General Certificate of Secondary Education 
(abbreviation GCSE)
noun
An examination set especially for secondary-school pupils of about age 16 in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.The dominant examination at the end of compulsory schooling in England is the GCSE, the General Certificate of Secondary Education....
- At age 16, students sit for the General Certificates of Secondary Education, taking examinations in the core subjects of English, mathematics, and science and a range of elective subjects.
- At the age of sixteen, pupils sit for exams in several subjects to get the General Certificate of Secondary Education.