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From B to A* ?

Basically, im resitting my january CHEM4 exam next month, along with doing the CHEM5 exam. I'm currently on a grade B where the only way i can get an A is to get a total of 220/240 UMS over the 2 papers, that would get my total UMS to 460 overall and therefore constituting an A grade.

However, wouldnt getting an average of 110/120 UMS on both A2 units also mean that i would get an A* because that would mean that my overall Chemistry GCE was above the A grade, and i got 110/120 UMS on both A2 ?

or am i thinking about this the wrong way

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As far as I'm aware, and I welcome anybody to correct me if I am wrong, you need simply an average of 90 UMS in each paper at AS(*) and atleast 90 UMS in both of your A2 papers for an A*.


You scenario kind of confuses me and I'm too tired to re-read it, but hopefully that should make it clearer for you?


*By average in AS I mean a combination, so maybe 91 and 89, 95 and 85, etc.
To get an A*, I think you also need 90% of the total 600 so therefore 540/600. What did you get at AS? I'm not too sure actually, because, although I don't do Chemistry, this also applies to me with my Maths A2 modules C3, M1 and C4, because apparently the only way to get an A* in Maths is to get above 90% on all A2 modules and the total of all modules is also out of 600. You're maybe best asking your Chemistry teacher about how grade boundaries fair up.
Reply 3
Yeah thats what confused me, i got a B average in chemistry, board is AQA. But in maths you need to average A for the whole A Level course, but 90/100 UMS average on C3 and C4 (i need 82UMS on C4 for an A*) M1 classifies as an AS exam, only C3/4 count towards the A*.
Reply 4
Original post by kuroudo93
Basically, im resitting my january CHEM4 exam next month, along with doing the CHEM5 exam. I'm currently on a grade B where the only way i can get an A is to get a total of 220/240 UMS over the 2 papers, that would get my total UMS to 460 overall and therefore constituting an A grade.

However, wouldnt getting an average of 110/120 UMS on both A2 units also mean that i would get an A* because that would mean that my overall Chemistry GCE was above the A grade, and i got 110/120 UMS on both A2 ?

or am i thinking about this the wrong way


This is possible, to get an A* you need an overall A for both AS and A2 and 90% A2, it works even if your AS is a B as long as your overall UMS is equivalent to an A. Well that is what I read somewhere. Hope it helps :smile:

Edit: when I said overall A for both AS and A2 I mean on average, not individually.
To be awarded an A*, candidates will need to
achieve a grade A on the full A Level qualification and
an A* on the aggregate of the A2 units.

http://store.aqa.org.uk/qual/gce/pdf/AQA-2420-W-SP.PDF -page 51
http://store.aqa.org.uk/over/stat_pdf/UMS-GRADE-BOUNDARIES.PDF -page 11

Basically you need a total UMS of 480 out of 600 for the A and an average of 90 in A2 for A*
(edited 11 years ago)
Reply 5
Original post by JustAbi
This is possible, to get an A* you need an overall A for both AS and A2 and 90% A2, it works even if your AS is a B as long as your overall UMS is equivalent to an A. Well that is what I read somewhere. Hope it helps :smile:

Edit: when I said overall A for both AS and A2 I mean on average, not individually.

http://store.aqa.org.uk/qual/gce/pdf/AQA-2420-W-SP.PDF -page 51
http://store.aqa.org.uk/over/stat_pdf/UMS-GRADE-BOUNDARIES.PDF -page 11

Basically you need a total UMS of 480 out of 600 for the A and an average of 90 in A2 for A*


I agree with what you're saying.

Original post by Agenda Suicide
As far as I'm aware, and I welcome anybody to correct me if I am wrong, you need simply an average of 90 UMS in each paper at AS(*) and atleast 90 UMS in both of your A2 papers for an A*.


You scenario kind of confuses me and I'm too tired to re-read it, but hopefully that should make it clearer for you?


*By average in AS I mean a combination, so maybe 91 and 89, 95 and 85, etc.

No, you must have heard wrong information somewhere.

Original post by alt31
what exam board are you?
you can only get an A* if your overall AS grade is an A,
then your unit 4,5,6 have to be 90% overall :smile:

It's not the AS grade that needs to be an A, it's the average across all the modules.

Original post by As_Dust_Dances_
To get an A*, I think you also need 90% of the total 600 so therefore 540/600. What did you get at AS? I'm not too sure actually, because, although I don't do Chemistry, this also applies to me with my Maths A2 modules C3, M1 and C4, because apparently the only way to get an A* in Maths is to get above 90% on all A2 modules and the total of all modules is also out of 600. You're maybe best asking your Chemistry teacher about how grade boundaries fair up.

