What are the Easiest and least respected A levels?

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I did a Critical Thinking AS (not out of choice) and got a B in it. It may be one of the least respected but it isnt really one of the easiest, especially with the really inconsistent marking.

It's piss easy, I could have done that exam blindfolded. But Critical Thinking isn't a real subject anyway, it's an add-on like General Studies.

Reply 61

lilymoran

Original post by AlexusWelsh1993

It should be common sense really; the easier ones are the less 'respected'. However, if you combine one of these with two more academically challenging A levels (because University is about academia, after all), then Universities shouldn't care at all. Oxbridge is perhaps a different story, but then Oxbridge is just hard to get into full stop.

So what would you say were the chances of getting into Cambridge with Theatre Studies, English Language and Psychology?

Reply 62

JulietheCat

Why isn't English Language respected?

Reply 63

Edenwood

I think it might be important to note that well respected =/= easy, and vice versa. It just happens that some A levels are more respected than others.

I think English Language is less respected because of its position next to English Literature - English Literature requires a lot more reading and analysis in my experience. For English Language coursework they had to write a story whereas in English Literature we had to do an essay on Othello. It doesn't mean it's easier but I think that given the choice some universities would just rather see Literature than Language.

Reply 64

laurentommo

Sorry but ICT is not an easy A-Level

Reply 65

Tahooper

Original post by Dominic101

I thought it was respected?

Not according to the top universities.

Reply 66

Dominic101

Original post by Tahooper

Not according to the top universities.

Cambridge says that it is useful for compsci :frown:

but I guess it is quite limiting

Reply 67

Firecrackerchild

With regards to English Langauge, step away, step far away from the idea it is related to English Literature. Please. Why is writing a story for coursework any harder than writing an essay on Othello? You still have to hit certain points in order to get the highest grade, and with essays on certain pieces of literature, you are told in class about what you are meant to write....

Personally, it depends on the person as to what they find easy/hard, and as a result judging the level of respect for an A Level is always going to be fraught with emotions and individual differences!

Finally, could someone explain why sciences/maths/english lit are all 'hard' A Levels? Would just like to see some points :smile:

Reply 68

cuckoo99

well the first part of the question is just subjective.... and the least respected A levels are generaly the subjects that are just an application of another, e.g geolgy is applied geography in a sense. media studies is applied english.

Edit: another example would be psychology, psychology is not as respected as biology by universities as psychology can be seen as an application of biology. i do both of them subjects btw

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 69

cheer

Original post by Firecrackerchild

Since when did English Language at a-level require you to write a story? We had to analyse and evaluate four pieces of text, which would have been anything from a medieval poem, to the transcripts of BBC's commentary on the funeral of Dianna, (both of which came in my exam), and try and compare them against each other.

Reply 70

cuckoo99

Original post by Firecrackerchild

Because they are the purest subjects and all other subjects have there routes in these 3 subjects most of the time....

Reply 71

Dark Lord of Mordor

Original post by cuckoo99

Biology is a hard and respected a-level.....

Hard yes, respected (by me) no... :biggrin:

Reply 72

balletlover

Original post by lukas1051

I do physics too, and I do much less work outside of lessons than people doing subjects like media studies, just sayin'.

Well I do loads of work for physics outside of lessons, maybe you're just better at it

We don't have media studies at our school so I can't comment really...

Reply 73

Converse Rocker

Original post by cheer

Since when did English Language at a-level require you to write a story?

It's one of the pieces of coursework you have to do; 'Original Writing' I think it's technically called. That is then followed up by another piece of coursework, and of course everybody's favourite 2 and a half hour exam.

Oh the jolly japes I had.

Reply 74

Dark Lord of Mordor

Original post by balletlover

Well I do loads of work for physics outside of lessons, maybe you're just better at it

We don't have media studies at our school so I can't comment really...

Yeah, there's a large range at my school in terms of how much work people do for Physics

Reply 75

balletlover

Original post by Gales

I remember looking at a travel and tourism past paper with one of my friends who studied it. Sure one of the questions featured a photo of a hotel and asked 'Name two things that this hotel has to attract customers?' (6 marks) and 'What is an internal flight?'

bloody hell :/

I don't understand why it's an A level tbh, I was speaking to a geography lecturer at an open day and travel and tourism came up in the conversation, he was like "that's not an A level, think you're getting confused with a btec" and I was like "no it's definitely an A level" and he was like "It'd be unlikely that I'd give someone an offer with that" It wasn't even an elite university

Some A levels like the sciences, maths, history etc etc I think are harder as you can't blag the answer, you either know it or you don't
In my DT exam you can revise less and use your common sense to answer some of the questions, that'd be impossible in maths
you can just regurgitate from the textbook for some subjects, but not for physics etc

really not trying to sound like an A level snob, but it's just the truth D:

Reply 76

username425364

Original post by balletlover

It's a good a level for people wanting to go down a different route than most of us do, but overall, everyone should stay away

Reply 77

Id and Ego seek

Original post by Tahooper

Here's a full list of the least respected A-Levels:

Archaeology (Arch & Anth)
Art & Design (Arts)
Business Studies (Economics)
Computing (Computer Science)
Design & Technology (Architecture)
Drama/Theatre Studies (Arts)
Electronics (Engineering)
English Language (Arts)
Film Studies (Arts)
Government & Politics (Arts)
Law (Land Economy & Law)
Media Studies (Arts)
Psychology (Arts)
Sociology (Arts)
Accounting
Applied Science
Citizenship
Communication Studies
Critical Thinking
Dance
Environmental Science
General Studies
Health & Social Care
Home Economics
ICT
Leisure Studies
Music Technology
Performance Studies
Performing Arts
Perspectives on Science
Photography
Physical Education
Science
Science for Public Understanding
Sports Studies
Travel & Tourism
World Development

See, the problem with that is I don't think it's fair to weigh up psychology, politics, computing and business studies with the likes of sports studies, travel & tourism and perspectives of science. So this least can only account for 'least respected' in relation to others; it tells us nothing about the nature of the subjects in themselves.

Reply 78

Id and Ego seek

Original post by pickup

So what would you say were the chances of getting into Cambridge with Theatre Studies, English Language and Psychology?

I have a friend who got in with Psychology, English Language and Philosophy; she studies Linguistics now.

Reply 79

Elzie

Original post by pickup

So what would you say were the chances of getting into Cambridge with Theatre Studies, English Language and Psychology?

Depends what you're studying! I got into Durham with psychology, theatre studies and biology, which was a massive shock, tbh! :L
I was told that I would never get in to the top universities like Oxford and Durham with theatre studies but I got 5 offers, so don't worry about it!

I think universities are beginning to realise that we don't just stand around for two years pretending to be trees, we actually do some pretty serious work. :wink: