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How hard are A levels compared to GCSE's?

lucy1993

Just wondering because im starting them next year!
And is there a lot of work at home to do for each subject?

I would've said so. You might not agree when you're doing your GCSEs, but it doesn't actually take that much to get high grades - if you can remember large quantities of information and regurgitate it all within the time, you should come out with a good mark. However, at A level, there's a greater emphasis on understanding. There's no point in blindly applying a rule if you don't know why or how it works, or what sort of problems it'll help you solve.

One of the major differences in "essay subjects" such as English Literature and History is that you can make a comment at GCSE (without developing your idea "all the way"), and the examiner will give you the benefit of doubt and try and make an inference that matches what's on the mark scheme. At A level, your writing has to be much clearer and more precise - you have to be explicit if you want the high marks (this is something I'm trying to remedy at the moment!).

Our college recommends that you do 4-5 hours of work outside the subject every week - it might be homework, or additional background reading. I'm doing 5 subjects, so it's a pretty hefty workload, but you get used to the timetable and provided the work comes regularly and the deadlines stay the same, you shouldn't have too much trouble scheduling it all. Just don't go into town with your friends in your ~~free lessons~~ study periods! :p:

I wouldn't worry about it just yet - you've still got a whole year to improve before you go to college, and another year on top of that before you take your exams. Anyway, hope this helps. :smile:

Reply 21

Jooeee

2

Doesn't seem that much of a step up to be honest in terms of the actual work we do, but the quantity we are expected to do is huge, and there is also a much bigger emphasis put on independent learning. I think that there is a lot more work, obviously, but if you keep on top of it you'll be fine.

Reply 22

rnshan

13

Come on guys... One has to move to bigger and better things. Newer topics will be challenging - and that is good part of moving forward. Obviously there will lesser free time then GCSE. But good time management will make it easier. Saying that it not just for you and me but 600000 other students too. I just started As level - I find it fun so far. I get to do the subjects I like - and hence I find more enjoyable then last year. :smile:

Reply 23

letsdothetimewarpagain

19

I can't wait to drop all the crappy subjects I don't like and concentrate on the ones I do.

I am doing History, english Lit, Maths, further maths and possibly Spanish (I am going to take 5 to start with and then I may drop one after a month if I can't cope kind of thing)

I am happy spending hours and hours doing work ii I enjoy the subject but hey I will probably be wishing to be back in year 11 this time next year

Reply 24

jamesh_91

1

i did no work for my GCSE's and luckily, very luckily did really well because i would be kicking myself if I didn't but A-levels are harder and involve more work but you will meet your potential if you keep on top of work, do your homework on time and occasionally lie in bed for an hour or so and read up on a subject (helps remember the little details etc.)

i thought the jump would be alot bigger than it is but i am finding maths and further maths easy atm but i guess im just lucky i have that mathematical ability on the other hand economics i know i will have to work hard for as English is not my strong point and chemistry and physics aren't too bad as long as you just keep reading a revision guide over say 2 pages a night :smile:

hope i was some help

Reply 25

OhNO!

16

I found the step up from GCSE to A-Level to be huge. not that it's unmanageably difficult or anything, but it is a lot harder. or so I thought.

I did pick up quite a few subjects at A-Level, though.

Reply 26

rnshan

13

jamesh_91

i did no work for my GCSE's and luckily, very luckily did really well because i would be kicking myself if I didn't but A-levels are harder and involve more work but you will meet your potential if you keep on top of work, do your homework on time and occasionally lie in bed for an hour or so and read up on a subject (helps remember the little details etc.)

i thought the jump would be alot bigger than it is but i am finding maths and further maths easy atm but i guess im just lucky i have that mathematical ability on the other hand economics i know i will have to work hard for as English is not my strong point and chemistry and physics aren't too bad as long as you just keep reading a revision guide over say 2 pages a night :smile:

hope i was some help

You have interesting As subject combination. Are you keeping your options open between Economics and Medicine?

