Courses at Oxford don't have any minimum requirements for GCSE. (Generally speaking higher grades can help to make your application more competitive. Successful applicants typically have a high proportion of A and A* grades. But there are no requirements.).
Regarding this, do you need a language GCSE to go to university?
With the exception of English and Maths, and in a few cases a Modern Foreign Language, most universities have no universal entry requirements in terms of specific GCSE subjects. Therefore, we strongly encourage students to check universities' websites for further information published by individual institutions.
Secondly, what GCSEs are needed for Oxford? GCSEs are seen as evidence of work ethic – and you need a really strong one of those to cope with studying at Oxford or Cambridge. Our 'guesstimate' is that the average successful applicant has around eight A* GCSEs – or 8/9 grades under the new system – under their belt.
Keeping this in view, do you need a language GCSE to go to Cambridge?
Until now students applying for places at Cambridge had to have qualifications to at least GCSE standard in English, a foreign language, maths or a scientific subject, and two other subjects.
Do GCSE grades matter for Oxford?
So if Oxford is your dream, go for it and apply. However, it is true that your GCSE grade profile will not help. Oxford makes systematic use of GCSE scores and most candidates will have a higher proportion of A* grades.
Related Question Answers
What is the hardest GCSE subject?
So in no particular order, here are the subjects that we believe are the toughest GCSEs to do well in! - Modern Foreign Languages. In 2017, the number of students undertaking a GCSE in a modern foreign language experienced a slight decrease compared to 2016.
- History.
- Music.
- English Literature.
- Maths.
- Sciences.
- Engineering.
- Drama.
Do universities look at GCSE results?
Well, when you apply to university you will not have your A level results – only your predicted grades. However, universities are aware that there is a strong link between GCSE grades and A level grades. If you get B's you're likely to get C grades and so on. This is why they like to pay attention to your GCSE grades.Do universities prefer Igcse or GCSE?
There's a lot of debate around whether universities prefer the IGCSE, with some people saying it's more “rigorous” than the old GCSE. Others say that the new GCSE is more rigorous still. In short, there is no agreement on whether either qualification will be better for your uni application.Do you need a language GCSE to get into a Russell Group university?
With the exception of English and maths, and in a few universities, a modern foreign language, the Russell Group does not have any universal entry requirements of GCSE subjects. Some medicine and engineering courses require three facilitating subjects, some require one or two, and some none.Is it good to have a language GCSE?
A language GCSE builds on what you've already learnt in years 7, 8 and 9 and you probably know more than you think. Language classes are still fun and interactive and you cover things at a slightly quicker pace, but this is good as you'll easily notice the improvements that you make in your foreign language.What universities require a language?
Examples of Foreign Language Requirements
| School | Language Requirement |
| Harvard University | 4 years recommended |
| MIT | 2 years |
| Stanford University | 3 or more years |
| UCLA | 2 years required; 3 recommended |
Do Russell Group universities accept retakes?
Many top universities, including most of the Russell Group, accept A level resit students, even for the most competitive courses such as Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary Science, English and Law.Should I take history or geography GCSE?
With history GCSE, there is A LOT to learn, but if you're interested in it like me, then it's fine. It's easier to learn things when you're interested in them and how it all works. Right, onto Geography. There's also the big 3 sections of human, physical and fieldwork geography.Does Cambridge look at your GCSEs?
There are no GCSE (or equivalent) requirements for entry to Cambridge. GCSE results are looked at as a performance indicator, but within the context of the performance of the school/college where they were achieved. However, there are always exceptions and we don't require a minimum number of As/A*s at GCSE.Can you get into Cambridge with bad GCSEs?
To apply to Cambridge you need to get 4 As in your AS exams, and you should be predicted at least 2 A* for A-Level since that's what their offer will be. Besides that, they really don't care - the interviews will be more important than GCSEs. No. You won't get an interview with 4 Bs, that's for sure.Can you go to uni without GCSEs?
Often, universities will specify the minimum grades they expect at GCSE maths and English alongside the more requirements for more advanced qualifications, such as A-levels. Without the required GCSEs, even if you have the necessary A-Levels, the institutions will likely reject you as a candidate.Does GCSE matter in university?
GCSE results matter to universities. However, within some admissions offices, GCSE results matter at this time of year, with their institutions holding a pot of conditional offers until they can confirm the retake results in the key subjects such as maths, science and English.Is it better to do 3 or 4 A levels?
'Certainly at A-levels there is robust evidence to suggest that students that do four A-levels achieve better and their grades are higher than those who do three, even though they started at the same GCSE level.Is Cambridge harder to get into than Oxford?
So for instance, it is definitely harder to get into Oxford and Cambridge than it is to get into Brown or Cornell. Both are good schools, but both are ranked much lower - comparatively - than Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, Yale and so on.Do GCSEs really matter?
It's not the end of the world if you fail. We never say this, but GCSEs don't matter nearly as much as we make out. You probably need your pass in maths and English, but you can retake. If you're that academic, A-level grades and then your degree will quickly supersede GCSEs.Is Cambridge better than Oxford?
Oxford is also a slightly larger city, while Cambridge is more picturesque. In terms of social life, Oxford is a better place to be. Cambridge is much more visually appealing for those who value the aesthetics of the university.How hard is it to get into Cambridge?
Getting into the University of Cambridge is extremely difficult. For UK students sitting A level exams, the standard offer is A* A* A. This is out of the range of all but the best students. This is deliberate; the university only wants to teach the very best.Does Oxford require SAT?
Oxford requires a minimum SAT of 1470. That won't get you in on its own, but without that you cannot apply. If you want the full list of minimum requirements for US applicants, here it is: SATs: students sitting this qualification will need to achieve a total score of 1,470 (out of 1,600).Is it hard to get into Oxford University?
While only 7% of pupils in England and Wales are from the independent sector, they make up around 46% of Oxford's undergraduates. Getting in is hard, but perhaps not as hard as people think, says Mike Nicholson, the university's head of undergraduate admissions, with on average five applications for every place. 
