New Spec or old spec? Continuing on to A2?

Hi

Again this a throwaway account and the threads made are going to be quite long. I am looking for advice and opinions. Here is another one of my threads if interested http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=4222472. It is regarding faith. I am trying to get views from as many people as possible. You learn the most when you listen to others. Also the more you know the more you realise the less you know.

I am currently a year 13 student and have finished the old specification of AQA Chemistry. Now while I know it is too early to say I need to make some decisions. This is what I think I have got in my exams:

Unit 1- 90/100
Unit 2- 91/140
Unit 3 - 56/60
Unit 4 - 20/100
Unit 5- 20/100
Unit 6- 30/60

Unit 3 and 6 are known as ISA's The Isa's have really high grade boundaries because so many people cheat and this year our teacher didn't help us at all. I have done really badly this year as you can see and this is due to personal reasons. I will make another thread after this explaining that. I would like to know should I sit the new spec or old spec Chemistry?

I think I know how the new spec AQA chemistry works but if I am wrong please correct me. The AS exams can be sit but will have to be resit for the full A-Level. 2 papers are sat for this. The New specs involves no ISA or coursework. Some topics of A2 are in the AS. At the end of A2 you only have to sit 3 papers. With the old spec you can resit the ISA's and EMPA next year only. I feel like I can do very well in the A2 modules and while redoing the unit 2. I am just unsure how to do it.

Should I do the New Spec chemistry or old spec? Do you have any more information on the new spec AQA Chemistry?

I am also worried about the amount of exams I have. I also have a C in AS maths and C in history (old spec). I will give the breakdown below.

C1- 72 History- Scraped C
C2-49
S1-80

Now I know this is getting long so I will try finish this. I am thinking I should do the NEW spec histroy and chemsitry. Redo all the maths modules. Thinking about doing s2 what would you recommend ? If you could bump this or tag someone who can help I would be grateful

OP

bump

If you mean you're planning to resit next year, I don't see the reason why it'll be better to sit the new spec. I believe next year will be the final year for A2 resits for the old spec and seeing as your problem is your A2 modules are low, why don't you just resit the A2 modules next year?
You won't have to relearn anything that's new in the new spec and you'll already know most of the content in the old spec. So all you need to do is make sure you revise for the modules so you can do well next year.

Reply 3

uh5rc

OP

1

Original post by NeverLucky

If you mean you're planning to resit next year, I don't see the reason why it'll be better to sit the new spec. I believe next year will be the final year for A2 resits for the old spec and seeing as your problem is your A2 modules are low, why don't you just resit the A2 modules next year?
You won't have to relearn anything that's new in the new spec and you'll already know most of the content in the old spec. So all you need to do is make sure you revise for the modules so you can do well next year.

Thanks for the reply. Well with the old spec there will only be a certain amount of people sitting it. They are likely to do well and less people failing meaning high grade boundaries. This is because they have been in education longer. The New spec means less exams. The new specs also means my poor AS grades won't count. Thats good because I am trying to get 3 A's. This means I won't be disadvantaged by having a reduced small pool and doing all my exams again

Reply 4

NeverLucky

12

Original post by uh5rc

Thanks for the reply. Well with the old spec there will only be a certain amount of people sitting it. They are likely to do well and less people failing meaning high grade boundaries. This is because they have been in education longer. The New spec means less exams. The new specs also means my poor AS grades won't count. Thats good because I am trying to get 3 A's. This means I won't be disadvantaged by having a reduced small pool and doing all my exams again

Your AS grade won't be poor? You said yourself you think you got 90/100 in Unit 1, 91/140 in Unit 2 and 56/60 in Unit 3 which is very good! Depending on the grade boundaries, I would say that'll either be a high B or a low A which is great. Now, if you want to get an A then you can focus on just the A2 modules this next year and make sure you secure the A.I understand more from where you're coming from now tho. However, if you think about it, what makes you sure you'll do better in the new spec than in the old spec? There's very little difference in terms of content you'll need to know between the two specs (tho there's a few new things in the new spec) so if you are able to do good in the new spec, then chances are you'll be able to just as well in the old spec. Bear in mind that if you do the new A-level instead of just resitting the old A2 modules, you'll spend overall more time sitting in an exam hall sitting the exam and you'll have to remember more content as the new A-level tests your AS knowledge as well.

Reply 5

uh5rc

OP

1

Original post by NeverLucky

Your AS grade won't be poor? You said yourself you think you got 90/100 in Unit 1, 91/140 in Unit 2 and 56/60 in Unit 3 which is very good! Depending on the grade boundaries, I would say that'll either be a high B or a low A which is great. Now, if you want to get an A then you can focus on just the A2 modules this next year and make sure you secure the A.I understand more from where you're coming from now tho. However, if you think about it, what makes you sure you'll do better in the new spec than in the old spec? There's very little difference in terms of content you'll need to know between the two specs (tho there's a few new things in the new spec) so if you are able to do good in the new spec, then chances are you'll be able to just as well in the old spec. Bear in mind that if you do the new A-level instead of just resitting the old A2 modules, you'll spend overall more time sitting in an exam hall sitting the exam and you'll have to remember more content as the new A-level tests your AS knowledge as well.

Well thats just Chemistry... I gave it all in terms of UMS so your right it should be high B low A. If I continue with the old spec though I will need to do 4 papers which tbh now typing doesn't feel that bad. One being an ISA/EMPA. Obviously sitting the new spec for history makes much more sense. I am thinking is it better to sit the new spec as some people will fail that meaning lower grade boundaries. How I will spend more time overall in exam halls? The AS content is fine I am confident with that and A2 I had some personal problems. I would have to resit the Unit 2,4,5,6 with the new spec I would have to sit only 3 exams

Reply 6

NeverLucky

12

Original post by uh5rc

Well thats just Chemistry... I gave it all in terms of UMS so your right it should be high B low A. If I continue with the old spec though I will need to do 4 papers which tbh now typing doesn't feel that bad. One being an ISA/EMPA. Obviously sitting the new spec for history makes much more sense. I am thinking is it better to sit the new spec as some people will fail that meaning lower grade boundaries. How I will spend more time overall in exam halls? The AS content is fine I am confident with that and A2 I had some personal problems. I would have to resit the Unit 2,4,5,6 with the new spec I would have to sit only 3 exams

Oh fair enough, I didn't know you were planning on resitting Unit 2 as well but yeah I suppose you will be spending more time overall if you resat the old spec :biggrin:

. Tho, I'm not sure if there'll be AS resits for the old spec next year? You might have to check up on that cos I was under the impression that this year was the last AS resits for the old spec.
If that's the case I'd say it's really up to you. Sometimes having the AS count towards your whole A-level can benefit you in some ways but if you prefer to do the entire A-level with a clean slate, then by all means go for the new spec.

Reply 7

uh5rc

OP

1

Original post by NeverLucky

Oh fair enough, I didn't know you were planning on resitting Unit 2 as well but yeah I suppose you will be spending more time overall if you resat the old spec :biggrin:

. Tho, I'm not sure if there'll be AS resits for the old spec next year? You might have to check up on that cos I was under the impression that this year was the last AS resits for the old spec.
If that's the case I'd say it's really up to you. Sometimes having the AS count towards your whole A-level can benefit you in some ways but if you prefer to do the entire A-level with a clean slate, then by all means go for the new spec.

You can sit the AS exams from the old specification. I am just considering my options and thank you for your responses. I think no-one else is awake :smile: