Put to the Test

Test taking. Test planning. When I even mention the word “test” many people get clammy palms and break out into a cold sweat. Others think of it as a battle to be won and chant “bring it on” over and over. My sister and her family live in England. As my niece prepared to end her high school journey, she would spend her final years studying to pass the GCSE exams. Initially, I equated these with the US’s SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) or ACT (American College Testing) exams, which our students take to help college admissions boards assess a student’s supposed “intelligence” and ability to make it through to graduation. I couldn’t have been more wrong. 

The GCSEs, or General Certificate of Secondary Education exams, are taken at the end of everyone’s “sophomore” year (which sounds absurd to a Brit, but bear with me). British students end their education at age 16. Before leaving, they study for over a year to take GCSEs if they intend to go to college or into a trade. Any student wishing to take the GCSEs must test in a minimum of five subjects including the English Language, English Literature, Math, and Science. Additionally, they can add other subjects to be tested in based on what they would like to do as a vocation in their future. Students can take up to sixteen GCSEs, but most average around nine. Taking the GCSEs is highly favored by universities, colleges, and employers. Students earn a grade of 1-9, with 9 being the highest possible score per subject.¹ From here, there’s no obligation for them to continue their education, and off into the workforce they go at 16 years old. However, for those who want good-paying jobs, to enter “University,” or do something other than learn their father’s trade, they must then take A-Level exams. 

Essentially, their “junior and senior” years of high school are dedicated to studying to pass the A-Level tests which they take at the end of the two-year period, provided a student has passed the required minimum GCSEs. The A-Level exams are more refined than the GCSEs. Students can choose from 40 different subjects. They are encouraged to take exams in subjects they wish to study in University or ones they might consider useful for future employment.² 

During the two-year period where a student selects and studies for their A-Level exams, they are also applying to Universities, traveling to view campuses, interviewing with university faculty, and thinking about what’s next for their future. This process initially was very confusing to me as this period in their educational journey is called “college.” The US uses the terms university and college almost interchangeably, but they are very different in the UK. In England, the most prestigious universities include: University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, and Durham University. 

I watched my niece spend the last several years of her life studying to take tests. It’s not like we don’t take tests in the US, but they’re usually done periodically throughout the school year, or in the form of mid-terms or finals. We struggle and study to pass exams as a whole in the US, but England has made it an artform. Over the years as I have visited my sister and her family, there have been varying degrees of flash cards, study guides, notebooks upon notebooks, reference materials, and a lot of tears. For all of you US students who are concerned about your next upcoming test, just remember, there are students out there who ONLY study for two years to ONLY take tests that determine their future. I’m pretty sure you can do it.

After all of this, kudos to my niece, Mina. She aced both her GCSEs and her A-Levels and was accepted to the University of Cambridge where she will start this fall. I couldn’t be more proud!

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1.Edumentors. What are GCSEs? Everything You Need to Know. Tornike Asatiani. February 223, 2026. https://edumentors.co.uk/blog/everything-you-need-to-know-about-gcse-exams-in-2023/
2.UK Department of Education. Skills for Careers. A-Levels. Crown Copyright. 2026. https://www.skillsforcareers.education.gov.uk/pages/training-choice/a-levels