10 most popular GCSE subjects 2018 (2024)

With GCSE reforms in full swing, 2018 has seen some major changes in the number of entrants per subject.According to Ofqual, these are the 10 subjects which most students sat exams in this year.

Find the key dates and exam timetables for the 2019 GCSEs

1. Combined science - 744,185

Replacing science andadditional science,the figures are a little skewed on this one asOfqual’s data includes a“double weighted count of entriesto combined science in 2018” to allow comparison with 2017. Regardless, numbers are up forall science subjects in 2018.

2. Mathematics - 715,775

With a slight drop from 2017, the number of entriesfor this core EBacc subject are likely to remain high.

3. English language - 706,255

With the new English exams proving some of the most controversial of 2017, numbers are slightly up for entriesin the language exam.

4. English literature - 537,990

Meanwhile, entrieshavedropped by over 10,000 for the literature exam.

5. Religious studies - 260,300

Still the highest-ranking non-EBacc subject on the list, religious studies has nevertheless seen a drop of over 30,000 entriesbetween 2017 and 2018, as a higher proportion of students opt for EBacc subjects.

6. History - 248,925

Entriesfor the EBacc subject of history havegone up by around 7,000, perhapscatching some of those who would otherwise have gone for religious studies.

7. Geography - 244,925

Similarly, geography has seen an increase of more than10,000 from 2017.

8. Art and design subjects - 168,765

Another non-EBacc subject, art and design remains steadily popular for GCSE entries.

9. Biology - 167,075

Despite trailing behind many humanities subjects, entriesfor biology havegone up by over 30,000 from 2017. It is worth noting that with the removal of further additional science, the only wayin which candidates couldreceive threescience GCSEs in 2018 was through taking separate sciences.

10. Chemistry - 160,110

Similarly, chemistry has seen huge increases of around 28,000 to bring it into the Top 10.

Elliot Douglas is a student at the University of St Andrews. He tweets @ElliotDee

10 most popular GCSE subjects 2018 (2024)

FAQs

What is the most picked GCSE subject? ›

What Are the Most Popular GCSE Subjects?
  • English Language and Literature. These subjects are mandatory in most schools and are a requirement for many further education courses.
  • Mathematics. ...
  • Science. ...
  • History. ...
  • Geography. ...
  • Modern Foreign Languages. ...
  • Tejaswini27 · CC BY-SA 4.0. ...
  • Taken by Shai Halevi · CC BY-SA 3.0.

What is the hardest GCSE subject to pass? ›

According to the statistics from Ofqual, these are the hardest GCSE subjects:
  1. 1 - GCSE Maths.
  2. 2 - GCSE Art & Design (3D Design)
  3. 3 - GCSE English Language.
  4. 4 - GCSE Citizenship Studies.
  5. 5 - GCSE Geography.
  6. 6 - GCSE Design and Technology.
  7. 7 - GCSE History.
  8. 8 - GCSE Psychology.
Mar 21, 2024

Is a 7 at GCSE good? ›

If you achieve a grade 7 in your exam, then you will have the equivalent of a traditional A grade, one of the most coveted grades at this level. The grades above and their equivalent are listed below: 8 = Standard A* 9 = Strong A*

What is the easiest subject in GCSE? ›

Top 10 easiest GCSE subjects (ranked by students)

From this point of view, the top 10 chosen by students places subjects in the following order, from easiest to hardest: Geography, Film Studies, Religious Studies, Media Studies, Hospitality and Catering, Business Studies, Drama, Physical Education, and Sociology.

What is the least picked GCSE? ›

Least Popular GCSEs

Welsh as a second language. If you live in Wales then Welsh is one of the compulsory subjects that every student must take. But in 2018 just 15 students enrolled to sit a GCSE in Welsh as a second language, making this by far the least popular GCSE subject that you can sit in the UK.

What are the most important GCSE subjects? ›

Maths and English are the most important subjects as they are a requirement for most courses, apprenticeships, jobs and university degrees. You will usually need at least a grade 4 and above in Maths and English before you can get into these.

What is the most popular subject in school UK? ›

When you were at school, which of the following subjects was your favourite?
When you were at school, which ONE, if any, of the following subjects was your favourite?AllFemale
English (Language or Literature)17%25%
History/ Classics15%14%
Science (i.e. Biology, Chemistry, Physics)13%9%
Mathematics11%10%
8 more rows
Jun 21, 2019

What is the highest GCSE result? ›

The GCSE grading system in England runs on a scale from 9 to 1. The highest grade you can get is a 9, with 1 being the lowest. This system was introduced in 2017, replacing the old GCSE grading system that awarded students letter grades from A* to G.

What is the most taken A level subject? ›

A-Level Maths

The most popular A-Level of all is the Queen of the subjects – Mathematics. A-Level Maths is a requirement for a big number of University degree courses. A-Level Maths can be related to the subject syllabuses of Further Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Computer Science and more.

What's the most favorite school subject? ›

Mathematics was the most popular subject overall, selected by 38% of respondents worldwide and by 37% of respondents included in this analysis.

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