Year 11 and 13's Exams

This Article was written by Oleksandra Shatvorian, Year 8

As we all know, GCSE and A-level or IB exams have recently been completed by Year 11 and 13 students. Of course, all exams are stressful and emotional, so we interviewed a couple of students to find out what they can tell us about their own experiences.

A Year 11 student, having chosen Art, Geography, and Spanish for her GCSE options shared: “When you take a test, you're always nervous and you can't get rid of this feeling, even if you've studied hard and you're confident in your knowledge.” However, she is familiar with the GCSEs, since she had taken some exams in Year 10. Her advice to peers is to follow what you want in life, not to stress out and to have your friends and family support you. While she is yet to decide on her career path, she is currently considering taking her interest in architecture into further studies.

One of our Year 13 students plans to apply to a university in the Netherlands and pursue a career in physiotherapy. She had taken her exams in PE, Maths, and Biology in January and spoke to us about her experience. Although she has found the pressure and difficulty of the subjects hard to manage at times, she advised: “Focus, have an exact understanding of the subject you are studying, manage your time and remember your goal. We’re all in this together!”

GCSE mock exams were also being taken by Antonella Siles, a Year 11 student, who felt that she had done quite well, but was obviously worried. Since Antonella intends to study in Spain, Italy, or the University of Kent, she chose Art, Business, and Design Technology as her subjects. She advised her peers not to study all of the time, but to manage their time wisely, relax, and to do what they enjoy.

The student in Year 13 also counselled her friends and classmates to make a career out of what they want to do in life, and that they should have fun doing it. As a student, she found that the subjects that suited her most were Business, Physical Education and Geography. She intends to pursue a career in cosmetology or as a makeup artist.

It is KCD's pleasure to wish our students in Years 11 and 13 the best of luck and success with their exams and careers this summer!