxford with only 8 GCSEs and 3 or 4 failed interviews, but she was a charismatic private school student and it was the 1990s.
yes, my school is the same and I know of a few people who got in. If you are getting high grades and your personal statement is impressive then you've got a good chance.
I am taking 9 GCSE subjects instead of 10 or 11 because my school only offers 3 options but I am predicted grade 9 and 8s in all of them. What are the chances of me getting in Cambridge?
If you can't take more GCSEs because your school won't let you then that's fine because that's not your fault, which you can explain in your application. If you get all 8s and 9s that will look good on your application. A-levels are more important anyway so focus on them. Good luck!
@@Ahmed-vs1ui Those grades do meet the entry requirements (though some courses have other requirements too) so that's good, though obviously that doesn't guarantee acceptance.
Hi- I got mixed gcse results- I got a 9s in English language and English lit, 8s in geography and drama, 6 in chemistry and 7s in everything else. I would like to do English literature, and none of my a levels are related to science- so are my lower grades in STEM subjects relevant if I got top grades in the subject I want to do a course in?
Hey. I just recieved my gcse results today and did 8 gcses this year with 6 9s, a 98 in combined science and a 8 in maths. I also did further maths last year and got a 6 as well as latin in year 9 and got an A*. What do you think are the Cambridge could accept these grades? Thank you :)
Your grades are pretty good (though not sure why you did combined science if you're getting good grades). Obviously I can't say if you'll get in but your GCSEs seem fine
@@IlyasCambridgeAdvice I do combined science, and we don’t get a choice, really. The school decides whether we do combined or triple as a whole (everyone does combined) and we are told that it’s equivalent to doing triple science, just slightly easier. Teachers say that we wouldn’t get turned away from universities or sixth forms for doing combined science as opposed to triple.
Hi my GCSEs were cancelled in 2020 so I got CAGs instead and they gave me 3 7's one 5 and the rest were 6's, i did the autumn GCSEs for maths and combined science whilst also studying 8 subjects for IB and I'm waiting for my results which will come out soon. Do I still have a chance of getting into Cambridge for medicine or is it impossible? I saw that Cambridge doesn't have requirements for GCSEs for medicine
It's not that you don't have a chance, but unless the rest of your application is stellar then the odds aren't looking good for you. The best thing you can do is focus on getting top IB marks, top BMAT marks, and some medicine work experience or something.
There is a chance (but don’t get your hopes up too much) that they won’t pay as much attention to the 2020 GCSEs because they’re centre assessed and are less accurate. Best of luck to you.
I’m in a similar spot atm, I got given one 8, five 7s and four 6s. I’m also doing the IB and the school I did my GCSEs is underperforming, so I’m really hoping that they check the contextual information. I’m also trying hard to do amazing on my bmat and I hope to be predicted 40 points- 776 for HL. I’m hoping this is enough but there are people with all 9s in GCSEs and 43+ points in IB. Also, how come you did 8 IB subjects, I thought we were only allowed 6. I hope your application was successful and if it wasn’t, it doesn’t take your worth away :)
Hey, I got 3A*s, 4As and one B…my teachers and I thought I could’ve done better, but I’ve struggled with various illnesses…do you think this will look good on an Oxbridge application
It's still possible to get in with those grades (though they're probably a bit below average for the Oxbridge student). I'd say it's worth applying if your A-levels are good
I got 4 grade 9s(maths chem bio and physics), 1 grade 8(geography), and 4 grade 7s(French, dt, english lang and eng lit). Do you think that would be competitive enough for oxbridge especially since I wanna do computer science for uni?
Hi illya I want to study engineering at Cambridge However I got a 8 in both further maths and maths. I also got a 7 in physics but a 6 in engineering. Do you think that Cambridge will reject me because I have a low engineering gcse
If you do well at A-level you can do still make a good application to Cambridge. Keep in mind that 8s are still A*s so your grades are still good, but yeah make sure to do well in your A-levels and do the recommended subjects (see Cambridge website). I haven't even heard of engineering GCSE but I don't think it'll be that important.
@@IlyasCambridgeAdvice hi there jsut a catch up I got predicted grades of A*A*A*, But I only have 3 A* in my GCSES , and due to many people going to take a gap year to reapply with there better grades, is there a point of me applying to Cambridge?
I have predicted grades of 4A*s (potentially an extra one also), mostly As and One B. (Although these are predicted grades and these can go up). I'm trying to get the As and B to become higher but do you reckon these would be too low?
