GCSE Coursework
In most subjects, one or more coursework assignments may also be completed. Coursework can contribute to anything from 20–100% of a student's final grade, with more practical subjects, such as design and technology and music, often having a heavier coursework element. The rest of a student's grade (normally the majority) is determined by their performance in examinations. These exams may either be terminal exams at the end of Year 11, a series of modular examinations taken throughout the course, or a combination of the two. Students can sometimes resit modular examinations later in the course and attempt to improve their grade.
In terms of stress, the upside of coursework is that it can help to ease the stress of examination because students who undertake their coursework with skill and diligence have already achieved around 20% of the marks accounting for their final grade, however the downside is that this means students have a greater workload to complete, sometimes having to produce a large amount of work for a minimal part of the overall grade. For example, in English a student must complete 4 pieces of coursework, each over a thousand words long, which individually only account for 5% of the grade.
Coursework, is usually completed outside of lessons, however concerns about cheating have meant that more and more is now being completed in the classroom, under supervision.
