Can I get an A* at a level if I got a B at AS?
I got 237/400 UMS for biology at AS and I thought as long as I get over 90% at A2 and my overall UMS Is over 80% (480/600) I could get A*.
A friend told me you have to have 80% at AS as well not just AS and A2 combined.
Is this true?
I wish I asked to resit a AS module now!
(EDIT: Exam board is OCR gateway)
A friend told me you have to have 80% at AS as well not just AS and A2 combined.
Is this true?
I wish I asked to resit a AS module now!
(EDIT: Exam board is OCR gateway)
(edited 7 years ago)
Scroll to see replies
Yeah that is true (ish).
You need 540 UMS overall to get an A*, 480 would be an A.
AQA has a UMS convertor thing that's pretty helpful though. You can use your scores from mocks/past papers to work out what you might get at A2, add that to your AS UMS and that should give you an idea of what you could get
You need 540 UMS overall to get an A*, 480 would be an A.
AQA has a UMS convertor thing that's pretty helpful though. You can use your scores from mocks/past papers to work out what you might get at A2, add that to your AS UMS and that should give you an idea of what you could get
540 - 237 = 303 though, which means there's no way you could get an A* I'm afraid, as each year is worth 300 UMS :/
Original post by Ula456
I got 237/400 UMS for biology at AS and I thought as long as I get over 90% at A2 and my overall UMS Is over 80% (480/600) I could get A*.
A friend told me you have to have 80% at AS as well not just AS and A2 combined.
Is this true?
I wish I asked to resit a AS module now!
A friend told me you have to have 80% at AS as well not just AS and A2 combined.
Is this true?
I wish I asked to resit a AS module now!
You don't need 80% at AS.
You need 80% overall, but with an average of 90% UMS over your A2 units.
So, you can get a B at AS, and get 70%, then get 90% overall at A2 = 80% overall, but you get an A* because you got 90% average in A2.
Also, it's not 237/400 UMS for biology, it's 237/300.
It might have been a good idea to resit as you were 3 UMS away from an A at AS.
Original post by Kugelmugel
540 - 237 = 303 though, which means there's no way you could get an A* I'm afraid, as each year is worth 300 UMS :/
They can get an A*. They only need an A overall, so that's 480/600. However, they need to get 90% average UMS across their A2 units.
That's what my chemistry teacher told me when I got a B at AS and with me aiming for an A* this year.
Original post by Peppercrunch
They can get an A*. They only need an A overall, so that's 480/600. However, they need to get 90% average UMS across their A2 units.
That's what my chemistry teacher told me when I got a B at AS and with me aiming for an A* this year.
That's what my chemistry teacher told me when I got a B at AS and with me aiming for an A* this year.
90% of 300 UMS is 270 though, and 237 + 270 = 507 which is "only" an A
In case I misunderstood you though, yeah of course they can get an A, just not a A*
to get an A you'd need 243 from your A2 units to give you 480 overall.
Original post by Peppercrunch
They can get an A*. They only need an A overall, so that's 480/600. However, they need to get 90% average UMS across their A2 units.
That's what my chemistry teacher told me when I got a B at AS and with me aiming for an A* this year.
That's what my chemistry teacher told me when I got a B at AS and with me aiming for an A* this year.
Thanks for the reply
what exam board does your school use for chemistry?
Original post by Peppercrunch
You don't need 80% at AS.
You need 80% overall, but with an average of 90% UMS over your A2 units.
So, you can get a B at AS, and get 70%, then get 90% overall at A2 = 80% overall, but you get an A* because you got 90% average in A2.
Also, it's not 237/400 UMS for biology, it's 237/300.
It might have been a good idea to resit as you were 3 UMS away from an A at AS.
You need 80% overall, but with an average of 90% UMS over your A2 units.
So, you can get a B at AS, and get 70%, then get 90% overall at A2 = 80% overall, but you get an A* because you got 90% average in A2.
Also, it's not 237/400 UMS for biology, it's 237/300.
It might have been a good idea to resit as you were 3 UMS away from an A at AS.
So if I get 480 UMS or above overall (but with B at AS) with 90% at A2 an A* is possible?
Original post by Ula456
So if I get 480 UMS or above overall (but with B at AS) with 90% at A2 an A* is possible?