Reply 27

Nimbus

12

Well, personally I'm currently finding maths the same, biology and chemistry easier than at GCSE.. :ninja:

Or may be that's because we're doing the simple topics like intermolecular forces, C1 and etc. XD

However, I'm finding German very challenge and hard! We are expected to write essays and speaking things which I can't even phrase in English straight away!XD
It's kind of like doing English lit in German! But very enjoyable nevertheless. :smile:

..and then there's critical thinking - never done it before and I'm finding it quite hard. We are forced to do it at our school and I have no talents in analysing things.XD

So I would say, knowledge/difficulty-wise, it's not that much harder but it really depends on where your aptitudes lie, and motivation/passion.
But content-wise, you actually NEED to put the work in, it's not like at GCSE ( where you can actually slack a bit and still get good grades without much work XD) otherwise don't even expect good grades.

But A-levels are nothing to worry about!
I know I was so put off by the horror stories people told me about them that I dreaded the first few days of Sixth form so much that even my teachers thought I was some kind of U-grader.XD

Reply 28

da_kind92

9

Maths is about the same for me..
Biology's wayyy more learning...
Like.. my Biology textbook has more in it than both my Science and Additional Science textbooks put together.. (double science).

Reply 29

Vexed

I find AQA English Lit to be easier at A level than GCSE.

Reply 30

v1oXx-

12

lucy1993

Biology, chemistry, geography.
then either economics, maths or art for my 4th AS subject.

Bio, Chem: big jump. Chem is really hard, and there's a lot of calculations involved. Biology goes into more detail, and all you have to do it just memorize everything.

Geography- Not a huge jump.

Maths- C1: nice, steady transition.

Economics- Builts very slightly on GCSE. If you didn't do Economics GCSE, then you may struggle at the start, but it isn't very hard.

Reply 31

sam-silver

i find it harder, but not impossible

Reply 32

becky.fm

18

They are a LOT harder. But loads of people do through it, you just have to put a decent amount of work in.

Reply 33

jelly1000

21

From what I've found, History essays are harder than the GCSE ones, certainly on AQA [did AQA for GCSE & now doing it for A-Level] because the questions are much more specific. And as a previous poster said, you have to give explicit examples at A-Level and fully develop your point because the examiners won't give you the benefit of the doubt.

Psychology, Politics and R.E, I can't really comment on because I didn't do them for GCSE, to be honest although they are certainly challenging, they aren't impossibly hard. Overall A-Levels are more time consuming than hard because you should be doing more than just the homework your teacher sets you. So if its History or any other arts subject, then lots of background reading, or if its something like Maths, then some extra exercises. Worst thing you can do at A-Level is go into a lesson having no understanding of what your going to do that lesson, even if you haven't been taught it before. Normally it should be obvious what your doing next, so as long as you have a textbook then you can read up. If your constantly one step ahead of what your doing in class then you shouldn't find A-Levels impossibly hard.

Reply 34

QED

11

I'm finding the fact that I actually have to do the work quite annoying. The jump into Maths has been a bit tough, we're zipping through stuff at the moment, having gone through all of S1 and the majority of C1 and it's just keeping on top of it that's difficult.

English and Economics aren't too difficult, but both are very interesting and like now, when essays are set, I'm more enthused to do them.

Philosophy & Ethics is ok, but what we're doing is a bit basic, we're not going as in-depth as I personally did when doing some reading over the summer, which is annoying.

All good though.

Reply 35

aforalice

10

The teachers always told us at our school that the jump from GCSE to A Level was much greater than the jump up again to university. I'm a fresher and so far it seems they were right. I have a lot more work again at university but I developed a lot of self discipline during A Levels which you don't really have at GCSE. It's a lot harder to put in minimum effort and still come out with an A at A Level.

Reply 36

Fhenzell

QED

I'm finding the fact that I actually have to do the work quite annoying. The jump into Maths has been a bit tough, we're zipping through stuff at the moment, having gone through all of S1 and the majority of C1 and it's just keeping on top of it that's difficult.

if you're doing S1 first then it will be a bit tough! i hated stats, it was hard, very boring but very easy to slip up on...although i did end up with a better mark in it than C2...when i found C2 way easier!!

Reply 37

Jfranny

3

A level requiers more attention I suppose, lessons, in my case, are 2x longer, we get 5x the amount of homework as apposed to GCSE and are marked harder.

However saying this, if you're dedicated and willing to put the work in, you'll do great, goodluck.

How hard are A levels compared to GCSE's?

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