Pointless taking an AS level in a subject you don't get an A* in at GCSE

NUFC1998

Roughly 25% get an A or above in a given subject at AS level on average. Just over 50% at least a B.

This is got me thinking. 40% take A levels. Just over 20% get an A or above at a given GCSE subject on average. People tend to take things they are good at. This means the majority in many cases have got an A* or at least a high A at GCSE.

This basically means an A at GCSE practically correlates with a C at AS level. That is very depressing. What do you think? Is there any flaws in my thinking?

Reply 1

midgemeister7

17

Original post by NUFC1998

Roughly 25% get an A or above in a given subject at AS level on average. Just over 50% at least a B.

This is got me thinking. 40% take A levels. Just over 20% get an A or above at a given GCSE subject on average. People tend to take things they are good at. This means the majority in many cases have got an A* or at least a high A at GCSE.

This basically means an A at GCSE practically correlates with a C at AS level. That is very depressing. What do you think? Is there any flaws in my thinking?

Not always pointless - for example, I got an A at German GCSE and despite 9 other A*s (not bragging lol, just context) I carried it on as one of the four because I wanted to. Thought I didn't have to revise at GCSE for it but I was wrong, however this year I work harder and it'll probably be a much higher % mark than it was last year. All depends really - A Levels are what you make of them.

EDIT: To add as well, a lot of people can coast and get decent-ish grades at GCSE but this rarely works as well for A Level. They tend to get lower grades at A Level which skews the results.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 2

HRR

1

Many people find that they're great at GCSE's but terrible at a levels for a subject or vice versa. An A* is no guarantee of a good mark in a levels, and an 'average' grade of a B or a C doesn't necessarily mean you'll get a low grade in that subject for AS.

In addition, I know many people, myself included who didn't try their best or anywhere near for gcse's, giving them lower scores than if they had tried. When it comes to a levels, they may start working extra hard, giving it their all and doing very well.

Finally, although what I'll say now isn't concrete, I've found that for certain subjects getting an A* at gcse wasn't really that challenging or difficult (for lack of a better word). And this kind of links to my second point, someone may not put much effort at all into a gcse, get an A/B/C/whatever and then go on to a levels and turn the trend of 'poor' gcse's=poor a levels upside down.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 3

mrjowanna

9

Depends on how motivated you are to do well. There was a guy at my school who wasn't amazing at Maths (was in one of the bottom sets during GCSE) but managed to get an A* in Maths A level because he worked really hard (and I think he might have done Further Maths as well).

Reply 4

drowzee

15

Well it depends on the individual. If said individual tried at GCSE (a lot of effort) and achieved less than an A*/A, then getting a A/B is going to be difficult for them, unless their intelligence increases. However if you have someone that put very little effort or none at all and they achieved a B/A, then yes this shows they can get a high grade at A Level, provided they put the effort in. Then like another poster just stated, many of the students that did not achieve an A*/A and did not work, many of them probably will not work at A Level either, therefore will not achieve the top grades.

Reply 5

Flather

13

What if the subject you want to study isn't offered at GCSE? Never studies economics before last year, now hoping for an A* at A2 and to go on to read it at university

Reply 6

NUFC1998

OP

8

Yeah makes sense. I concur, in the sense that exam results are a result of both effort and inherent natural ability. A small element of luck as well. Many people do well at GCSE's with minimal effort, and then continue to do the same at A Level. Resulting in a lower grade than they are capable of.

Some work hard at GCSE and A Level, but despite attaining a high mark at GCSE they find the complexity of thinking and detail required at A Level to be too big a challenge.

Reply 7

azo

8

Are there any flaws in my thinking, not is.

Reply 8

NUFC1998

OP

8

Original post by azo

Are there any flaws in my thinking, not is.

Your right. My apologies. It's easy to get things slightly wrong when you are typing fast, without reading over what you have typed.

Reply 9

AAls

15

Original post by NUFC1998

Roughly 25% get an A or above in a given subject at AS level on average. Just over 50% at least a B.

This is got me thinking. 40% take A levels. Just over 20% get an A or above at a given GCSE subject on average. People tend to take things they are good at. This means the majority in many cases have got an A* or at least a high A at GCSE.

This basically means an A at GCSE practically correlates with a C at AS level. That is very depressing. What do you think? Is there any flaws in my thinking?

I'd say that getting an A/A* at the same subject in GCSE would show that you are likely to achieve an A/B at AS-level. You cannot really get GCSE grades and correlate to A levels to use as a prediction. For example, I know someone who achieved two A*s in maths an further maths at A level who also got an A at GCSE Maths. That's well off from that 'correlated' C grade...