480 = an A
540 = A*
So to get an A* you'd need to get 303 UMS at A2, but it's out of 300, which is why I said it's impossible, not because you couldn't otherwise
However, it's totally possible to get 480!
Original post by Kugelmugel
480 = an A
540 = A*
So to get an A* you'd need to get 303 UMS at A2, but it's out of 300, which is why I said it's impossible, not because you couldn't otherwise
However, it's totally possible to get 480!
540 = A*
So to get an A* you'd need to get 303 UMS at A2, but it's out of 300, which is why I said it's impossible, not because you couldn't otherwise
However, it's totally possible to get 480!
An A* is 90% at A2 (with 80% overall) You can get 480 UMS overall and still get an A*. 270 at A2, with 480 overall is the requirement.
Original post by Ula456
I got 237/400 UMS for biology at AS and I thought as long as I get over 90% at A2 and my overall UMS Is over 80% (480/600) I could get A*.
A friend told me you have to have 80% at AS as well not just AS and A2 combined.
Is this true?
I wish I asked to resit a AS module now!
(EDIT: Exam board is OCR gateway)
A friend told me you have to have 80% at AS as well not just AS and A2 combined.
Is this true?
I wish I asked to resit a AS module now!
(EDIT: Exam board is OCR gateway)
Original post by 1 8 13 20 42
An A* is 90% at A2 (with 80% overall) You can get 480 UMS overall and still get an A*. 270 at A2, with 480 overall is the requirement.
So the exam board is different to mine, which is why I might be wrong.
But I though for UMS always 90% = A*, 80% = A, 70% = B etc? And 480/600 is 80 right?
Original post by Kugelmugel
So the exam board is different to mine, which is why I might be wrong.
But I though for UMS always 90% = A*, 80% = A, 70% = B etc? And 480/600 is 80 right?
But I though for UMS always 90% = A*, 80% = A, 70% = B etc? And 480/600 is 80 right?
I haven't heard of exam boards doing this. There's a lot of misinformation around this, I remember my English teacher told me I needed 90% at AS to get an A* overall which was flat out wrong. At GCSE yes, but at A level (I assume you're in A2 so still doing the "old" spec, I think the new linear ones are the same deal but I don't know for sure) A* is all about the A2 units.
Original post by 1 8 13 20 42
I haven't heard of exam boards doing this. There's a lot of misinformation around this, I remember my English teacher told me I needed 90% at AS to get an A* overall which was flat out wrong. At GCSE yes, but at A level (I assume you're in A2 so still doing the "old" spec, I think the new linear ones are the same deal but I don't know for sure) A* is all about the A2 units.
Woah that's so weird
I'm AQA for almost everything (AQA for chem and bio) and I'm fairly sure AQA says 540 for A* 480 for A etc, I'll have a look though.
Edit: To clarify, I meant 90% UMS overall, whether that means you got 80% AS 100% A2, 100% AS 80% A2 or whatever
(edited 7 years ago)
Ok so helpfully, both OCR and AQA are acting like A*s don't even exist according to their UMS grade boundaries.
Unfortunately, I am fairly sure it is 90/80/70/etc A*/A/B/etc though :/
I don't want to be right haha! If getting less than 540 means you can still get an A* that's cool!
Unfortunately, I am fairly sure it is 90/80/70/etc A*/A/B/etc though :/
I don't want to be right haha! If getting less than 540 means you can still get an A* that's cool!
Original post by Kugelmugel
480 = an A
540 = A*
So to get an A* you'd need to get 303 UMS at A2, but it's out of 300, which is why I said it's impossible, not because you couldn't otherwise
However, it's totally possible to get 480!
540 = A*
So to get an A* you'd need to get 303 UMS at A2, but it's out of 300, which is why I said it's impossible, not because you couldn't otherwise
However, it's totally possible to get 480!
Sorry but that is incorrect.
You require 480/600 for an A* HOWEVER to qualify for an A* rather than an A you must achieve 270/300 at A2 regardless of your AS score. It is possible, though unlikely, to get an A* at A2 with a C at AS (though you can't get an A if you got a C at AS...)
In fact, I got a B in further maths AS but an A* overall in the A level.
Original post by natninja
Sorry but that is incorrect.
You require 480/600 for an A* HOWEVER to qualify for an A* rather than an A you must achieve 270/300 at A2 regardless of your AS score. It is possible, though unlikely, to get an A* at A2 with a C at AS (though you can't get an A if you got a C at AS...)
