[pepeeglesfield]

Did anyone else get Average/alright GCSE grades but is predicted to get great A level grades?

[ZerofeX]

Got **** GCSE, was predicted crap A Levels. Pretty sure most people have the same unless they changed schools as teachers would not set them self up for disappointment again

[Dilly_333]

the thing is my friend got really good grades at GCSE, but has got low predictions for A-level

[fermium3]

I know people with 5+A*s at gcse who go on to get UEE at A-level (both a*s and E's were in science subjects). My advice would be to take subjects that YOU find interesting and enjoy. However, getting crap gcse's and straight a-a*s at a-level is entirely possible, never doubt yourself as it has been done before (a few guys in my college but i dont know their exact gcse grades, i know they were bad though)

Good luck!

[Umairy363]

(Original post by pepeeglesfield)
Did anyone else get Average/alright GCSE grades but is predicted to get great A level grades?

It's true. I myself achieved relatively bad GCSE's compared to the other students who got 10A/A*'s, but when it came to A levels, they were getting C's and D's. This, of course, doesn't always happen, but i feel that some people that get very good GCSE's underestimate A levels, whereas i worked harder at A level and achieved significantly higher.

[wibletg]

I know this is anecdotal and won't be much help, but from what I've seen most people either go on to do worse than or match their GCSE grade at A level.

It's very rare someone does better at A level than GCSE unless they've been lazy (and then had a nasty wake up call).

[CLS94]

At GCSE I got 4 As, 4 Bs and 3 Cs. I'm currently at the end of my first year of IB and I'm predicted 41 out of 45, so if I acheive anywhere near that I'll have improved drastically. Some people just work much harder at college having not even revised at all or done anything for GCSEs

[Unkempt_One]

I suspect the correlation between GCSE grades and A-level grades is pretty weak. At least, people with good GCSEs, say 5+A*s, tend to go all over the place, from people who, as fermium mentioned, fail most of their subjects to people who get the top grades. Average GCSE grades are another matter. It really depends on what you define as average. I'm fairly sure if there was an anecdote, for instance, of someone attaining 5Cs at GCSE and then 3As at A-level, it would be quite widely known.

[Jackkkkk]

I got pretty average GCSE grades and am on track (hopefully) for A's - based on AS grades and jan modules.

I know several people with 6+ A*'s at GCSE and praying for B's and C's !

So work hard, try your best and see what happens ! I would say that with humanity subjects your GCSE grades seem to be a good predictor of A level results but science can literally go either way!

Lots of people i have seen with A*'s at GCSE in science/Maths ending up with E's and U's in their AS's. However, conversely there have been an equal number with B's at GCSE on track for A's etc ! You get the gist


This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App

[Atherilia]

I am set to do better in my A-levels than I generally did in my GCSEs, but I am sure as this is down to being better suited to the A-level material for my subjects.

I also but in little effort for my GCSEs but I have worked my arse off for my A-levels!

[CameronLee]

Hey

I did pretty poor at GCSE , got a few As and mainly Bs

however A levels are more about work load and the effort you put in. Anyone can achieve an A if they put the work in.

I get my AS results in august and I'll be applying to do medicine in october

Best of luck

[Alotties]

I got a C in GCSE Chemistry but I'm on for an A (or close to it) at AS
So I don't think there's always a correlation!

[georgia]

I got really good GCSEs but rubbish A levels.

Doesn't matter in the end because I should come out of uni with a 2.1 or First

[Billton]

GCSE A*A*A*AAAABB
A Levels BCD

I don't think there's a particular correlation- depends on the individual!

[canŵio]

i know people who got pretty average GCSEs (mainly Bs, some less, a few As) but got 3 As at A-level. i also know people (like me ) who got straight As/A*s at GCSE and then got reality check at AS.

i found that some of the people who had had to work hard at GCSE did well at A-level because they knew how to work hard, and just chose the subjects they'd done well in. other people (like me) had no idea what they were really good at, and didn't have to work at all at GCSE so found the sudden need to work at A-Level really shocking! most people got their in the end but those who got average-good GCSE grades (As and Bs) did the best because they know how to work properly.

in terms of individual subjects there isn't necessarily a correlation - i got:

french GCSE: A*. AS: B
maths GCSE:A. AS: D A2:C.
biology stayed the same and so did chemistry.

[MissDavies]

Only did up to AS and dropped out, but got 4As, 8Bs at GCSE and 3As and 1 C at AS, so I suppose I did a bit better in AS than GCSE. Would probably have got AABB if I'd stayed for my A2s, but who knows.

[Benniboi1]

GCSE's: 2A*s 5A's 2B's and a C
AS: 3 A's and a C
A-level: Hopefully AAA-A*A*A

Got a reality check when I came on TSR to see that GCSE's are apparently easy, going to a state school means you're just expected to pass all your GCSE's and not get straight A*s.

[hannah60000]

(Original post by Jackkkkk)
I got pretty average GCSE grades and am on track (hopefully) for A's - based on AS grades and jan modules.

I know several people with 6+ A*'s at GCSE and praying for B's and C's !

So work hard, try your best and see what happens ! I would say that with humanity subjects your GCSE grades seem to be a good predictor of A level results but science can literally go either way!

Lots of people i have seen with A*'s at GCSE in science/Maths ending up with E's and U's in their AS's. However, conversely there have been an equal number with B's at GCSE on track for A's etc ! You get the gist


This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App

Agree with you, as Science at A level is a different ball game never mind your grade at GCSE.

However Humanities ie History from GCSE you know if it's for you or not

[megan.c]

I surpassed my drama GCSE with my A Level, but I was in a group of people who actually wanted to be there and do well, rather than a group who were complacent, couldn't be bothered and just used it to fill an options slot.

In that respect it's possible to do better in your A Levels as you tend to be in classes which people actually dedicate themselves to, particularly in A2 after all the people who shouldn't have been there in the first place are weeded out.

[Siddhu33]

3 a* 3 a 3 b and a c at GCSE.

Predicted 4 A* at A level.

Just gotta pick the right subjects.