Welcome to our feature on the most difficult GCSEs.
Which are the most difficult GCSEs?
Key GCSE issues we are often asked:
How will this year’s GCSE pass mark be determined?
When is this year’s GCSE Results Day?
How do I find GCSE past papers for my GCSE exam board? Below you will find links to the different exam board websites, where updates will be provided as they become official. Some of these also provide access to past papers too.
If you can’t find what you are looking for here, then we suggest reviewing the full range of School Entrance Test past GCSE papers.
Is GCSE English Language the most difficult?
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.
GCSE mock papers
Looking for the most suitable GCSE mock papers? Well, we recommend that you:
- 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 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
Past GCSE papers 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).
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.
- 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.
- 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
Computer Science GCSE:
- 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?
GCSE Chemistry
- Pass rate of 89.7% in 2018.
- A lot of difficult to understand content.
GCSE English Literature
- 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.
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.
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.
GCSE grade boundaries are set?
- What to expect on your GCSE Results Day 2025?
- THE latest Maths past papers to aid your 2025 GCSE Maths revision.
- FIND OUT how each year’s GCSE pass marks are set.
- Our popular GCSE videos.
- THE MOST USEFUL past GCSE papers, including English GCSE past papers.
If you can’t find what you are looking for here, then we suggest reviewing the full range of School Entrance Test past GCSE papers.
Which are the most difficult GCSEs?