Article: A student&#x27;s guide to A-level reforms

Original post by gdunne42

No it is not true. None of it.
Anyone needing to retake could do so the year after they originally took their exams.

Oh ok, awesome.
So how would this work if I may ask? Especially how exams are done at the end of two years?

Reply 142

Compost

19

Original post by Cherry82

Oh ok, awesome.
So how would this work if I may ask? Especially how exams are done at the end of two years?

If you have already taken A level exams then you can just re-sit them at the next opportunity a year later. Now A levels are linear (again) you would have to re-sit all (3) of them for a subject and your new grade would be based purely on those exams (although I expect you would be able to carry forward a coursework unit).

Reply 143

Original post by Compost

If you have already taken A level exams then you can just re-sit them at the next opportunity a year later. Now A levels are linear (again) you would have to re-sit all (3) of them for a subject and your new grade would be based purely on those exams (although I expect you would be able to carry forward a coursework unit).

So these new a levels would not be available only every two years?
Year 13 in 2017 who would like to resit their exams could do so in 2018 in their linear new subjects? I'm super confused now because my teacher said that these exams will be at the end of year 13 for students.

Reply 144

Compost

19

Original post by Cherry82

So these new a levels would not be available only every two years?
Year 13 in 2017 who would like to resit their exams could do so in 2018 in their linear new subjects? I'm super confused now because my teacher said that these exams will be at the end of year 13 for students.

At the moment most people spend 2 years studying before completing A levels, that isn't changing. Nor is the fact that people can re-sit the exams at the next available opportunity (a year later) if they want to. What has changed it that the A level are no longer modular, so to re-sit you will have to re-sit the whole A level, not just selected units.

Reply 145

Original post by Compost

At the moment most people spend 2 years studying before completing A levels, that isn't changing. Nor is the fact that people can re-sit the exams at the next available opportunity (a year later) if they want to. What has changed it that the A level are no longer modular, so to re-sit you will have to re-sit the whole A level, not just selected units.

Thanks for explaining.

Reply 146

ParadoxSocks

22

Original post by Cherry82

So these new a levels would not be available only every two years?
Year 13 in 2017 who would like to resit their exams could do so in 2018 in their linear new subjects? I'm super confused now because my teacher said that these exams will be at the end of year 13 for students.

A new cohort start every year so it's just a case of waiting until the next round of exams and resetting then. All exams will be at the end of year 13.

Reply 147

Original post by ParadoxSocks

A new cohort start every year so it's just a case of waiting until the next round of exams and resetting then. All exams will be at the end of year 13.

Hmm, ok I think I understand.
Wait but...here's what I had meant because now I'm confused again lol.
With the new 2015 A levels, this year only the new AS levels mock papers would be provided by exam boards then in 2017 the real AS and A2 papers would be provided. So wouldn't that mean after 2017, the papers will not be yearly as students will sit these exams at the end of year 13? If it's yearly would that mean the papers in 2018 would be made for solely for re-sits as the students just starting those courses in 2018 wouldn't be able to sit the papers until year 13 (2019). This was why I was confused.
If these new a levels are only available in year 13 it would mean that they are only available every two years starting from 2017. In terms of the mocks papers I know those to be yearly. I just don't know any more about the full qualifications. On AQA's exam board they had explained something similar to the yearly papers but I couldn't understand and see how this would work. I'm confused again lol.

Reply 148

Original post by Cherry82

Hmm, ok I think I understand.
Wait but...here's what I had meant because now I'm confused again lol.

Students started new A level specifications in some subjects in sept 2015, they have the option to take AS exams in summer 2016, they will take their full A level exams in summer 2017.
Students who start their A level in September 2016 will in normal circumstances take their full A level papers in summer 2018 alongside any student who wants to retake after their 2017 exams.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 149

FusionNetworks

16

Original post by gdunne42

Students started new A level specifications in some subjects in sept 2015, they have the option to take AS exams in summer 2016, they will take their full A level exams in summer 2017.
Students who start their A level in September 2016 will in normal circumstances take their full A level papers in summer 2018 alongside any student who wants to retake after their 2017 exams.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Would you advise said students to take the AS exams (for reformed subjects) this year, or not?

Reply 150

Original post by gdunne42

Students started new A level specifications in some subjects in sept 2015, they have the option to take AS exams in summer 2016, they will take their full A level exams in summer 2017.
Students who start their A level in September 2016 will in normal circumstances take their full A level papers in summer 2018 alongside any student who wants to retake after their 2017 exams.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Ohhhhhhhh, yea- I fully understand you guys now lol sorry it took this long :biggrin:

Reply 151

Original post by FusionNetworks

Would you advise said students to take the AS exams (for reformed subjects) this year, or not?

There are pros and cons.
Personally I would always work harder and revise more seriously for a real exam than any mock or internal exam so I would take the AS if they were available to me to ensure I worked hard this year and didn't leave all the two years of work to be revised at the end of the course.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 152

ParadoxSocks

22

Original post by FusionNetworks

Would you advise said students to take the AS exams (for reformed subjects) this year, or not?

Most schools and teachers are still debating. I'm putting mine through AS as a backup plan and to get them experience.

Reply 153

hoafanuk

13

Original post by ParadoxSocks

Most schools and teachers are still debating. I'm putting mine through AS as a backup plan and to get them experience.

My school aren't entering people for the reformed as unless they specifically ask to sit it. Their reasoning is that if we don't do as well as we wanted we wouldn't be able to just not cash it in. It's interesting to see in which direction other schools are thinking of going :smile:

How do you think the new a* will be calculated (as ums will no longer be a thing)?

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 154

Lawliettt

14

What does this mean for people in year 13. Do i not get to retake if i don't do well in an A2?

Reply 155

Original post by Lawliettt

What does this mean for people in year 13. Do i not get to retake if i don't do well in an A2?

You will be able to retake your A level exams if you want to improve your grade but you will have to retake all of the exams instead if individual units as you could do with existing modular A levels.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 156

Original post by hoafanuk

My school aren't entering people for the reformed as unless they specifically ask to sit it. Their reasoning is that if we don't do as well as we wanted we wouldn't be able to just not cash it in. It's interesting to see in which direction other schools are thinking of going :smile:

How do you think the new a* will be calculated (as ums will no longer be a thing)?

Examiners will analyse the results and set grade boundaries to determine the grades for overall qualifications rather than individual units - much as they do now for linear GCSE qualifications and did in the past for A levels. They will vary from year to year and will differ depending on subject and examiner.

Posted from TSR Mobile

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 157

Sesshomaru24U

18

Original post by ParadoxSocks

Most schools and teachers are still debating. I'm putting mine through AS as a backup plan and to get them experience.

Could you clarify, as I'm quite confused. From what I've read I understand that after you start the course you will take the exams two years later. So for example, if you started Physics this September you would sit the exam (it's just one paper right?) in 2018 and that would be it.

Now here's what confuses me. I've heard mention of AS exams. So how would this work exactly? Say if you enrolled for physics in 2016, would you have the choice of sitting the AS exam? if you did and failed, would it count towards your overall A-level or just be an indicator to future universities? or could it stop you taking the A-level exam? I'm quite confused around this bit.

I'm hoping to study maths and further maths, next year. But I found out that will be the last year. Now my question to you is would you think it would be better to just wait to enrol in 2017 for the reformed maths a-level? or attempt to take it in one year? I've already begun prepping for the latter option. But I don't like being the students who try a new syllabus on it's first try. What do you think?

Reply 158