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A level maths in one year?

I have looked around several internet pages and asked different search engines this exact question, but i havent had straight answers. Is it possible to do an A level in maths in one year, and if so, where and how can I do it?

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Reply 1
Original post by RastaMannn
I have looked around several internet pages and asked different search engines this exact question, but i havent had straight answers. Is it possible to do an A level in maths in one year, and if so, where and how can I do it?


If you take further maths, then you do 6 units in your first year, so you end up with a full A-Level after your AS year.
Depends. :tongue:

It's relatively easy to learn the material yourself either on your own or with a tutor, and then you can (not sure what the technical term is but) 'piggyback' off a schools examinations, i.e. you sit the exam at the same time that people at that school are, so just find some schools that teach the exam board you're looking for and ask, you've got nothing to lose!

P.S. It's not that uncommon, we've had several people sit exams at our school in this way
Reply 3
It is indeed possible to do A level maths in one year, I am currently (the last few exams are this week) doing the further maths A level in one year. If you are planning to do it with a college or sixth form they may try to discourage you or say no depending on your history but you can always register to do the exams yourself.
Reply 4
Original post by PrinceyJ
If you take further maths, then you do 6 units in your first year, so you end up with a full A-Level after your AS year.


I have done my AS year at sixth form, but after looking at different university websites, I need maths to do the degree I want to do, so I'l be doing maths in year 13. So can I still do exactly what you have said, but just in year 13?
Reply 5
Original post by Gawd
It is indeed possible to do A level maths in one year, I am currently (the last few exams are this week) doing the further maths A level in one year. If you are planning to do it with a college or sixth form they may try to discourage you or say no depending on your history but you can always register to do the exams yourself.


How are you doing your maths work? Did you buy a textbook, or have tutoring? Also, when it comes to exams, how are you sitting them?
Reply 6
Original post by RastaMannn
I have done my AS year at sixth form, but after looking at different university websites, I need maths to do the degree I want to do, so I'l be doing maths in year 13. So can I still do exactly what you have said, but just in year 13?


Yes you can.
I learnt the whole A-level syllabus for Edexcel in maths in one year and managed to get an A. I didn't have any teachers and self taught so it is very possible. All you need is the textbooks released by Edexcel (if you're planning on using Edexcel) and learn from the book (I heard from some of my friends, the book is even better than the teacher :smile: ). Then come two/three weeks before the exams, start doing every single past paper there is and make sure you understand and get it all correct.

No bragging rights but I managed to get over 90% in C1, C2, C3 and over 80% in C4, M1 and S1 using the above method.

The hard part I think is finding somewhere to sit the exams if you self teach and don't go to college.

Hope this helps.
Reply 8
Original post by RastaMannn
How are you doing your maths work? Did you buy a textbook, or have tutoring? Also, when it comes to exams, how are you sitting them?


I use a few textbooks and a number of internet sites, I managed to cut into a class for one of the modules so that helped a bit. I would start by buying the basic textbooks for the exam board you are with and try to sit as many exams as you can in January. I sat the exams with a college, I was already doing A level maths there so that meant I could just have a word with the lectures about it.
Reply 9
Original post by novadragon849
I learnt the whole A-level syllabus for Edexcel in maths in one year and managed to get an A. I didn't have any teachers and self taught so it is very possible. All you need is the textbooks released by Edexcel (if you're planning on using Edexcel) and learn from the book (I heard from some of my friends, the book is even better than the teacher :smile: ). Then come two/three weeks before the exams, start doing every single past paper there is and make sure you understand and get it all correct.

No bragging rights but I managed to get over 90% in C1, C2, C3 and over 80% in C4, M1 and S1 using the above method.

The hard part I think is finding somewhere to sit the exams if you self teach and don't go to college.

Hope this helps.


This is exactly what I want to do!! Did you have to buy the textbooks? and where/how did you sit your exams? I suppose some negotiation with the headteacher shall be possible, but I dont think my school will let me, so I have to go to another school to do the exams
Reply 10
Original post by novadragon849
I learnt the whole A-level syllabus for Edexcel in maths in one year and managed to get an A. I didn't have any teachers and self taught so it is very possible. All you need is the textbooks released by Edexcel (if you're planning on using Edexcel) and learn from the book (I heard from some of my friends, the book is even better than the teacher :smile: ). Then come two/three weeks before the exams, start doing every single past paper there is and make sure you understand and get it all correct.