In fact, I got a B in further maths AS but an A* overall in the A level.
You require 480/600 for an A* HOWEVER to qualify for an A* rather than an A you must achieve 270/300 at A2 regardless of your AS score. It is possible, though unlikely, to get an A* at A2 with a C at AS (though you can't get an A if you got a C at AS...)
In fact, I got a B in further maths AS but an A* overall in the A level.
Is that just OCR or is that all exam boards?
Does that mean that basically more weighting is put on the A2 marks than the AS ones? I had always believed they were 50/50, but that's really interesting to know!
Also what did you mean that you can get an A* with a C at AS but not an A?
Sorry for a billion questions lol, I'm just interested because this information isn't published clearly anywhere!
Original post by Kugelmugel
Is that just OCR or is that all exam boards?
Does that mean that basically more weighting is put on the A2 marks than the AS ones? I had always believed they were 50/50, but that's really interesting to know!
Also what did you mean that you can get an A* with a C at AS but not an A?
Sorry for a billion questions lol, I'm just interested because this information isn't published clearly anywhere!
Does that mean that basically more weighting is put on the A2 marks than the AS ones? I had always believed they were 50/50, but that's really interesting to know!
Also what did you mean that you can get an A* with a C at AS but not an A?
Sorry for a billion questions lol, I'm just interested because this information isn't published clearly anywhere!
I think because A*s were new when I took my A-levels there was more info available easily.
The weighting is still 50/50 but the criteria for an A* is based on performance of over 90% in certain modules (not even all A2 modules for some subjects...). This is common across all exam boards.
So say you are taking a 6 module A-level where to get an A* you require 90UMS average across the three A2 modules out of a total of 100UMS available for each module.
If you get say 200UMS in your AS (a C grade) in order to get an A you would need 280UMS at A2. However, since the 280 is above the 270 required for an A* you would get an A* even though you got exactly 480UMS in total. Does that make sense?
Aaaaaaaaaaah I found a helpful TSR article on it which explain it! I was wrong!
"
What mark do you need for an A*?
For subjects other than Maths, Further Maths and Additional Further Maths, to get an A*, you must meet the following two requirements:That's all there is to it. You don't get an A* for 90% overall. Only the A2 units (i.e. the units normally taken in Year 13) count towards the award of an A*. Even if you get 100% in your AS units, 89% in your A2 ones isn't enough for an A*. Similarly, you don't need to get an A at AS to get an A* at A2 if you get 90% in the A2 units, and assuming your A2 marks are high enough to pull your AS marks to an A grade overall."
http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/content.php?r=15919-a-star-grades-at-a-level
"
What mark do you need for an A*?
For subjects other than Maths, Further Maths and Additional Further Maths, to get an A*, you must meet the following two requirements:
•
80% UMS overall (i.e. the current requirements for an A).
•
90% UMS overall in the A2 units.
http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/content.php?r=15919-a-star-grades-at-a-level
Original post by natninja
I think because A*s were new when I took my A-levels there was more info available easily.
The weighting is still 50/50 but the criteria for an A* is based on performance of over 90% in certain modules (not even all A2 modules for some subjects...). This is common across all exam boards.
So say you are taking a 6 module A-level where to get an A* you require 90UMS average across the three A2 modules out of a total of 100UMS available for each module.
If you get say 200UMS in your AS (a C grade) in order to get an A you would need 280UMS at A2. However, since the 280 is above the 270 required for an A* you would get an A* even though you got exactly 480UMS in total. Does that make sense?
The weighting is still 50/50 but the criteria for an A* is based on performance of over 90% in certain modules (not even all A2 modules for some subjects...). This is common across all exam boards.
So say you are taking a 6 module A-level where to get an A* you require 90UMS average across the three A2 modules out of a total of 100UMS available for each module.
If you get say 200UMS in your AS (a C grade) in order to get an A you would need 280UMS at A2. However, since the 280 is above the 270 required for an A* you would get an A* even though you got exactly 480UMS in total. Does that make sense?
Thank you! To be honest I'm not sure it makes sense as such, but I think I get it!
That's kind of crazy though that you could end up with the same UMS score as someone else but you got an A* and they got an A! I guess the exam boards would argue it's harder at A2 than AS though maybe?
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