The Student Room Group

Is BBC TO ABB/AAB/AAA possible

In my AS i got BBC (Maths,Business and Physics). Which was disappionting as i had been on course for ABB all year long. I am resitting a Maths Core 2 paper, a Physics Unit 2 paper and Unit 1 Business paper. and possibly a Unit 1 physics paper

My AS UMS scores were
Maths: 227/300 UMS, 240 needed for an A
CORE 1: A 89/100 UMS
Core 2: C 65/100 UMS
Mechanics 1: B 73/100 UMS

Business: 153/200 UMS, 164 UMS needed for an A
Unit 1: C, 50/80 UMS
Unit 2: A, 103/120 UMS

Physics: 195/270, 210 UMS needed for a B
Mechanics: C 59/90 UMS
Waves,Photons and Electrons: C 92/150 UMS
practical skills :B 44/60 UMS
Hey! I've just finished A2 heading off to uni in a few weeks. In my AS's I got:

Maths B
Biology. B
Chemistry C
Physics E
Dropped physics so went forward with same as you BBC and I wanted to do maths degree needing AAA-ABB, same thinking it was unrealistic, all teachers said it was impossible, did it anyway, resat a few modules, worked my arse off all year and got A*AA, it's possible it's all about the work you put in, but don't let your AS grades stop you doing the course you want:smile: just ask your teachers to be a little more lenient when sending your predicted grades so that you can get your offers, and explain that you know you can do better next time :smile:
In all honesty (assuming it's similar for you) the A2's are synoptic so incorporate things you learned at AS, so resitting was not a burden at all but actually really helped boost my A2's as well as overall grades!
Obviously I'm not saying 'you will definitely get 3A's next year, but definitely not impossible :smile:
Original post by tiggs9898
In my AS i got BBC (Maths,Business and Physics). Which was disappionting as i had been on course for ABB all year long. I am resitting a Maths Core 2 paper, a Physics Unit 2 paper and Unit 1 Business paper. and possibly a Unit 1 physics paper

My AS UMS scores were
Maths: 227/300 UMS, 240 needed for an A
CORE 1: A 89/100 UMS
Core 2: C 65/100 UMS
Mechanics 1: B 73/100 UMS

Business: 153/200 UMS, 164 UMS needed for an A
Unit 1: C, 50/80 UMS
Unit 2: A, 103/120 UMS

Physics: 195/270, 210 UMS needed for a B
Mechanics: C 59/90 UMS
Waves,Photons and Electrons: C 92/150 UMS
practical skills :B 44/60 UMS


Hi there,

It's definitely achievable! Your A2 results will outweigh your AS results, however - you will need to try and get your teachers to predict you highly for your A2 - otherwise you're likely to not be given an offer from top universities.

As long as you work hard, you'll achieve those A's! Just need to try and get the predictions up there too!

Hope this helps,
- Kath :h:
Reply 3
Original post by jesstwenty
Hey! I've just finished A2 heading off to uni in a few weeks. In my AS's I got:

Maths B
Biology. B
Chemistry C
Physics E
Dropped physics so went forward with same as you BBC and I wanted to do maths degree needing AAA-ABB, same thinking it was unrealistic, all teachers said it was impossible, did it anyway, resat a few modules, worked my arse off all year and got A*AA, it's possible it's all about the work you put in, but don't let your AS grades stop you doing the course you want:smile: just ask your teachers to be a little more lenient when sending your predicted grades so that you can get your offers, and explain that you know you can do better next time :smile:
In all honesty (assuming it's similar for you) the A2's are synoptic so incorporate things you learned at AS, so resitting was not a burden at all but actually really helped boost my A2's as well as overall grades!
Obviously I'm not saying 'you will definitely get 3A's next year, but definitely not impossible :smile:

Nice,thanks,How many papers did you resit and how did you balance revising for AS and A2 at the same time.I'm also considering doing at maths degree. What uni did you apply for and where are you going? Sorry about all the questions.
Original post by tiggs9898
Nice,thanks,How many papers did you resit and how did you balance revising for AS and A2 at the same time.I'm also considering doing at maths degree. What uni did you apply for and where are you going? Sorry about all the questions.


Don't worry:smile:! I resat Maths Core 2 and stats 1, chemistry Chem 1 and Chem 2 and Biology 2. I basically decided that I was 100% going to smash my a levels so I started working from the first day of school right up to my exams, it was a boring year but it's so worth it. So I spent all my frees revising and after school and at the weekend etc, re did my notes for AS which actually didn't take that long, obv you don't have to do that but mine were crap from prev year, it's all about being organised. I had a huge mirror in my study room which I used whiteboard markers to write lists on the mirror or everything I had left to do, and could wipe off once done. As long as you stay on top of your A2 as well you will be okay and after you start your A2's you will kinda go why the bloody hell didn't I get this at AS and then your AS won't seem so hard and you won't have to do as much work for it! :smile:
As for uni's I applied for maths at
Liverpool ABB
Newcastle AAB/A*AB
Cardiff AAB/A*AB
Lancaster AAA
Uni of Leeds AAA

Fell in love with Leeds which is where I'm going in about 3 weeks :biggrin:
You can ask all the questions you like!
Reply 5
Original post by jesstwenty
Don't worry:smile:! I resat Maths Core 2 and stats 1, chemistry Chem 1 and Chem 2 and Biology 2. I basically decided that I was 100% going to smash my a levels so I started working from the first day of school right up to my exams, it was a boring year but it's so worth it. So I spent all my frees revising and after school and at the weekend etc, re did my notes for AS which actually didn't take that long, obv you don't have to do that but mine were crap from prev year, it's all about being organised. I had a huge mirror in my study room which I used whiteboard markers to write lists on the mirror or everything I had left to do, and could wipe off once done. As long as you stay on top of your A2 as well you will be okay and after you start your A2's you will kinda go why the bloody hell didn't I get this at AS and then your AS won't seem so hard and you won't have to do as much work for it! :smile:
As for uni's I applied for maths at
Liverpool ABB
Newcastle AAB/A*AB
Cardiff AAB/A*AB
Lancaster AAA
Uni of Leeds AAA
Fell in love with Leeds which is where I'm going in about 3 weeks :biggrin:
You can ask all the questions you like!


