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@ISIDEWITHQuestionsEducation11yrs ago

Should every student be required to take a GCSE exam at the end of Year Eleven?

GCSE exams are taken by pupils at the end of school year 11 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The exams are a uniform framework for academic performance, with students given grades ranging from “A to G.” Scotland has an independent system in which three different levels of exams are given to different age groups. Proponents argue that the GCSE encourages students to work hard in school and provides clarity for college admissions and employers. Opponents argue that standard end-of-year exams will encourage a narrow academic focus, over-regulate teachers and discourage instruction of the arts.

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Answer Overview

Response rates from 533k UK voters.

60%
Yes
40%
No
60%
Yes
18%
No
22%
No, vocational or skill based qualifications should also be available

Historical Support

Trend of support over time for each answer from 533k UK voters.

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Trend of how important this issue is for 533k UK voters.

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Other Popular Answers

Unique answers from UK voters whose views went beyond the provided options.

 @8FC6866answered…6yrs6Y

No GCSE exams are not a good source of measuring education and qualifications.

 @B5N86Z9answered…1yr1Y

Yes, but if students wish to focus on vocational and skills-based qualifications, only require maths, english, and Combined science (unless two or more science subjects are sat), as well as a coursework-based humanities subject.

 @9MPC8VWanswered…2yrs2Y

Yes, but the curriculum needs reworking and certain compulsory subjects such as English and Maths should not be part of it. We need maths in context to live life but we don’t need to force kids who are never going to understand numbers to do quadratic equations to get to where they want to be

 @9PCPZPZanswered…2yrs2Y

Yes, GCSE exams should be required, but not for people with learning disabilities or people going to vocational schools.

 @9MPWSXManswered…2yrs2Y

No I believe a GCSE does not prove a child’s intellectual ability. Basics of reading, writing and maths should be assessed.

 @9MPZR7D answered…2yrs2Y

Yes they should for basic, English, Maths, science, IT but also offer vocational/skill based qualifications.

 @9MQ2YWGanswered…2yrs2Y

No vocational skill qualifications should be available as long as they will be considered equivalent

 @BF22TLRanswered…1wk1W

They should be able to take other internationally recognised qualifications too, the standard matters more than the specific content.

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 @ISIDEWITHDiscuss this answer...…6yrs6Y

Should critical race theory be taught in K-12 education?

No

▲  19.8k6 replies4 agree1 disagree

About This Data

Based on 533k responses to this question.

These results come from iSideWith's ongoing political issues survey. We collect over a million responses per day, filter out duplicate and multiple submissions, and break the results down by political party, ideology, age, state, and census demographics (income, race, education, household).

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iSideWith. (2026). “Should every student be required to take a GCSE exam at the end of Year Eleven?” — Public Opinion Poll Results. Retrieved June 24, 2026, from https://uk.isidewith.com/polls/809475287

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