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How to Choose Your GCSE Options
Picking your GCSE options can feel ridiculously important when you’re 13 or 14. You’re being asked to choose subjects that you’ll study for the next two years, probably before you have any idea what you want to do at university, never mind for a career.
I want to make that decision a bit easier for you.
Your GCSE options matter, but they’re not going to determine the rest of your life. There are some choices worth thinking carefully about, particularly if you already have an idea of what you might want to study later. But for most students, the aim should be fairly simple:
Choose subjects you’re good at, interested in, and willing to study for two years.
Here’s how to actually do that.
What GCSE options can you actually choose?
This varies massively from school to school. Your core subjects are already decided for you. You’ll normally study Maths, English Language, English Literature and Science, alongside any other subjects your school makes compulsory.
That usually leaves you choosing around 3 or 4 optional subjects yourself.
Common GCSE options include:
Humanities
•History
•Geography
•Religious Studies
Languages
•French
•Spanish
•German
Creative subjects
•Art & Design
•Drama
•Music
•Photography
•Design & Technology
Technology and business
•Computer Science
•Business
•Economics
Practical or vocational subjects
•PE
•Food Preparation & Nutrition
•Engineering
•Media Studies
•Health & Social Care
Your school may not necessarily have all the subject choices listed above, again it will vary from school to school.
Some schools also put subjects into option blocks, meaning you might have to choose one from Group A, one from Group B and one from Group C rather than simply picking your three favourite subjects.
So before doing anything else, get your school’s actual options sheet. There’s no point spending a week deciding between Business and Computer Science only to discover they’re in the same option block.
Example of what your choices could look like:
Compulsory
•Maths
•English Language
•English Literature
•Combined Science (worth 2 GCSEs)
Your choices
•History
•Spanish
•Computer Science
•Business
“The tutoring saved my Maths exams”
What is each GCSE actually like?
This is the bit I’d spend time on before choosing.
Do not choose based on the name of the subject. A bit of googling never hurt anyone. Find out what you’ll actually spend two years doing.
Take Computer Science: You might like computers. That doesn’t automatically mean you’ll enjoy Computer Science. There’s a big difference between enjoying technology and enjoying programming, algorithms and computational thinking.
Same with PE. Liking football doesn’t automatically mean you’ll love GCSE PE. There’s theoretical content and written assessment alongside the practical side.
Art can be brilliant for a creative student, but there’s also a substantial amount of work involved in building and developing a portfolio.
History isn’t simply learning interesting things about the past. You’ll need to remember a lot of content and construct strong written arguments.
Geography isn’t just colouring in maps. You’ll be working with physical and human geography, data, case studies and fieldwork.
Look at the course, their past papers, and the marking schemes. Do not assume the subject is its name alone.
You’re more than welcome to ask your teachers what you’ll actually study, how you’re assessed and what a normal week in that GCSE looks like. That’s far more useful than asking whether a subject is “good”.
Framework to choose the best options for you.
Ask yourself these questions before adding a subject to your choice:
☐ Are you good at it?
Your current grades aren’t everything, but they’re useful evidence. If you’re consistently struggling with a subject now, understand what you’re signing up for.
☐ Do you actually enjoy it?
You’re going to spend two years studying it. Interest matters, particularly when the workload increases.
☐ Could you need it later?
You don’t need your career mapped out at 14. But if you already have a direction in mind, make sure you can your next steps as easy for yourself as possible.
A subject that ticks all three boxes is probably a suitable choice for you.
Do your GCSE choices affect A-Levels and university?
For most university courses, nobody is going to be concerned that you chose Geography instead of History at 14. What could matter is whether your GCSE choices and grades allow you to take the A-Levels you’ll need next.
If you’re considering Medicine, protect your route into strong Science and Maths A-Levels.
If you’re considering Engineering or Physics, Maths and Physics become particularly important later.
If you’re interested in Computer Science, don’t assume GCSE Computer Science is essential. Strong Maths becomes extremely important for many competitive university courses.
Think one step ahead, not ten. At 14, you don’t need to pick your university degree. You just don’t want to accidentally close a door you already know you might want.
Combined Science or Triple Science?
This deserves its own section because this choice does have consequences.
Combined Science covers Biology, Chemistry and Physics and is worth two GCSEs. Triple Science goes further and results in three separate GCSEs: Biology, Chemistry and Physics.
If you’re strong at Science and considering Medicine, Engineering, Physics, Chemistry or Biology later, Triple Science is worth serious consideration when it’s available. But Combined Science doesn’t automatically prevent you from taking Science A-Levels. Check your school’s sixth-form entry requirements.
Don’t choose based on these three things!
☒ “Everyone says it’s easiest GCSE.”
Easy for who? A student who loves essays might fly through History and hate Computer Science. Pick subjects that suit your own strengths.
☒ “My friends are doing it.”
You might not even end up in the same class. They’re definitely not sitting the exam for you, and may not even same goals in the future as you.
☒ “I like the teacher.”
Great teachers can make you love a subject, but teachers change. Ask yourself whether you’d still choose the subject if someone else taught it.
What if you have no idea what you want to do?
That’s completely fine. You don’t need to know your future career to make good GCSE choices.
If you’re undecided, aim for a balanced set of subjects that you’re capable of doing well in. Keep Maths, English and Science strong, then use your options to explore subjects you genuinely enjoy. Your A-Level choices will be the point where specific university requirements start becoming much more important.
The 10-minute GCSE options test
If you’ve used my framework above but are still getting cold feet locking in your subject choice, I have a 10-Minute Option Test that will help you.
Take your school’s options sheet. For every subject you’re considering, answer:
☐ Could dropping it affect something I already want to do later?
☐ Would I still choose this if none of my friends did?
☐ Would I still choose it with a different teacher?
☐ Am I reasonably good at it?
☐ Do I enjoy the actual subject, not just the lessons?
☐ Do I understand what the GCSE involves and how it’s assessed?
P.S.: If you can’t explain why you’re choosing a subject without mentioning your friends or your teacher, that’s probably a sign to reconsider it.
One Last Bit of Advice
There’s no such thing as a perfect combination of GCSE subjects. You don’t try to plan your entire career at 14. Your GCSE options are your next decision, not your final one.
Find out what each course actually involves, choose for yourself rather than your friends, and pick subjects you’re prepared to work at for the next two years.
Free Resources to ace your GCSE Maths:
