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General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) Syllabus

The main subject-based qualifications taken by students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, typically at age 16 (end of Year 11).. The complete General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) outline — 8 subjects, 46 chapters and 154 topics — laid out so you can see exactly what has to be covered and tick each item off as you go.

8Subjects

46Chapters

154Topics

344Sub-topics

474Flashcards

~185hEst. first pass

General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) subjects

Each subject below has its own page with the full chapter → topic → sub-topic tree and a set of real exam-style flashcards.

Mathematics

5 chapters · 21 topics · 61 sub-topics

~30h first pass · 50 flashcards English Language and English Literature

7 chapters · 24 topics · 46 sub-topics

~25h first pass · 51 flashcards Combined Science

7 chapters · 21 topics · 58 sub-topics

~25h first pass · 74 flashcards History

5 chapters · 18 topics · 37 sub-topics

~20h first pass · 58 flashcards Geography

6 chapters · 18 topics · 38 sub-topics

~20h first pass · 52 flashcards Modern Foreign Language (French)

5 chapters · 18 topics · 34 sub-topics

~20h first pass · 50 flashcards Religious Studies

5 chapters · 15 topics · 30 sub-topics

~15h first pass · 50 flashcards Computer Science

6 chapters · 19 topics · 40 sub-topics

~20h first pass · 89 flashcards

General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) flashcard decks

474 question-and-answer cards across 8 decks, written against this syllabus. Preview any deck free.

How to work through the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) syllabus

The outline on this page is arranged the way the syllabus itself is: subject, then chapter, then topic, then sub-topic. That last level is what most study plans skip, and it is where coverage actually goes wrong — a chapter marked "done" often has three sub-topics inside it that were never touched.

Weight your plan accordingly: English Language and English Literature carries 24 topics while Religious Studies carries 15. Giving both the same number of weeks is the most common planning mistake for General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE).

The ~185 hour estimate above is a first pass only: roughly 45 minutes per topic plus 12 minutes per sub-topic. Revision cycles, past papers and mocks sit on top of that number.

General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) syllabus FAQ

What subjects are in the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) syllabus?

General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) covers 8 subjects: Mathematics, English Language and English Literature, Combined Science, History, Geography, Modern Foreign Language (French), Religious Studies and Computer Science. Together they contain 46 chapters and 154 named topics.

How big is the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) syllabus?

The full General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) outline breaks down into 46 chapters, 154 topics and 344 sub-topics. English Language and English Literature is the largest single subject with 24 topics across 7 chapters.

How long does it take to cover the whole General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) syllabus?

Roughly 185 hours for one full pass. That estimate allows about 45 minutes per topic plus 12 minutes per sub-topic, so it is first-pass coverage — revision, past papers and mock tests sit on top of it. At 3 hours a day that is about 9 weeks.

Are there General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) flashcards?

Yes — 474 question-and-answer flashcards across 8 decks, one per subject, written against this syllabus. A sample of every deck is readable on this site for free, and the complete decks are in the Examius app.

Is this General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) syllabus free to use?

Yes. Every page here is free to read, and importing the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) syllabus into the Examius app to tick off topics as you finish them is free too, in United Kingdom and everywhere else. No account is needed to start.

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