The Student Room Group

Are A-Levels too easy??

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Original post by babuchang
To be fair I've seen some A-level Physics textbooks from the 1970s and yeah they do seem to be a lot harder than the ones now. More complex mathematics and a tonne of stuff to learn. Old maths past papers seem to be much harder too so in that respect the Physics and Maths has gotten simpler.


And it is the same for every subject......
Original post by arob752
Thinking quadratic equations are the highlight makes them stupid


Can I just ask, how on earth have you been predicted more A* at A-Level than you got at GCSE, people like you make a mockery of the prediction system.
...I dont know about most people but im at the end of my AS year and I found it extremely difficult
Especially A level Chem with its stupid qs like "why are hydrogen bonds 180 degrees" and even though I worked on it more than all my ASs put together its still the one I probably I did the worst in
I think with a subject like maths (even if u dont have much natural talent for it) if you praticse the questions exam very predictable so out of all sciences it is probably the easiest to get a C/B..
Ive looked at some old exams and although people probably got lower grades because of having to do one chunk of exams at the end of2 yrs without taking any chances..my bio and chem teacher both think in a way exams were easier as much more memory focused than now and did not have questions such as 'How science works' or other forms of application questions
More people getting better grades is not proof of A levels getting easier...as now the lessons are much more exam orientated with teachers teaching students how to get As in exams due to league tables and budget pressures(the more students pass move on to A2 more money schools get)..while I am told correct me if I am wrong but back in the day teachers taught you how to understand the subject analyse it become good at it
And if I accept your arguement that A levels are getting easier thats why more people are getting the top grades then it still does not affect anything(due to new measures taken by unis for example medicine UKCAT,BMAT) unis still have no problem in spotting the best candidates so high level of skill in areas such as medicine chemistry maths english is maintained..Both things are producing the same result so it doesent matter
In addition is it not good that more people are getting the top grades compared to before when as you argue much lower numbers were getting them..It promotes competition makes students having to be more than academic with stronger focus on attitude work experience other interests so meaning overall a well rounded society in the future
Dont know if this makes sense but more people such as people from poorer backgrounds are going into A levels and planning to go to uni then b4 so from the start are working harder for their desired careers. Also these days much more support(Before the coalitions new evil planes ofcourse) is being given to people from poorer backgrounds so they are getting better grades then their counterparts years ago

But as always many may have found A levels easy,many on TSR as well i just feel there are also a lot who find it hard
Reply 43
Original post by Sabster
Anyone else think A-Levels are far too easy?

They need to revert back to the old days when getting a c-d was good and an A was incredible.

Because currently everybody gets As and it is ridiculously easy to do so (with very little work whatsoever).

Thus it is soo hard for the universities to seek out the good candidates.


Stop complaining. "In my time A Levels were this hard blah blah blah". You're just a bitter moron. Get over it.

People are just trying much harder. With extremely valuable resources such as the internet, past papers and improved syllabus layouts/teaching and the country's poor economical state, many young people have realised the importance of academic success.

A Levels are NOT easy.
Reply 44
Original post by Sabster
You are severely retarded for taken 4 essay subjects and deserve it.


You might wanna re-read your sentence, then tell me who's severely retarded love. Should have taken English.
Reply 45
Original post by usamakhanlodhi

Original post by usamakhanlodhi
...I dont know about most people but im at the end of my AS year and I found it extremely difficult
Especially A level Chem with its stupid qs like "why are hydrogen bonds 180 degrees" and even though I worked on it more than all my ASs put together its still the one I probably I did the worst in
I think with a subject like maths (even if u dont have much natural talent for it) if you praticse the questions exam very predictable so out of all sciences it is probably the easiest to get a C/B..
Ive looked at some old exams and although people probably got lower grades because of having to do one chunk of exams at the end of2 yrs without taking any chances..my bio and chem teacher both think in a way exams were easier as much more memory focused than now and did not have questions such as 'How science works' or other forms of application questions
More people getting better grades is not proof of A levels getting easier...as now the lessons are much more exam orientated with teachers teaching students how to get As in exams due to league tables and budget pressures(the more students pass move on to A2 more money schools get)..while I am told correct me if I am wrong but back in the day teachers taught you how to understand the subject analyse it become good at it
And if I accept your arguement that A levels are getting easier thats why more people are getting the top grades then it still does not affect anything(due to new measures taken by unis for example medicine UKCAT,BMAT) unis still have no problem in spotting the best candidates so high level of skill in areas such as medicine chemistry maths english is maintained..Both things are producing the same result so it doesent matter
In addition is it not good that more people are getting the top grades compared to before when as you argue much lower numbers were getting them..It promotes competition makes students having to be more than academic with stronger focus on attitude work experience other interests so meaning overall a well rounded society in the future
Dont know if this makes sense but more people such as people from poorer backgrounds are going into A levels and planning to go to uni then b4 so from the start are working harder for their desired careers. Also these days much more support(Before the coalitions new evil planes ofcourse) is being given to people from poorer backgrounds so they are getting better grades then their counterparts years ago

