Right to enlighten you on behalf of our young students, in UK you study for GCSE's (which are General certificate of Standard Education - methinks), these certificates are gained at agede 16, you can then do a few different things
1) go to college to study further for 'A' Levels (Advanced) which you do for 2 years before passing easily and then going to University or doing 2,4 or 5.
2) get a job
3) Go to college to study for other certificates that are pertinent to a specific career or skills, then doing 2, 4 or 5.
4) live at home with your parents doing nothing but living off them then doing 2 or 5
5) become a bum
This should explain what a Gcse is.