No bragging rights but I managed to get over 90% in C1, C2, C3 and over 80% in C4, M1 and S1 using the above method.

The hard part I think is finding somewhere to sit the exams if you self teach and don't go to college.

Hope this helps.


You weren't far off an A* then, unlucky.
Original post by RastaMannn
This is exactly what I want to do!! Did you have to buy the textbooks? and where/how did you sit your exams? I suppose some negotiation with the headteacher shall be possible, but I dont think my school will let me, so I have to go to another school to do the exams


Yes, I bought the textbooks for all the modules I did because that was my only learning source and trust me, those combined with all the past papers out there (june 2005 to june 2011 by the time you sit the exam) there is more than enough information to get that A or A* that you need.

Basically you will need a lot of determination... I knew I needed to sit the whole A-level in one year so during the summer holidays (it felt like hell to learn maths when all your other friends were enjoying themselves) I forced myself to cover C1, C2, M1 and S1. I then sat all of those exams in January as I had the whole half a year to cover those 4 modules.

Then after those, I covered C3 and C4 for the remaining months and sat them in summer period.

One piece of advice. The reason why I sat those 4 modules in january was so that if I did screw up (which fortunately I didn't :smile: ) I can resit in the summer because believe me, if you self teach, then C3 and C4 is like a major jump from C1 and C2. So you will need to score as highly as possilble, about 90% in those 4 modules and your A grade should be pretty secure if you can achieve that.

Hope all this helps.
Original post by PrinceyJ
You weren't far off an A* then, unlucky.


:smile: I did manage to pull of an A* but I thought I would just say an A haha. I manage to get 95% in C3 and 88% in C4 so that is over 90% in the A2 modules which awards you with an A* :smile:
Reply 13
Original post by novadragon849
:smile: I did manage to pull of an A* but I thought I would just say an A haha. I manage to get 95% in C3 and 88% in C4 so that is over 90% in the A2 modules which awards you with an A* :smile:


Ahhhh, well done. All in one year, and self-taught also, I'd be surprised if cambridge didn't apply to wipe your arse :P
yes
Reply 15
Of course you can. I've done 8 units of maths this year, so I have done A level maths plus some. It is quite hard work, but it is manageable, as long as you have the time and the inclination to do it.
This might be a bit off topic, but Im doing further maths next year. And i was wondering what the 12 units are and how it works? if someone could help with that.
Also, what revision guides did you use for the Edexcel exam board?
thanks!
Reply 17
You can pick and choose which fm units you do. You have to do fp1 and either fp2 or fp3 (or both). You then have to make up the rest of the units from mechanics or stats or decision maths. It doesnt matter how many of each you do.
Original post by PrinceyJ
If you take further maths, then you do 6 units in your first year, so you end up with a full A-Level after your AS year.


Actually, the 6 units done in the first year (if doing further maths) are AS, and so would not make up a full A - Level.

Although, you can just ask your teacher to put you into AS and A2 exams if you're going to self-teach. There shouldn't be a problem with that, as long as the school allows it.
For normal maths, all you need is 2 A2 modules, and 4 AS modules. Unless you want to do more A2 and less AS, of course...
Original post by emma.stoll
You can pick and choose which fm units you do. You have to do fp1 and either fp2 or fp3 (or both). You then have to make up the rest of the units from mechanics or stats or decision maths. It doesnt matter how many of each you do.


Have you done your further maths or some of it? Cause i was wondering what would be the easiest, it obviously depends on what im best at but cause im doing physics i should do mechanics.

So i could choose: FP1,FP2,FP3,M1,M2,M3,C1,C2,C3,C4, WHat is decision maths?
cause i got an A in statistics but decision might be better but i should of got A* but we started coursework in yr 9 so i messed about so my coursework was bad.

What revision guides are better for the Edexcel course? I saw a good one called Further pure maths which had shapes on it but it is broad so i am gonna get it and other relating to the edexcel course.

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