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Which are the most difficult GCSEs?
GCSE English Language
There are a few reasons why this GCSE is on this list, but there are also reasons as to why it only places 10th, too.
- English Language has a pass rate of 70.2% as of 2018. This is fairly high for any GCSE, and partly why GCSE English Language doesn’t come higher on my list.
- GCSE English Language is all about showing off your talent at writing, without having to know too much content. All you really need to know is a few techniques and how to use them.
- That being said, you do still need to revise for your exams. Practicing your writing skills and storytelling can both contribute to your final grade, so make sure you do some revision.
- One of the things that makes GCSE English Language so hard is the uncertainty of what could come up on the exams. There are a few unseen texts that you will be given, and you’re expected to analyse and even compare some of these texts.
Which are the most difficult GCSEs?
Which School Entrance Tests’ to use as a GCSE mock?
You need to
- Review our updated AQA GCSE Humanities past papers list which is found below.
- The most recent years available from the GCSE exam board websites are included first.
- Select the latest from our extensive lists of GCSE past papers, including GCSE past papers suitable for
- English Literature GCSE mock exam paper
- Maths GCSE mock exam paper
- Geography and humanities GCSE mock exam paper
- Biology GCSE mock exam
- English Language GCSE mock exam paper
We hope that our GCSE guide and past GCSE exam papers help you achieve your bestGCSE grades.
GCSE Modern Foreign Languages
Next up on my list, we have the modern foreign language GCSEs. These GCSEs are unlike most of the other subjects you can take, because of the amount of content and the way they’re assessed.
- The modern foreign language GCSEs consist of French, German, and Spanish. Most students decide they want to take one, but if you really want a challenge, you should go for 2.
- Taking one of these GCSEs is literally learning a whole new way of thinking. Many of the concepts and techniques you have to grasp are unlike anything in the English language, and so it can be hard to be successful in these GCSEs.
- The pass rate of GCSE Spanish is 70.5%, GCSE German is 75.2%, and GCSE French is 69.8% (all as of 2018).
- These pass rates are fairly average, but that’s because the students that take these GCSEs are committed to success.
- The only reason modern foreign language GCSEs don’t feature higher on my list is because of the amount of content.
- There isn’t actually a whole lot of content in the GCSE version of this subject, and it doesn’t go too far into depth either.
- This makes it a little easier than other GCSEs that feature a lot more content, and so is the reason why the pass rates are a little on the high side too.
GCSE History
This GCSE is a popular one amongst students, mainly because of how good it looks on your CV.
When applying for college or university, GCSE History (and its A-Level counterpart) will really impress.
- GCSE History has a pass rate of 63.9%, one of the lowest on this list.
- The content is quite difficult, and there’s a whole range of skills you need to have mastered before you enter your exam.
- You need to be able to write extended answers, analysing and discussing reasons and ideas behind major historical events.
- This is combined with an ability to remember a bunch of key dates and people, too.
- This is why so many students struggle, because of the sheer volume of information you need to know.
- There’s a lot to revise, and therefore a lot you’ll need to be able to talk about.
- However, if you’re interested in GCSE History, you’ll find it a little bit easier.
You’ll be able to apply yourself better, and you’ll be more motivated to engage with the content (this will result in better grades).
Which are the most difficult GCSEs?
GCSE Biology
High volume of content, and difficult concepts to understand are two of the reasons why so many students struggle.
- GCSE Biology has a pass rate of 89.2% in 2018. This is quite a high pass rate, but that’s mainly because science is something most schools focus heavily on.
- Because the sciences are facilitating subjects for both college and university, your school will likely push you to achieve good grades in science. This is why the pass rate is so high (paired with the fact that Biology is the easiest science at GCSE Level).
- GCSE Biology has a lot of content you need to know, and a few difficult techniques you need to get your head around. Things such as meiosis, mitosis, and the theory of evolution are where it’s easy to get lost.
- GCSE Biology has the least amount of maths in it, with only 10% of the marks being maths related. This can be either good or bad, depending on your level of skill with maths.
- However, most of the maths that features is early GCSE level, and so shouldn’t be too difficult for you. If you take triple science as a GCSE, you’ll find that the extended amount of time learning the subject will make it a fair bit easier too.
GCSE Computer Science…
- Pairs two skills that you wouldn’t usually put together.
- Requires problem solving skills from GCSE Maths.
- Relies firstly heavily on working out difficult problems, and secondly expressing them in terms of programming language.
- Has a pass rate of 61.6% per the exams in 2018. This is an incredibly low pass rate for any GCSE, with only 3.7% of students achieving the top grade of a 9.
Which are the most difficult GCSEs 2022?
2023 GCSE Maths
- Is noth tough and non-optional, and this is the reason why so many students come to hate it.
- Involes a lot of different equations and formula you have to be able to use. It’s quite a complex, interlinking subject, where the content will tie in with itself in many different ways.
- Requires learning all the links between the content.
GCSE Chemistry
- Pass rate of 89.7% in 2018.
- A lot of difficult to understand content.
GCSE English Literature 2023
- Difficult content that takes a while to master, and also relies on your ability to communicate. You have to deal with both of these factors at the same time, and that’s why this subject can be difficult.
- A pass rate of 72.9%. This is fairly standard, just a normal pass rate for a hard GCSE.
- Hours and hours of writing. Unfortunately, the only way to practice and improve your writing skills is to do just that. This makes it more difficult to revise for, as writing extended answers is both time consuming and monotonous.
Which are the most difficult GCSEs 2022?
GCSE Physics
Coming in close, but not quite at the top spot, we have GCSE Physics. GCSE Physics is an extremely hard GCSE, and only the brightest and best students achieve the top marks in their exams.
- GCSE Physics is best known for its high level of maths content, and the many equations you have to remember. Not only is there more equations than GCSE Biology and GCSE Chemistry combined, you have to know how to use and apply every single one of them.
- This is because anything from the entire GCSE Physics specification could come up. Anything you study in your lessons could appear on your exam, and so you need to put in the hours to make sure you know your stuff.
- GCSE Physics has a pass rate of 90.6% as of 2018. This may seem incredibly high, but that’s because schools know GCSE Physics is difficult, and they push students to achieve their best in this subject.
2023 GCSE Further Maths
GCSE Further Maths features harder content than any other GCSE. It’s difficult to understand, and even the best of regular GCSE Maths students struggle to cope with the difficulty. Also:
- GCSE Further Maths doesn’t follow on from regular GCSE Maths, as many of you might think. This subject is on another level, featuring work that you’d commonly do at A-Level.
- It features harder content than any other GCSE. It’s difficult to understand, and even the best of regular GCSE Maths students struggle to cope with the difficulty.
- GCSE Further Maths doesn’t follow on from regular GCSE Maths, as many of you might think. This subject is on another level, featuring work that you’d commonly do at A-Level.
Which are the most difficult GCSEs 2022?
- It is one of the hardest Latin-based languages to learn, especially for English speakers.
- The most challenging part of French learning seems to be pronunciation.
- French has sounds that English speakers aren’t used to.
- This is why French is forever marked as a difficult language to learn.
- Neither English nor French is a phonetic language. This means that the spelling doesn’t always match the pronunciation, but French takes it to next level with much more silent letters.
- Learning french GCSE pronunciation will better help you to easily familiarize yourself with the lingo and even make you an expert in the end with a little bit more work.
- This, of course, doesn’t mean French cannot be learned. In fact, with the right strategy, learning French is more than possible.
- The question is HOW?
Boost Your French Learning
As I mentioned earlier, French is not one of the easiest languages to learn. To make it simple and quick for you to learn the language, breaking your learning process into smaller bits might be a better option. In addition, you might also have to make use of some French-based innovative tech tools to help you along the way.
So how can you break down your French learning?
