Video: Education expert: I don't want to see GCSEs go, or 'elitist' O Levels return "If they [the proposals] go through, which I actually rather doubt, I think there will be massive discontent among the teaching profession," she told the Telegraph. People don't understand what a return to O Levels actually means. O Levels were aimed, when they were first put into effect, at the top 20 per cent of the population, and even CSEs were only aimed at the next 40 per cent. She continued: "So what GCSEs have done is they have broadened the audience for good qualifications for 14-16 year-olds, I wouldn't want to see that going away."