If you can improve your GCSE grades then that would strengthen your application, though do remember that they are only a part of your application and there are many other factors (eg A-levels, which are more important). Anyway, those are predicted grades so you can still make them better.
@U Ik Doing 10 GCSEs is not a problem so don't worry about that. The average number of A*s for an Oxbridge student at GCSE is 7 so your grades should be fine. Hope that helps!
Hi I was just wondering, I got a a mixture of 7,8s and 9s in my GCSEs but I also got a 5 in physics and computing. I have no intent to study them further but will I still be able to get in in I get A/A* in a levels ?
I can't answer your question about cambridge but it might be worth retaking the GCSEs if you have time. Bear in mind alevels are a lot of work and this might not be the best idea but i dont know you so im not sure if youd struggle or not.
hi, just a question, when you retook your english lit gcse, did you have to put your old gcse grade in your ucas, if so would it affect your application? because i would like to retake english lit too, but im scared it would be looked down on by unis
Would it be possible to get into Cambridge for medicine with only 3A*s at GCSE? I had a lot of extenuating circumstances, so would strong A levels make up for it?
I can't tell you if you'll get in, and I don't know what your extenuating circumstances are. However, getting 3 A*s at GCSE is quite a bit below average for Cambridge students. The lowest I've heard of is 7 A*s. My advice is try your best in your A-levels and BMAT, and if they're really good then maybe you'd get an offer.
@@mohammedk5223 Yeah I can imagine that and I'm sure there's people who have got in with less than 6 A*s, but the fewer A*s you have the weaker your application.
GCSEs really don’t matter much, especially if you did them last year with the teacher predicted stuff. Don’t worry bud. Cambridge is genuinely incredibly difficult to get into though, so be honest with yourself and think about whether you can get A*s in your A levels
i got into Cambridge for engineering with 3A* 3A 2B 1C in my GCSEs as well, and I didnt have extenuating circumstances either so it's not unheard of. (my alevels offer was 2A* 1A as well) The overall experience for me was quite smooth with the ENGAA and interviews going exactly as I expected, so theres hope
It depends on your circumstances. Most people do 10-11 GCSEs so doing 5 is quite unusual. If you did 5 because you couldn't cope with more, then they'd probably reject you. If you did 5 for some other reason and you did really well in your other qualifications, then you could still have a chance.
@@nameothername6939 Ultimately Cambridge want people who have the most academic potential, so if you can prove to them that you are good enough then they will let you in. And it's not good to think of using a good part of your application as an excuse for a bad part, because your application is considered holistically.
Hello, I was wondering, if I got all B's in my IGCSES ( which is about a 6). Do you think there might be a chance I could get in say if I was predicted A* A* A* in my three subjects? I take Maths, Economics and English Literature at A level. I did completely change countries and school systems within this time period ( and the pandemic ) which might have hindered my grades.
can u give me any tips for getting an A star in chemistry, biology, and maths, please? I want to go to Oxford and I need help because I am totally new to everything here in the UK.
I took 8 igcses and got 6 A stars, 1B in French and 1 C in English language. Will the C in English language significantly reduce my chances of getting into Oxford university for maths. I am predicted 3 A stars and 1A in A levels.
Hello, if I have achieved 7s in all of my gcses with 8s and 9s in my science and maths with A A A* in my A levels. maths, biology and chemistry.( I went to a state secondary school and a relatively small college for context) does this sound like a strong application ?
If you're applying for a science course at Cambridge, your application would not be that strong since you don't meet the standard offer (A*A*A) for sciences. It's not that you can't get in, but it's just that unless you've got extenuating circumstances most applicants would have a better chance of getting in since most successful applicants do have all A*s realistically.
@@IlyasCambridgeAdvice i am still yet to receive my A level results but my predicted grades are A A A* so an A* A* A isn't completely out of the picture however if I have an A in higher maths instead of an A* in normal maths will this compensate?
Hi, so I'm realistically likely to get around 5-6 A*s, but my exams got cancelled midway and I was not well during my final mocks, so I gave my last mocks just thinking I have nothing to loose and that it's just practice. The last thing I expected was the those grades would be counted. Also, the highest score anyone in my school has EVER got is 6A*s. What do you think of my chances?
I think it's worth applying. People do get in with your grades, and you can explain the circumstances in your application. They will consider your school's performance compared to yours as well, which should help you.
So i didn't get great results in GCSE and i want to study Law at Cambridge like 5s,4s and 1 3 .If i smash my A levels and gethigh predicted grades and smash my LNAT would my chances still be slim?. What advice would you give me?.
