AS Results Day: 18th August 2016: FAQ & Advice Thread: What's next?

Hello lovelies :h:

It's that time of year again :eek:

I don't know about you, but this year has gone incredibly fast! I hope you've all had an okay year studying your AS levels, it's definitely a bit of a step up from doing GCSEs but I'm sure you all coped very well and will be so proud of yourselves when you receive your results this week :h:

I'll certainly be extremely proud of all of you whatever the outcome, as it's not an easy year, especially with all these confusing changes! I also hope you've enjoyed your time off and have had a bit of a resting period before it gets even more stressful! :tongue:

This thread is basically here to give you a bit of reassurance and advice on what to expect when it comes to results day and the upcoming year; your final year before you go to university, take a gap year, get a job, or whatever you have planned! :eek:

If you want to check out the grade boundaries (as I'm sure most of you will), then have a look at The Financier's wonderful thread where they will be up the minute we have them. Obviously boundaries are very important in helping you understand your results, how close you were to each boundary and so on :h:

If you feel confident enough check them out before you even have your results! :colone:

If you're happy enough with your results to post them, and you want to show off how clever you are ( :wink:

), check out James A's exciting thread :biggrin:

What will my results slip look like?

This may vary depending on your college/sixth form, however, generally, it will have the qualification, the subject, module grades, and then the overall grade! Here is a lovely photo of what mine looked like at GCSE (I can't find my A level one but it looked the same anyway :tongue:

), plus I'm sure most, if not all of you, have had a results sheet before! :lol:

click the spoiler below if you want to see!

Spoiler

This is where things get a little tricky now. As you are aware, A level reforms are currently implemented for some subjects and in the process of being implemented for others, and in the reforms, UMS are no longer a thing, thus your sheet won't have them if you study a subject that has already been reformed. Instead, they will have the raw mark as this is simply how the results will be expressed in the reformed subjects.

Will I receive a certificate?

If you have received your full AS level on results day (if they have been cashed in), you should receive a certificate for your AS levels. If you took multiple subjects with one exam board, they will most likely be on the same certificate. Sixth forms/colleges tend to receive your certificates around October time, however each will have different rules on when they can be collected etc, so please contact your college/sixth form if you wish to know when you are able to collect them.

A level reforms: Do my AS levels contribute to the overall A level?

Of course, up until the reforms, your AS levels were worth 50% of the entire A level. However, the following subjects were reformed in September 2015, thus it is now a separate qualification:

-Art and Design
-Biology
-Business
-Chemistry
-Computer science
-Economics
-English Language
-English Language and Literature
-English Literature
-History
-Physics
-Psychology
-Sociology

If you study any subject other than the ones on this list, then your result will still be 50% of your overall A level, thus what you get can give you an idea as to what you need to achieve in order to get your desired grade in the entire A level. Whilst taking one of the above subjects might mean you don't necessarily need to worry quite as much if you don't do as great as you expected, it's still very important that you do well if you're hoping to apply to university, as they will see your grade and your predictions may be based off what you achieve! Here is an excellent article that will give you a bit more information on what the reforms could mean for you! :h:

However, AS levels for Welsh and Northern Irish students will continue to count towards overall A-level marks. In Wales, an AS will count for 40% of the marks, with A2s counting for the remaining 60%. This appears to be the case in Northern Ireland also, though any changes won't be introduced until 2016.

Should I retake an AS module?

This is entirely dependent on whether or not your subject has been reformed yet. If you are studying an unreformed subject, then you will still have the opportunity to resit individual AS modules at the end of your A2 year. It is a personal decision as to whether or not you want to do this. If you achieve a low grade then you may want to resit an exam to boost your UMS and to make it easier to achieve your desired overall A level grade. Or maybe you just want a few extra marks. It is important to think carefully about this as it can be tough resitting an AS exam alongside your A2 exams! :redface:

In reformed subjects, however, you will have to wait a year after the end of your course to resit any units.

A level reforms: What do I need to do to achieve an A*?

This is also dependent on whether or not the subject has been reformed. For unreformed subjects, in order to achieve an A* in the entire A level (remember, an A* is not possible at AS), you will need to achieve at least an 80% average across the entire A level, with at least a 90% average at A2. Note: you do NOT need to get an A at AS to get an A* overall. Here are a few ways in which you could therefore achieve an A*:

-140/200 at AS (70%, grade B), with 180/200 at A2.
-160/200 at AS (80%, grade A), with 180/200 at A2.
-120/200 at AS (60%, grade C), with 200/200 at A2 (difficult but not impossible!)

