Different schools have different criteria, so right from before, I want to point out as a caveat, that I am not an expert on this and also that you should pick what you think is right for you.

For those who are wondering, I did my GCSEs on 2021 (got teacher-assessed grades) and here are the subjects I did: English Literature, English Language, Maths, Biology, Chemistry and Physics as Triple Science, RE, Spanish, Geography, Drama and Photography. It was a pretty good experience overall! I feel grateful to have know most/all of this wisdom from before.

Now here are my tips:

Know which subjects your schools offer and how many you have to choose

The first tip is the most straightforward one yet so many people fail to do this – look at what subjects your school offers. In my school, for example, they had a somewhat limited range of subjects. We had to pick one language, one humanity and then two other subjects. I was selected to do Triple Science and it was compulsory to do RE. Make sure you know all the options available and what you have to choose.

Explore the course curriculum and assessments for each subject.

Now that you know which subjects you are allowed to pick from, you now want to start reading further into each subject. For example, for GCSE Music, do you need to know how to play an instrument? For Drama, do you have to do group work? How many exams do you need to take for GCSE Sociology? Are the exams coursework-based or linear? Ensure you dig into this, but don’t spend hours delving into this. 

Know the deadline for picking your options

Now of course, if you keep researching into this, you might end up taking hours and hours. And remember, that choosing what subjects you will do is important but shouldn’t be stressful. Make sure you know what subjects you will do one week before submitting your options to ensure that you are not stressing about it.

Pick subjects that you enjoy and are relatively good at

This is something that teachers say and is so true – pick the subjects that you currently enjoy and you are relatively good at. Don’t pick Computer Science when you know you hate it but you want it to look good on Results Day. This is because the grades are what matters at the end of the day, so it is better to get a 9 in GCSE Food than getting a 6 in Computer Science. Sixth forms and universities generally look at the grades, not the subjects. 

Don’t pick subjects because of a specific teacher or friend.

Again, this is something that must be emphasised. Don’t pick a subject purely because your best friend is doing it and you want to be in the same class as them. Also, don’t pick a subject just because your favourite Ms Williams (no hate to Ms Williams’s out there) is teaching it. That friend or that teacher will be sitting your exams for you in Year 11, and remember that you will find friends in your new classes.

Discuss with your family and teachers.

I would highly recommend discussing your options with your family and teachers. They want the best for you. But also, don’t let them pressure you into picking a GCSE subject that you know you dislike. E.G. I had a teacher who wanted me to do Computer Science but I knew it wasn’t my favourite so I didn’t pick it and that is okay! 

Don’t discuss what you will choose with your friends.

I cannot reiterate this tip enough! Please do not tell your friends what you have chosen until after you have submitted your GCSE options form in and you can no longer change your subjects. Why? Because it is very easy for you to get influenced by your friends’ options or even feel bad that you will not be in the same classes as them.

Make sure you choose carefully before submitting the form.

Make sure that you even make your back up subjects choices that you don’t mind doing in the worst case scenario. And then give in the form with confidence!

Listen to yourself.

Follow your gut and listen to what you want to do. It is that simple.

Remember that this is not the end of the world.

These GCSE subjects generally do not determine which career or degree you will get into. Really, the main ones that count are English, Maths and Science, and luckily for you, they are already compulsory! You must know this, that it is okay, and that these subjects you choose are not the end all be all.

Those were my 10 tips for picking the right options for you! 

Happy Subjects Choosing!

Please share this article with anyone who is picking their subjects right now.

Thank you for reading, and have a lovely day!

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