It’s options time for Year 9 students (Year 8s in some schools). A lot of information is provided by schools to help students make their choices, but what difference can choosing the wrong options really make and how can students make the best decisions?

The core subjects

Firstly, let’s look at the core subjects: Maths, English and Science are compulsory at GCSE, and some schools also let students choose a third science as one of their GCSE options. If a student is very interested and likely to go into a STEM (Science/Tech/Engineering/Maths) career it is worth taking the triple but if not, double is fine – if it wasn’t, all schools would offer triple!

Sometimes, struggling students are recommended to take Core Science – this only counts as one Science GCSE and would usually close the door to taking sciences at A Level, as you can’t get higher than a Grade 5 in Core Science but need Grade 6 for A Level. It could also affect certain degree choices. Universities look at GCSE results and as an example, some Nursing degrees would not accept just core science.

Non-core subjects

When it comes to other subjects, there are several things to consider before making a firm decision. Here are my top tips for students choosing their GCSE subjects:

• Research non-core subjects by looking at the curriculum, talking to teachers or current/former students and searching online.

• If you have a strong career idea, research this to ensure you take the correct and most relevant subjects. As a Careers Advisor, I ask students to list all subjects on offer and tick the boxes which apply. These boxes include whether they ‘Like’ the subject, whether they are ‘Good At’ it and whether it is ‘Useful’ or they ‘Need’ the subject for their preferred career. This approach often helps them to get a good overview of what they need to consider.

• Those without career ideas can focus on the first two variables (what they like or are good at), but now is a very good time to start considering broad career paths.

• Always note which A Levels or equivalent qualifications require prior study at GCSE. Certain subjects – for example, Business or Health & Social Care – do not always, but many others do, so be careful!

• If aiming for a top University but not sure what to study, focus on ‘facilitating subjects’. These include Geography, History and Languages which, as well as the core subjects, are favoured by such Universities. Schools now promote the English Baccalaureate, which covers all bases anyway.

Passionate pupils should not be pressured

It is helpful for parents and teachers to have an input, but try not to pressure children out of a favourite subject. If students feel passionate about a subject, even if not a facilitating one, they should usually study it as it could turn out to be very significant to their future!

Students needing guidance should ask to see their school Careers Advisor. If you don’t have a school advisor, visit nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk for general careers information and job profiles.

Useful, free online quizzes include buzz quiz (icould.com), the spartan quiz on sacu-student.com, and the quiz on prospects.ac.uk