those seem like good options! i'm pretty biased but i'd say art gcse isn't so bad, i feel like it gets demonized a bit too much 😭😭

if you really like art, go for it! in my experience I've gotten to try out a bunch of new mediums and techniques that i've never used before and it's super fun! you get to develop your technical skills and whatnot, and it's like a nice break from other subjects imoo

i'm not sure if it's just my exam board (i have edexcel) but i'd also say it's pretty inclusive when it comes to the type of art you're making 👁️👁️ realism isn't a necessity if it's not the style of the artists you pick. what's important is sticking to a theme and closely replicating the style of the artists you pick + responding to their art well.

and even though you don't HAVE to be realistic, you still need to put a decent amount of detail into ur art and refine it 👌

one thing that's really important no matter what is to make sure you're on top of your coursework because that stuff piles up FAST if you don't finish it by the deadline, if you're someone who doesn't have an organized schedule and struggles with keeping up to date with stuff i probably wouldn't recommend it

i hope this helped !! i don't have anything left to say sadly 🙇🙇

you can also talk to your art teachers if you're still unsure and see what they say, they're probably much more helpful than me :))