What did you like about Leeds? I recently booked an open day there.
My cousin graduated there and also enjoyed it.
Original post by tiggs9898
What did you like about Leeds? I recently booked an open day there.
My cousin graduated there and also enjoyed it.


I thought it was a lovely uni, brilliant city to live in with brilliant night life (not that that's what it's all about :P). It is very much a student city with loads going on, I think a lot of the time you go to a uni and go 'yeah I could see my self here' or like 'this just isn't for me' like Cardiff was my insurance as they said they would be lenient with grades like allowing ABB or ABC, but it just wasn't for me I couldn't see myself living there you know? You kinda get a feeling for the place! And the maths department was brill at Leeds, with a brand new maths building opening this year! You're doing the right thing getting yourself on open days though:smile:


Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by Southampton Solent Uni Student Ambassador
Hi there,

It's definitely achievable! Your A2 results will outweigh your AS results, however - you will need to try and get your teachers to predict you highly for your A2 - otherwise you're likely to not be given an offer from top universities.

As long as you work hard, you'll achieve those A's! Just need to try and get the predictions up there too!

Hope this helps,
- Kath :h:


Getting teachers to predict grades above the level they think OP will achieve and, equally importantly, above the level the universities will regard as credible is not sound advice to be giving. Even if the offers are received, they still need to be met and if OP has BBC and has been encouraged to obtain AAA offers, that makes the likelihood of ending up without anything on results day quite high. Resits will definitely make getting higher grades a possibility, but applications need to be made on a basis of realism. One or two optimistic applications are fine if the rest are within reach or slightly below as a safety net.
100% possible you can take any C at AS to an A* without any AS resits... (Dependent on exam board)
Original post by Carnationlilyrose
Getting teachers to predict grades above the level they think OP will achieve and, equally importantly, above the level the universities will regard as credible is not sound advice to be giving. Even if the offers are received, they still need to be met and if OP has BBC and has been encouraged to obtain AAA offers, that makes the likelihood of ending up without anything on results day quite high. Resits will definitely make getting higher grades a possibility, but applications need to be made on a basis of realism. One or two optimistic applications are fine if the rest are within reach or slightly below as a safety net.


Hi,

I'm just giving from experience, I personally did poorly at AS and spoke to my careers advisor when applying to universities; she advised speaking to my teachers to improve my predicted grades and they did. BBC to ABB isn't unachievable. I was predicted from DDD to CCC because that's what my teachers felt as though I could achieve.

I over achieved that and all because my teachers gave me a chance - I was able to get that offer from the university I wanted. Without this - I wouldn't of been able to get into my course because it was so popular and didn't have any clearing places left.

I hope there's no misunderstanding.
- Kath :h:
Original post by Southampton Solent Uni Student Ambassador
Hi,

I'm just giving from experience, I personally did poorly at AS and spoke to my careers advisor when applying to universities; she advised speaking to my teachers to improve my predicted grades and they did. BBC to ABB isn't unachievable. I was predicted from DDD to CCC because that's what my teachers felt as though I could achieve.

I over achieved that and all because my teachers gave me a chance - I was able to get that offer from the university I wanted. Without this - I wouldn't of been able to get into my course because it was so popular and didn't have any clearing places left.

I hope there's no misunderstanding.
- Kath :h:

BBC to ABB isn't unachievable, but the question is also asking if it's possible to go to AAA. Well, yes it is, but it requires some doing and it's not quite as credible as going up one grade per subject as happened to you. Asking for higher estimates than the teacher's experience suggests is likely puts a strain on everyone and it does the school's reputation no good to be seen as one where the predictions are unreliable since it casts uncertainty over all subsequent applicants from that school. In addition, an applicant then has to achieve that high prediction in order to get that offer. Some do. Quite a lot don't and if you had regularly been in school on results day and seen the devastation wrought by a student failing to attain an offer which was never really within their reach, but which they had believed was theirs, you might have the view that common sense is often the best way to avoid heartache. Take predictions of one grade up - that's pretty standard - and have maybe one aspirational choice above that if you must, but stick to the same level as your predicted grades for the most part, and have at least one safety net. If the results are better than expected, then there is adjustment, where the applicant is in a position of strength, rather than clearing, where s/he isn't.
Last year I got CCD in Maths, Chem and Bio respectively. My school allowed me to resit the year, although I wasn't allowed to attend lessons. I studied on my own and worked part time (3 days a week) instead. I got my results this year and I went from CCD to AAB. I also got a place at my 1st choice uni which I wanted to attend last year. I did have a few problems with my UCAS tutor at school, he refused to predict me AAB and would only predict BBC - he thought that if my predicted grades were any higher, it would damage the reputation of the school (his exact words). We came to a mutual agreement and my predicted grades were ABB instead, with a note on my UCAS reference that the predicted grades were from an external source and not the schools opinion. In hindsight I should have gone to college, as my school careers team provided no help and the department itself is a complete joke.
Definitely but I'd advise you to resit as many papers as possible (Perhaps those which you did not achieve an A in)

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