Speaking & Listening
Do you want to sound like a native French speaker? No problem! All you have to do is put some effort to try and sound better. The best way to master French pronunciation is to listen to native speakers in songs, podcasts, etc, and try to imitate them. Children’s songs are a perfect way to start learning a language because they are catchy, use simple words, and are interactive. One more thing to do is to record yourself whilst speaking French. Try to pronounce everything slowly. Learning these tones will better help you to easily familiarize yourself with the language and even make you an expert in the end.
Listen/Watch Video Lessons
Through listening and watching French learning-based lessons, you can obtain knowledge in all the necessary rules and attain communicative competence in the language. This way, you’ll not only be able to grasp the language but to use it to speak with others, make conversation, and interact with all native French speakers.
Slow Down Speed on Video
One of the best features of YouTube and similar social media platforms is being able to slow down the speed at which the video rolls and therefore reduce the speed of people’s voices. This allows you to catch certain phrases and their pronunciation more efficiently. Another great app you could use for this is Duolingo. It is completely free, helps you learn French and you can repeat sounds and words at a reduced speed as much as you like.
Make Chinese Friends
The first rule of mastering French- Find someone to talk to! When you speak French on a daily basis with someone, studying is just a piece of cake! If you don’t already have French friends, making one now should be one of your top priorities. There are so many places to find beginners and acquaintances who speak French at your level. Try finding someone from a Facebook Group or by using Club House or any other social media application. Having French friends will help you communicate better in French.
Reading & Writing
Make Use of Apps Designed for French Learning
In your spare time, you can try using an app specifically designed for French learning. There are many platforms to choose from nowadays. Just take your peak and spend around 15 minutes per day on the application. It is not so time-consuming, you can even do it whilst cooking or cleaning. There are many people who consider learning with a tutor the best way to study a language. Whilst everyone has a different idea of the best language learning techniques, learning a language online or face-to-face with a tutor can certainly take you to the next level. If you think that choosing a professional tutor is your Stairway to French learning, then my best advice is to go for TutorExtra. Students can choose from more than 10000 subjects and there are a number of qualified teachers who know amazing learning techniques and have a lot of experience.
Practising reading French
The learning process may seem a little hard but practising French reading can also be a great way to accelerate your French skills.
Typically, reading is one of the necessary language skills we need to develop. And if you think about it reading skills are absolutely a must when visiting a French-speaking country. If you can’t read well, you won’t be able to understand direction, choose a meal, or even check a catalogue with products. Reading helps us develop our writing skills, and it’s also the same with Chinese. The more you try practising French reading, the better you become at forming new and well-strung sentences in the language.
Learn Non-Verbal Expressions and Gesticulation
You may not know this before, but getting to know the non-verbal expressions associated with a language (and, of course, a culture) can help you to better grasp and understand the culture of a certain nation. Additionally, gestures in one country could be considered offensive whilst in another country, they can be wildly popular. Learning the communication signs in French can actually make it relatively simple for you to interact with and understand what’s being said by others. So the lesson here is simple – OBSERVE! To master a language you need to focus not only when listening to native speakers but also when you watch them talk to each other and OBSERVE their way of communication.
Writing Down French Words
Everyone has a different way of learning and improving their skills to better remember new information. For some people listing is the trick, for others is watching and finally, there are those people that remember best when they write down words and sentences more than once in a notebook. Writing is not difficult but it is time-consuming. However, with consistent writing, you can take more information and enrich your French vocabulary.
Our free GCSE 2023 Practice resources
- Firstly, our 2023 GCSE pass mark and grade boundaries.
- Then secondly, our 2023 GCSE Revision.
- Thirdly, our new 2023 GCSE exams.
- Plus, our 2023 GCSE mocks tips.
- And also our 2023 GCSE Maths practice tests.
- You may also find our GCSE Maths Practice Test Quiz and Our 12+ GCSE practice useful
- Make sure to also visit the pages with exam practice for GCSE English 2023 and the other 2023 GCSE language exams.
the most difficult 2023 GCSEs