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Is this the last Year for AS examinations?

Hey everyone, I'm considering taking up a few A-levels next year (chem + maths) I was wondering if next year I will have any AS examinations as quite a few people I've been talking to, stated AS exams will be scrapped for the 2016 exams.

I had a look on AQA's website and I couldn't figure out much. According to them (if I read correctly, they will still carry on with the current A-level set up until 2017)

If anyone knows any better, please help me out :smile:
A-level Chemistry will change to a 'linear' set up from this September, whereby AS levels will be a stand-alone qualification, as opposed to counting for 50% of the A-level. The A-level will be assessed, in its entirety, at the end of the two years.

You will still be able to take an AS level, but it will have no impact on your final A-level grade. So, in effect, taking an AS level at the end of the first year becomes optional.

Maths is a more complicated issue, mostly owing to the considerable amount of choice in applied maths modules in the current system, so that's staying as it is for another year or two while they work out how to make that work.
Original post by Lolgarithms

You will still be able to take an AS level, but it will have no impact on your final A-level grade. So, in effect, taking an AS level at the end of the first year becomes optional.


So does that mean the sixth form has a choice of whether their students do all exams after 2 years or the standard after first and second year?

5 exams in 1 year per subject sounds like hell! Hopefully most sixth forms will take the logical option.
Original post by yellowcopter
So does that mean the sixth form has a choice of whether their students do all exams after 2 years or the standard after first and second year?

5 exams in 1 year per subject sounds like hell! Hopefully most sixth forms will take the logical option.


There won't be 5 exams in 1 year per subject.

Modules are going out of the window.

There will probably be one or two papers per subject that will both test content from the whole year, as opposed to having one paper testing one module and another paper testing another module.

An AS will be a separate qualification and won't count towards the final A-level grade.

What I can see happening is 6th forms entering people for AS levels in all of their subjects at the end of year 12, so they still have the chance to drop one at the end of the year. For the other subjects they continue with, the AS grade won't mean a thing. The final A-level grade will be completely determined by what they get in year 13.
Original post by Lolgarithms
There won't be 5 exams in 1 year per subject.

Modules are going out of the window.

There will probably be one or two papers per subject that will both test content from the whole year, as opposed to having one paper testing one module and another paper testing another module.

An AS will be a separate qualification and won't count towards the final A-level grade.

What I can see happening is 6th forms entering people for AS levels in all of their subjects at the end of year 12, so they still have the chance to drop one at the end of the year. For the other subjects they continue with, the AS grade won't mean a thing. The final A-level grade will be completely determined by what they get in year 13.


Ah see I was confused, looking at the new AQA GCE Science specs I though it was AS two papers and A2 three papers, and you do 5 at the end. Then (if I've got this right) I realised it was you do 2 at the end of AS for people who just want to do AS, and then in A2 you do the same 2 papers + a third paper with additional content. The way they outline it is really confusing. :tongue:
Original post by yellowcopter
Ah see I was confused, looking at the new AQA GCE Science specs I though it was AS two papers and A2 three papers, and you do 5 at the end. Then (if I've got this right) I realised it was you do 2 at the end of AS for people who just want to do AS, and then in A2 you do the same 2 papers + a third paper with additional content. The way they outline it is really confusing. :tongue:


As far as I can tell, there will be no papers in common between the AS and the full A-level. There won't be 'AS modules' and 'A2 modules' anymore.

Looking at the draft specs for AS Chemistry and full A-level Chemistry, AS Chemistry will have two 90-minute papers, each worth 50% of the AS.

A-level Chemistry will be examined solely by three 2 hour papers, which will test content from the whole course, including the stuff that is taught in the AS course. These three papers are the only ones that would count towards the overall A-level, so you could still get a full A-level in Chemistry without even taking the AS exams mentioned above.

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