Does Cambridge actually care what GCSE subjects you choose even if you don't end up pursuing those subjects in the future? Do they only look at the grades?
Hi, I was wondering if I should remark my igcse physics mcq component since that one b turned my entire physics result into a b (I got an a in the atp, and the theory paper got cancelled)
I am currently a Year 10 student and we had an English literature exam which was 25% of our grade. I do not think I did well in that and I am worried if I failed it. If I resit that exam, will it affect my chances of going to a prestigious university in the future?
You can definitely still get into a prestigious university if you don't do well in some exam in y 10. It's if you consistently don't do well in your A-levels and GCSEs that really affects your chances
@@IlyasCambridgeAdvice I figured that would be the case, I do not know why I thought that as you reset English Literature in year 12 and that did not affect your chances I do not think.
Hi, If you do really bad in your GCSES, but atleast pass every single one ,then do incredible in your A-Levels, Is Cambridge even still an option? Just done my first week of GCSES and I think I’ll be mainly getting a few 5s and 6s and then some 7s, But these are obviously far too low I’ve also taken a look at other comments and I’ve seen that having only 3 A* is below average, the only reason I’m asking because I’ve done research and there have been people that have got really poor gcses but still managed to get in, also I read an article of a Cambridge interviewer that replied to a comment asking about wether GCSES matter saying getting majority 6s are terrible results but if you have a good explanation and your A Levels make up for it, they’ll still consider your application
Hi, My GCSE’s were 4A* 2B’s 6C’s and currently my A level grades are 3A* in Math, FM and Economics with a Distinction in Welsh Bacc. Do you Think I have even a single chance to study at Cambridge? Or am I just stressing 😂
Does Cambridge assess GCSE and IGCSE grades in the same way? My school does IGCSEs and we don’t do the IB program so I’m not sure if that puts me or other students from my school that are applying to Cambridge at a disadvantage
Hello I am a Year 10 student from Moscow. I will start doing my igcse's this year I will not be able to do my A levels ,you think I can get a scholarship in UK if I get all A*'s and A's in the IGCSE'S
Scholarships are generally very hard to get and many are based on need and not academic merit, and the scholarships for international students are particularly hard. You can do some research and find scholarships you are eligible for but like I said they are hard to get.
What subject? And you've got a good number of A*s but it's not great that you didn't get A*s in sciences and maths. This would not look good if you're applying for stem subjects. But if you're applying for humanities it's much less of an issue.
I didn't revise all year. Spent quite a lot of time on coursework but for exams I revised in the weeks or months (I can't remember exactly) leading up to exams, and I also crammed for quite a few by waking up at 5 am.
I have 11 GCSEs: 4 A*s, 4 As, 3 Bs. Will that be good enough to get into Cambridge? I really want to do the ASNC course there but I don’t think my grades are too brilliant :(
Although your grades aren't all top, they're still good and you could still make a good application. Focus on doing well at A-level (or IB or equivalent) and do extra stuff that shows your dedication to your subject so that the admissions tutors can see you'd be passionate about the course.
@@IlyasCambridgeAdvice okay! Thank you. I already do so much extra research on top of my A Level studies which will benefit my course and my sixth form do monthly interview mocks so I think I’m a little more prepared than some on that behalf. Thank you again, this really calmed my nerves!
3 weeks till exams, i havent done a lot of past papers , realistically i can do 20 plus past papers for the science and math but like 15 or so for the computing and english is that enough to get 9s
I don't know if that is enough to get 9s because there's a lot more context that I don't know. But in general if you work and smart it should be possible, even if it's in 3 weeks.
I didn't do really well in my English(s) (GCSE) meaning no where near a B,A etc. If I was to resit, and do well in those subjects and get As, would I be able to oxbridge? do they accept gcse resits? But do very well in others subjects (no resits) I'm currently thinking of medicine.
what if you got not so great gcses due to mental health issues? ive just finished year 11, im being predicted 4 A*, 5 As and one B and we have CAGs this year. do i still have a chance provided i get really good a levels?
You still have a chance and you can talk about your circumstances in your application. Would be good to do particularly well elsewhere in your application,eg A-levels or entrance exams
From what I remember you pay something like £40 (this could be very inaccurate) and you get your money back if the overall grade changes. Took a few weeks I think
in my school, we only did 8 GCSES but I got 6 9s and 2 8s (Is that fine) - also , in maths I was 1 mark away from a 9 so do you think I should remark that
I just have a question In my first June session I got(grade 10) (9) in math and in Chemsitry (8) in biology and English Lang The question : does 8 differ alot from a 9?
Same! I was 1 mark off a 7 in business too, still got a few 7’s and 8’s in more important subjects so I’m not too fussed but it was disappointing after getting nothing but straight 7’s and 8’s throughout the whole course
@@alrightydave awh that’s so annoying, I’m so sorry. You should be really proud of getting 7s and 8s tho that’s amazing and just remember a 6 sounds way worse as a number. It’s literally a high B and actually pretty good! Well done!! I do feel your pain tho - one mark off is literally so annoying. Best of luck w a-levels/ whatever your doing now :)
i only have 8 gsce: combined science, geography ,health and social, re, french, english lang, english lit, maths. I could of got triple science but because of covid year 9 went bad and my teacher was not very good at managing the class when it was always disturbing. My target grade for them are all 5 or 5+ and I’ve crying for two months every night after i found this out. Would i be able to still get grade 9 if i tried very hard. I try doing my best by paying attention to lessons then coming home and revising for 10 hours and not getting sleep because i want the best grades
It's definitely possible to do well in GCSEs if you work well. This does not mean revising 10 hours a day. Revising 10 hours a day is completely unnecessary and you're doing it very wrong if that's what it takes to get you a good grade. You do need to sleep, and your grades will literally get worse if you don't sleep. If you want to do well in GCSEs, just learn all the content you need to know (which you can find out in the specifications) and then do past papers. You can use stuff like Anki flashcards or blurting to memorise all the content you need to know, and then do past papers. Don't study 10 hours a day. Take breaks (e.g. 5 minutes every 25 minutes). It's revising efficiently and effectively that's going to get you good grades, not sacrificing sleep.
In my school I am only doing 9 gcse’s and I’m predicted 6A** (9’s), 2 A*’s(8’s) and possibly 1A (7) which I still think could be an 8. Are these gcse grades fine for cambridge uni or any russell group uni?
I don't know if this is justified, but I feel like the resitting of English Literature as well as the remarking of so many subjects is cheating in a way. You get a ridiculous advantage, by resitting a bad exam with a lot of time to study and improve, which many other students simply don't have. But maybe that's just my opinion
@@IlyasCambridgeAdvice You were a year older and further developed than other candidates when taking it. You didn't have to keep any other exams in mind at all. Why wouldn't you consider that an unfair advantage?
I was 5 months older because I sat it in November. People within a year group can vary in up to 12 months and age. Why are you so keen to hate on me for wanting a good grade in an exam 7 years ago?
@@IlyasCambridgeAdvice I'm not hating on you. I'm solely asking legitimate questions. If you are unable to cope with answering them, please leave them unanswered. I hope the resit was worth it :)
when you're 16 you sit GCSE exams - usually for about 10 subjects. They help you get into the last two year's of school (sixth form) and sometimes help with university applications.
Hello I just got my results for AS level maths and I got an 89, is it worth it getting it remarked or should I just leave it and try to get over a 90 in A2. I'm doing cie btw. Thanks
Further maths is a separate GCSE to maths and includes harder content. My school (like many schools) offered it and I chose to do it. If you don't have the option then don't worry, you could do further maths A-level hopefully.
Your grades are pretty good so I wouldn't worry about your GCSEs inhibiting your application (though obviously getting into Cambridge is more than just about GCSEs)
@@IlyasCambridgeAdvice sooo basically i thought universities might just have a look at national 5 or gcse results but focus more and mostly on highers or a levels im doing my national 5 rn and im just wondering do they matter ?
@@IlyasCambridgeAdvice jokes aside I would like to know if you feel satisfaction from working that hard. Even though going to Cambridge is an astounding achievement I just want to know how you feel about it. Personally I know my limits and Cambridge most definitely does not fit in it which is why I'm going to try at uni of Bristol which I think I can get into.
@@anasjaved3093 It's not as if I sacrificed everything to get where I am. It was only in exam seasons that I worked really hard, and because I worked efficiently I was able to do well. I think it does pay off if you work hard for exams in school if it means you can get into a top university. And don't lose hope for Cambridge yet, because if you end up getting better grades than expected you could apply the following year.
@@IlyasCambridgeAdvice I would go to Cambridge but I wasn't a hard worker in secondary but I didn't get the worst of grades, in only 7 gcse I got good grades but not extraordinary like all 9s and 8s but in a levels I think I'm doing rlly well with 2A*and an A predicted. So I thought Bristol uni would happily give me a place as they don't give a lot of importance to gcse but I don't blame Cambridge for putting high standards for entrance. I made a mistake and I'm going to live with it.
