If you were able to sneak a look into the homes of parents of Year 9 pupils this month, you’d likely find them desperately typing “which GCSEs are best for...” into Google and trying to match the results to a sample timetable.

It’s “options” time for 13- to 14-year-olds in English schools, and for many parents it will be their first experience of their children being better informed than them about something that matters (as opposed to Minecraft, celebrity vloggers and programming the Freeview box).

Mumsnet is humming with conversations about GCSE choices, and it’s striking how hungry these parents are for information. They do not - unless they work in education - feel up to speed.

These parents have the added complication of trying to come to grips with the new GCSE marking and exam formats; one long conversation has been about whether schools are reluctant to forecast grade 9s on the basis that nobody really knows what it will take to achieve one.

Making educated guesses

Anecdotal evidence suggests that most schools understand parents’ hunger for information and do their best to meet it. What there is, though, is a general sense - perhaps exacerbated by the decline in high-quality careers guidance - that both parents and teachers are, at best, making educated guesses about which courses are most valued by universities and employers. These parents are seeking incredibly specific guidance from fellow Mumsnet users who work as admissions tutors, or who are employers in specific fields. “Is drama and music a good combination for a pupil who hasn’t yet decided what they want to do in life?”; “Is art a good extra subject?” and - probably the most frequently asked question - “Double or triple science?”

It seems that most schools understand parents’ hunger for information and do their best to meet it

Thankfully, the wisdom offered by those in the know is comforting. “It’s not easy to make wrong choices for GCSEs - schools usually arrange things so that whatever they choose is fairly sensible”; “Your child should choose subjects that she will do well in, which in the main will be those she enjoys”; and “Admissions tutors for science courses aren’t too concerned about double vs triple science, especially if triple isn’t offered at a candidate’s school.”

If there’s one thing everyone agrees on, it’s that art GCSE is best avoided unless children plan to make a career of it: “If you have talent, it is hugely frustrating. If you haven’t, it’s a slog. Whether you have or not, it’s a huge amount of work.” Although, come to think of it, that sounds like good preparation for life beyond school.

Justine Roberts is founder and chief executive of Mumsnet. See mumsnet.com/talk/education. She tweets as @justine_roberts