HOWEVER, if you are studying one of the reformed subjects, as UMS will no longer be used, the method for determining an A* as above is redundant. Whilst grade boundaries for E to A grades will be set in a similar way to the existing method, the A* will be set by senior examiners using statistical predictions.

University and AS results and applying to university

Universities will, of course, be taking into consideration that there will be applicants with a mixture of the old and new style A levels and will give equal consideration regardless. The universities that you apply to WILL see your grades, and so it is important that you apply to universities accordingly. Whilst being ambitious is great and always encouraged, it is also vital to be realistic; applying to a top university with BDDE at AS (without extenuating circumstances) might not be the most sensible choice, even if your predicted grades are decent. If you have your heart set on a particular university, you could consider applying the year after when your grades may have improved. Please don't worry, there are always options :h:

Use your results wisely when applying. Once you have your grades, you will be able to decide whether or not potential universities you have looked at are suitable for you. You may even find yourself feeling confident enough to apply to universities you thought you weren't going to be able to apply to! Think carefully about your choices, have a look at unis you think you can meet the entry requirements for, whilst taking into consideration the module choices, the city/town etc it is situated in, the living costs and so on. Remember, there is more to look into than just the league tables/prestige. Definitely check out the excellent advice area about applying to university for more information and advice.

Understandably, you may have questions that you can't find the answer to in this post. Please feel free to quote/tag/mention me and I will try my best to respond in the most helpful way possible. If not, I will summon some other extremely helpful people :teehee:

I really do wish you all the best of luck! Enjoy results day, celebrate, cheer yourself up if things don't go quite as you hope, learn from it! There are always ways to make a positive situation out of a negative one. I'm always just a PM away if you're feeling unhappy with your results :hugs:

Also, have a wonderful last year in sixth form/college. It's a scary yet exciting year and it was honestly my favourite school year. Study hard but have a blast :h:

good-luck-banner-vector-greeting-card-stock-illustration-67354505.jpg

(edited 7 years ago)

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Woo!

OP; Do you mean a 140 (B) at AS and a 190 at A2

Reply 3

Changing Skies

Original post by kanyenot

OP; Do you mean a 140 (B) at AS and a 190 at A2

Nope! It is 140 at AS and 180 at A2. 140 + 180 = 320/400, which is 80% overall but with 90% at A2, meaning an A*. :smile:

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Reply 4

Tiara006

I'm a GCSE student but did AS Sociology. Do I have to go to the A level results day this Thursday to collect my AS Sociology grade or will it come my GCSE results next week?

Reply 5

username2230787

idk if i can bring myself to read this :redface:

Reply 6

Changing Skies

Original post by Tiara006

I'm a GCSE student but did AS Sociology. Do I have to go to the A level results day this Thursday to collect my AS Sociology grade or will it come my GCSE results next week?

This is probably dependent on your school to be honest! I can't give you a definite answer I'm afraid :redface:

Original post by Salamandastron

idk if i can bring myself to read this :redface:

You're going to do brilliantly :hugs:

Reply 7

OGFakiie

Damn I'm nervous as hell, need all A's to get into imperial :frown:

Reply 8

username2230787

Original post by Changing Skies

This is probably dependent on your school to be honest! I can't give you a definite answer I'm afraid :redface:

You're going to do brilliantly :hugs:

idk about that :/ think i messed up biology tbh :getmecoat:

also that isnt really what scares me tbh, it is the entirety of next year, all the uni stuff etc as well :redface:

but ty lovely :lovehug:

Reply 9

metaljoe

Next year is going to be soooooooo hard. I want to study chemical engineering at either Nottingham, Loughborough, Manchester, Birmingham or Bath. I want to do the masters course so I will need AAA minimum. Problem is I think that last year was a disaster! I think I have got B in maths AS, C or D in Chemistry AS, C or B in politics AS and C or B in economics AS. So my predicted grades will be no way near what I need for any of the unis. However, I am probably going to bust a gut next year and hope that I get AAB (A in maths, B in chemistry and A in politics) so that I can get on the bachelors course and then progress onto the masters course the year after if the uni will let me. So I will have to apply for uni not in my A2 year but in a gap year, because of my predicted grades. Wish me luck (I'll need it)!

Reply 10

LGBTvoice

I've just downloaded the grade boundaries I need to get certain grades. I do Law, Business (New Spec of course), Philosophy and Ethics, Applied ICT and World Development. I was dreading business but now seeing that A is 105 and full marks are 160, I am not too scared now, although still nervous! I am feeling bad about Applied ICT because I remember how hard that exam was :frown:

Nevertheless, I'll post what I get in here. I was hoping on dropping business but now I feel ICT is in the firing line! I'm applying to uni in October to do Law with Liverpool as my first choice - I need ABB at A2 so *touch wood* tomorrow goes well!

Reply 11

ivymoss

Hello,

I have just got my AS Level results and they are very strange and not what I predicted at all.

I got ABCD overall.

History - Predicted: D Achieved : A
Engish Literature - Predicted B Achieved: B
Government and Politics - Predicted: A Achieved: C
Classical Civilisation - Predicted: C Achieved: D

The G+P is 1 UMS off of a B - is it worth sending it for a re-mark?

Then my results would be ABBD.

Provided I drop Classical Civilisation and work hard - I believe I can strive for AAA.

Are my grades good enough for me to still consider applying for Russell Group universities?

Reply 12

Chopra52

[QUOTE=ivymoss;67027454]Hello,

I have just got my AS Level results and they are very strange and not what I predicted at all.

I got ABCD overall.

History - Predicted: D Achieved : A
Engish Literature - Predicted B Achieved: B
Government and Politics - Predicted: A Achieved: C
Classical Civilisation - Predicted: C Achieved: D

The G+P is 1 UMS off of a B - is it worth sending it for a re-mark?

Then my results would be ABBD.

Provided I drop Classical Civilisation and work hard - I believe I can strive for AAA.

Are my grades good enough for me to still consider applying for Russell Group universities?

Of course you can. You did really well and should be very proud. To make your university application more competitive, just ensure your predicted grades are high enough and your application is strong. Now go celebrate!!! 😄🎊🎉

Reply 13

Chopra52

I got my results and i got AAAC overall.
I got A's in Maths, Biology and Chemistry and a C in economics. Im dropping economics. Is it worth applying for medicine?

Reply 14

ivymoss

Original post by Chopra52

Of course you can. You did really well and should be very proud. To make your university application more competitive, just ensure your predicted grades are high enough and your application is strong. Now go celebrate!!! 😄🎊🎉

Thank you so much! It is such a relief to have some re-assurance after feeling like I had failed.

Reply 15

bookworm2107

I got a B's in history and classics and an E in Spanish meaning I will be predicted AAD. What should I do? (I want to study classics at uni) Should I bother to look at unis whose standard grade is BBC or should I wait to apply when I get my A2 results?

Reply 16

mahnoorieee

hi there, im extremely disappointed with my As biology grade which is an E. i was wondering whether i can take it again in jan 2017.

Reply 17

Changing Skies

Original post by ivymoss

Hey! Those results are absolutely fine so don't worry, well done :h:

I'd only remark if you have the money and are prepared to lose it if your mark does not change or goes down. 1 mark is tiny so it's very possible it could go up. It's a very personal decision which only you can make! :smile:

You still have a very good chance. If your predicted grades meet the requirements of the universities you're looking at, I see no reason as to why they wouldn't want you because of your grades :h:

Original post by bookworm2107

I'd say just go for it :smile:

you have nothing to lose if you don't manage to get offers from those unis, however I feel there's a chance you still could as long as the rest of your application is a good standard! Best of luck :biggrin:

you can do this!

Original post by mahnoorieee

hi there, im extremely disappointed with my As biology grade which is an E. i was wondering whether i can take it again in jan 2017.

As far as I know you can no longer take resits in January so you would have to do so in the summer! Sorry to hear you're disappointed, I've been there myself, but it's always possible to sort these things out :h:

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Reply 18

Olmeister

Hi, I have just received my results for AS. I got...A in English Language, B in Economics, C in French, E in Maths. Before results day I was planning not to drop anything next year, and was really up for the challenge of four subjects even though it will prove a long slog. I am wondering if this plan is out of the window or still doable? I really love to be challenged and respond well to pressure, but is this a step too far for me?

I am a little gutted, especially with my maths result. I would really like to do 4 if possible, but am I crazy? Advice please someone? Anyone! I'm gutted and panicked!

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 19

adaword

I have just received my results, getting very high As in English, History and RS (with full marks in History), however I only achieved a C in Latin which I was planning to do at university. I suffer from severe panic attacks - so much so that I took a year out of school to seek treatment - and am also eligible for extra time in all my subjects. In all my Latin mocks I got 100% and was given my extra time, however was told when I entered the exam room that they were no longer giving it to me as they had decided I didn't need it. I then suffered from an extreme panic attack meaning that I started the exam twenty minutes late in a state of extreme anxiety: is this enough to apply for special consideration? My teacher is still planning to target me an A in Latin, but I don't want to apply for university to study Classics with a C.