But as always many may have found A levels easy,many on TSR as well i just feel there are also a lot who find it hard


Please learn to paragraph. Reading that was such an effort :rolleyes:
Original post by LadyRowena
The way that A Level papers are marked means that it's impossible for everyone to get an A. As far as I'm aware (correct me if I'm wrong) only the 20% with the highest marks on the paper get 80%+ of the UMS marks for that paper. So for every A Level paper, 80% of the people who took it do not get an A.

Exam boards introduced the A* grade so that universities could distinguish the top 10% from the top 20%; I think this is a pretty decent compromise.

I reckon that a pretty significant reason that grades were lower in the past is because AS Levels and re-takes did not exist; you did all your exams in one go and there was no opportunity to improve on a bad paper.


Don't say that! :afraid:
I've never retaken an exam either. I'd probably be less worried about my English grade at the moment if I had. My friend has done one English paper 3 times and I've only done it once and we're both aiming for the same grade. I think limiting the number of resits someone can do might be a better system?
Original post by diamonddust
Don't say that! :afraid:
I've never retaken an exam either. I'd probably be less worried about my English grade at the moment if I had. My friend has done one English paper 3 times and I've only done it once and we're both aiming for the same grade. I think limiting the number of resits someone can do might be a better system?


Yeah I agree with this. People who have had more practice by resitting shouldn't be looked at equally to people who got the right grades first time round, unless there are extenuating circumstances of course.
Reply 48
Original post by xcesciee
I take 4 essay subjects and find it is ridiculously difficult to get As in them. There's no set answer either, you're marked purely on your own writing. No, it's not easier.


This. You could end up with AAAA, yet on another day may get BBCC:curious:
Reply 49
^ thank you.
So don't call me retarded OP, thanks.
Original post by oli_G
Please learn to paragraph. Reading that was such an effort :rolleyes:

I am soo sorry..clicked post reply without checking it through...my paragraphing is normally not his awful::colondollar:....although since GCSEs thank goodness not had to worry about it too much:smile:
Reply 51
Original post by usamakhanlodhi

Original post by usamakhanlodhi
I am soo sorry..clicked post reply without checking it through...my paragraphing is normally not his awful::colondollar:....although since GCSEs thank goodness not had to worry about it too much:smile:


Ah it's OK, i'm just being grumpy D:
Reply 52
Yes, I have done it
Reply 53
I would say that the syllabus content isn't too difficult as long as you get your head around a few hard concepts. But many exams nowadays want you to apply your knowledge in real-life situations rather than regurgitate information. Take AQA biology for example; 'tis no walk in the park, I assure you.
Reply 54
Ideally exams should be a fair test for everyone taking them. It should be suitably difficult so that weaker candidates are actually able to get started with questions, but also so even the very best candidates will struggle to get most of them done.
Given that there are a significant amount of people able to breeze through A-level exams with 100% questions whether the exams are actually holding up to their purpose which is to distinguish between people. Personally, I don't think they are.
Admittedly the "significant amount" is very much a minority, but there are enough people achieving it to mean that differentiating between the top 0.5% is not possible.
Original post by xcesciee
You might wanna re-read your sentence, then tell me who's severely retarded love. Should have taken English.


yeah, I made a typing error, boo hoo, grow up.
Reply 56
Original post by Sabster
yeah, I made a typing error, boo hoo, grow up.


Says the one "boo-hoo"ing.
Don't throw your toys out the pram hun
Original post by Ras17
Stop complaining. "In my time A Levels were this hard blah blah blah". You're just a bitter moron. Get over it.

People are just trying much harder. With extremely valuable resources such as the internet, past papers and improved syllabus layouts/teaching and the country's poor economical state, many young people have realised the importance of academic success.

A Levels are NOT easy.


LOL I am 18 and have just finished my A Levels.

I have looked at some papers from 1970 though and they are a good 2-3x harder than anything at A-Level currently, so don't give me this BS about the internet and people realising the importance of academic success.

A Levels are piss, as evidence for this, I took the whole french A-Level (yes both AS and A2) in the summer of 1 month revision (with no French teaching for two years). And I am very very confident of at least an A
(edited 12 years ago)
Reply 58
I don't think it is a matter of it being too easy more that students are trying too hard back in the old days people would enjoy their lives
Original post by xcesciee
^ thank you.
So don't call me retarded OP, thanks.


You definately are - what are you taking History, Politics, English Lit., Geography.

My cat could have told you that that was idiotic

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