Maths A*

Anyone been able to get an A* at A2 in maths with a B at AS Level?

You can't. Requirement for an A* is an A at AS level and 90% at A2, not sure if 90% of raw or UMS.

It is possible. If you get above 90% UMS at A2, you will get an A* overall (as long as you have a B at AS), since you will still have 90% UMS at A2 and 80% overall, which are the requirements for an A*.



Nope, that's not true. You need 80% UMS overall (across the AS and A2) and 90% UMS in C3 and C4. So it is completely possible (if difficult) to get an A* overall if you got a B at AS. It's a strange system!

thank you!!!

You could always retake a module or two to maximise your chances.

but if AS an A2 stand alone - (as in you need 90% or above in A2 modules) - then is there any point in retaking as it won't actually maximise my chances?

It is possible. If you get above 90% UMS at A2, you will get an A* overall (as long as you have a B at AS), since you will still have 90% UMS at A2 and 80% overall, which are the requirements for an A*.



Nope, that's not true. You need 80% UMS overall (across the AS and A2) and 90% UMS in C3 and C4. So it is completely possible (if difficult) to get an A* overall if you got a B at AS. It's a strange system!

We got told that at my college. Also isn't an A grade 80%?

We got told that at my college. Also isn't an A grade 80%?

If you have 80% UMS overall but less than 90% UMS in C3 and C4, that's an A. The conditions for an A* are an A overall and 90%+ UMS in C3 and C4. It's a strange system where if you get a C at AS, for instance, you can get an A* overall but not an A, but that's the way it is!

Retaking AS modules wouldn't improve your chance of getting an A*, although it would improve your chances of getting at least an A. If you didn't do very well in "easy" units like C1 and C2, then it may be worth retaking them to improve your chances of getting at least an A overall because these modules will be extremely easy for you once you finish C3 and C4.

Retaking some modules could possibly be the difference between a B and an A* though. But he would have to do quite poorly in his third A2 module

No they wouldn't. In order to get an A*, you have to get 90% in the A2 modules. This would automatically make the overall UMS over 80%, hence getting an A*. Retaking modules would definitely improve getting an A if they failed to get 90%+ in C3 and C4 but it wouldn't change anything about their chance of getting an A* as it is independent of their AS results, as long as they got a B or above.

Wrong. To get an A* in maths you only need to get >90% in c3 and c4, not the 3rd module. So if he got 70, 70, 70 in his AS modules (which would be a B) and 90, 90 in c3 and c4, and 50 in his 3rd A2 module then he would have 440/600 UMS which would be a B. If he had retaken some of his AS modules he could have taken this up to 480/600 UMS which would have given him an A*.

Basically, 90% in C3 and C4 and 480/600 overall UMS = A*. 90% in C3 and C4 and 479/600 overall UMS = B.