• Question: I'm choosing my GCSE's soon. What qualifications do I need to take if I want to be an engineer?

    Asked by I Love Brownies to Huw, Gosha, Ray, Stacey, Steve on 13 Mar 2015. This question was also asked by 466appb35.
    • Photo: Stacey Cutten

      Stacey Cutten answered on 13 Mar 2015:

      There are so many types of engineering so it’s hard to say!

      The subjects that seem to be the most essential for engineering are Maths and Physics, so if you aren’t already considering Triple Science then do so (if that’s what its still called, they change it so much!)

      At GCSE you should focus on getting your 5 GCSE’s A*-C, with at least a B in Maths and English Language. To get an exact answer about subjects, you should google the different types of engineering to see what you fancy!
      🙂

    • Photo: Huw Williams

      Huw Williams answered on 13 Mar 2015:

      Hi I Love Brownies,

      @Stacey gives a very good answer here!

      Most course will ask for Maths, Physics Or Chemistry and a Technology subject like DT or IT.

      I would always advise people to chose subjects that they really enjoy doing. Don’t force yourself to pick subjects you don’t enjoy just because you think it’ll be a good career. Make your career choice fit the things you enjoy doing.

      Huw

    • Photo: Gosha Barzowska

      Gosha Barzowska answered on 15 Mar 2015:

      I will agree with the above: Maths, Physics, DT, IT and any other science subject to keep your options open for the future – you never know what might be useful 🙂

    • Photo: Steve Cox

      Steve Cox answered on 15 Mar 2015:

      I’d agree with all the other answers. Interestingly I also studied Metalwork to GCSE level (I think that subject is now called “Resistive Materials” which I always find quite a funny name).

      I’m not even sure that you can study that to GCSE level these days, but I did it because I enjoyed working with metal and believed that knowing more about it would make me a better engineer.

      It certainly gave me a head start when I started my apprenticeship because I’d already done all of the basic stuff at school.

    • Photo: Ray Butchart

      Ray Butchart answered on 16 Mar 2015:

      What do you really want to do? Do you have any ‘gut’ feeling? Go initially with Maths, English and at least one science. Review, then maybe Technical Drawing (Engineering Drawing) and Engineering Science if possible, and review again.

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