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Reforms

Apologies if this has been asked elsewhere but I know that the way AS and A levels are completed are changing, and I want to know about textbooks and revision guides. Are the specifications staying the same (i.e. from 2015 when they were changed) or is the layout and spec changing?

Therefore, are the books from the 'new spec' for 2015 no use to the new A levels or are they still worth getting/are no new ones being brought out?

Thanks :smile:
Just wait until you get to sixth form/college in September, your teachers there will recommend you the right books

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Original post by brainzistheword
Apologies if this has been asked elsewhere but I know that the way AS and A levels are completed are changing, and I want to know about textbooks and revision guides. Are the specifications staying the same (i.e. from 2015 when they were changed) or is the layout and spec changing?

Therefore, are the books from the 'new spec' for 2015 no use to the new A levels or are they still worth getting/are no new ones being brought out?

Thanks :smile:


You certainly need to be careful about any revision guides you buy as we are in the middle of changes right now and different subjects are changing at different times.

There are also different exam boards for subjects and even different specifications within the same exam board.

I agree with @nomophobia - wait until you start sixth form and then get some advice from your teachers. If you want to do some preliminary study, maybe check the school or college website to see if they specify the exact courses you'll be following. Or just read some generally relevant stuff for the subjects you'll be studying.

Good luck with your sixth form study!
Original post by brainzistheword
Apologies if this has been asked elsewhere but I know that the way AS and A levels are completed are changing, and I want to know about textbooks and revision guides. Are the specifications staying the same (i.e. from 2015 when they were changed) or is the layout and spec changing?

Therefore, are the books from the 'new spec' for 2015 no use to the new A levels or are they still worth getting/are no new ones being brought out?

Thanks :smile:


You certainly need to be careful about any revision guides you buy as we are in the middle of changes right now and different subjects are changing at different times.

There are also different exam boards for subjects and even different specifications within the same exam board.

I agree with @nomophobia - wait until you start sixth form and then get some advice from your teachers. If you want to do some preliminary study, maybe check the school or college website to see if they specify the exact courses you'll be following. Or just read some generally relevant stuff for the subjects you'll be studying.

Good luck with your sixth form study!
Original post by nomophobia
Just wait until you get to sixth form/college in September, your teachers there will recommend you the right books

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Original post by The Learn Ranger
You certainly need to be careful about any revision guides you buy as we are in the middle of changes right now and different subjects are changing at different times.

There are also different exam boards for subjects and even different specifications within the same exam board.

I agree with @nomophobia - wait until you start sixth form and then get some advice from your teachers. If you want to do some preliminary study, maybe check the school or college website to see if they specify the exact courses you'll be following. Or just read some generally relevant stuff for the subjects you'll be studying.

Good luck with your sixth form study!


Thanks for your responses - I appreciate it.

And I completely understand it's a difficult time to know what's going on. The issue I have is that I might be self-teaching certain subjects and not going to sixth form so I won't have a teacher to advise me on textbook, hence the question :smile:
Original post by brainzistheword
Thanks for your responses - I appreciate it.

And I completely understand it's a difficult time to know what's going on. The issue I have is that I might be self-teaching certain subjects and not going to sixth form so I won't have a teacher to advise me on textbook, hence the question :smile:


OK, let's have a go ... what subjects are you doing at what level? And you know what specifications you'll be following?
Original post by The Learn Ranger
OK, let's have a go ... what subjects are you doing at what level? And you know what specifications you'll be following?


I would be looking at doing A-levels in Maths, Further Maths, Chemistry and Physics. Maths and FM would be with Edexcel whilst Chemistry and Physics would be AQA - but I'm unsure about the best specifications to do.

Thanks for your help :smile:
if aqa physics and chem they have books for the new specs idk how you would purchase these as I rent from my scool

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Original post by GabbytheGreek_48
if aqa physics and chem they have books for the new specs idk how you would purchase these as I rent from my scool

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Are they for the new spec for the reforms? Or are they 2015 ones - or are these 2015 ones the ones covering the reforms too? :smile:
Original post by brainzistheword
Are they for the new spec for the reforms? Or are they 2015 ones - or are these 2015 ones the ones covering the reforms too? :smile:


Books written for "the 2015 specification" are books you'll need for the reformed science subjects, new science specifications began teaching in September 2015.

Maths is not yet changed and if you plan to take exams in summer 2017 or summer 2018 the existing books are fine.

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(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by gdunne42
Books written for "the 2015 specification" are books you'll need for the reformed science subjects, new science specifications began teaching in September 2015.

Maths is not yet changed and if you plan to take exams in summer 2017 or summer 2018 the existing books are fine.

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Ah right, so the book I have for AQA Physics which says ~For the 2015 Spec~ is the one I need for these exams and they wont bring out any new ones yet? Thanks for this :smile:
Original post by brainzistheword
Ah right, so the book I have for AQA Physics which says ~For the 2015 Spec~ is the one I need for these exams and they wont bring out any new ones yet? Thanks for this :smile:


The specification won't now change and the book you have matches it. There may be other new books created by other publishers from time to time but what you have is fine.


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Original post by gdunne42
The specification won't now change and the book you have matches it. There may be other new books created by other publishers from time to time but what you have is fine.


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That's very reassuring and very helpful - thank you!! :smile:

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