No, that's not the criteria, see above
Reply 6
Original post by JustAbi
This is possible, to get an A* you need an overall A for both AS and A2 and 90% A2, it works even if your AS is a B as long as your overall UMS is equivalent to an A. Well that is what I read somewhere. Hope it helps :smile:

Edit: when I said overall A for both AS and A2 I mean on average, not individually.

http://store.aqa.org.uk/qual/gce/pdf/AQA-2420-W-SP.PDF -page 51
http://store.aqa.org.uk/over/stat_pdf/UMS-GRADE-BOUNDARIES.PDF -page 11

Basically you need a total UMS of 480 out of 600 for the A and an average of 90 in A2 for A*



So basically, if i've got this right, im on a B, thats a possible grade. I need 110/120 in both A2 modules for an A, but if i get those marks i would get an A* instead so an A is not possible? its either B or A* ?
Reply 7
Original post by kuroudo93
So basically, if i've got this right, im on a B, thats a possible grade. I need 110/120 in both A2 modules for an A, but if i get those marks i would get an A* instead so an A is not possible? its either B or A* ?


Basically yeah, based on everything I've read. It's a common scenario with this new A* grade surprisingly.
Reply 8
Original post by Agenda Suicide
As far as I'm aware, and I welcome anybody to correct me if I am wrong, you need simply an average of 90 UMS in each paper at AS(*) and atleast 90 UMS in both of your A2 papers for an A*.


For domestic A levels (i.e. anything but CIE) you only need an average of 80% across the whole A level and 90% across the A2, i.e. 480/600 and 270/300 on the A2.
(edited 11 years ago)
Reply 9
Original post by kuroudo93
So basically, if i've got this right, im on a B, thats a possible grade. I need 110/120 in both A2 modules for an A, but if i get those marks i would get an A* instead so an A is not possible? its either B or A* ?


Yes, except that there are 3 units for the A2 (don't forget the ISA), and you need to get at least 270/300 across the 3 of them.
Reply 10
Original post by Agenda Suicide
As far as I'm aware, and I welcome anybody to correct me if I am wrong, you need simply an average of 90 UMS in each paper at AS(*) and atleast 90 UMS in both of your A2 papers for an A*.


You scenario kind of confuses me and I'm too tired to re-read it, but hopefully that should make it clearer for you?


*By average in AS I mean a combination, so maybe 91 and 89, 95 and 85, etc.


I thought is was 80 UMS average for both years AND 90 UMS in each A2 paper?
For an A* you need 80% over the whole A level, including 90% overall in the A2 modules.
Reply 12
Original post by bong
I thought is was 80 UMS average for both years AND 90 UMS in each A2 paper?


No -what if the unit is only out of 80?

It is (and A overall and) 180/200 for 2 unit A2s and 270/300 for 3 unit A2s. It does NOT matter how those 180 or 270 UMS are split between the units.
Reply 14
Original post by Data
No -what if the unit is only out of 80?

It is (and A overall and) 180/200 for 2 unit A2s and 270/300 for 3 unit A2s. It does NOT matter how those 180 or 270 UMS are split between the units.


By UMS i meant the scaled mark - think of it as a percentage. As far as I know, for every single subject you need 80 UMS (80%) overall and 90 UMS (90%) for the A2 units.

The only exception i'm aware of is maths - the A2 units only require 90 UMS for C3 and C4 and 80 UMS for the applied A2 unit (M2/S2/D2/etc.)
100/120 ums good? for chem
Reply 16
Original post by bong
By UMS i meant the scaled mark - think of it as a percentage. As far as I know, for every single subject you need 80 UMS (80%) overall and 90 UMS (90%) for the A2 units.


I think you misunderstand the meaning of UMS (uniform mark scheme). Each unit has a max UMS which can be anything from 40 to 200. It should not be confused with a %.

Original post by bong
The only exception i'm aware of is maths - the A2 units only require 90 UMS for C3 and C4 and 80 UMS for the applied A2 unit (M2/S2/D2/etc.)


Not quite; you need 180/200 from C3 and C4 and 480/600 overall. You do not have to get 80 in the 'A2 Applied unit' - in fact, there doesn't even need to be one. C1-4, M1 and S1 is a valid combination for A level Maths.
Reply 17
People! It doesn't matter what you got at AS!

You could get C's at AS and an A* at A2!

80% overall, 90% over A2 units. No more. No less.

[You'd need to get 100ums in your A2 units though so probably wanna im for more then a C :wink:]
Reply 18
I could in theory go from A*BB to A*A*A* if i do phenominally, that is incredible
Reply 19
I think you misunderstand the meaning of UMS

:facepalm2:

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