Take our quiz to find out what your revision personality is! >>

a level preparation

soo im going into year 11 and im just asking a stupid question, are a levels hard? obviously they're hard but i just want to know how i can prepare for them later. thank you :smile:

Reply 1

wkathryn17

Yes, many people agree that A levels are the biggest step up that you will experience throughout all of education (bigger than university), they require a lot of commitment and you will not get away with coasting through the year like you used to. But dont worry about this now, just focus on year 11 and get your GCSEs done. :smile:

Reply 2

TypicalNerd

Original post by wkathryn17

Agreed.

Though you can make your A level studies much easier by using the resources at your disposal effectively. For example, in the specifications (well, at least for the Edexcel sciences and possibly a few other subjects), you should be able to find lists of what command words mean in the exams so you have an idea of what to write when asked to “describe …”, “discuss …”, “explain …” etc.

I guess the exact methods you should use to prepare for your A levels will depend on which subjects you take, but after you finish your GCSEs, you will likely be given transition work that will take care of a lot of this.

Reply 3

University of Bradford

Official Rep

Original post by mqartist

soo im going into year 11 and im just asking a stupid question, are a levels hard? obviously they're hard but i just want to know how i can prepare for them later. thank you :smile:

Hey @mqartist :smile:

It's not a stupid question at all! The transition from GCSE to A-Levels is a big one, as it's more work, more difficult and due to the amount of work that you need to do independently. It's great that you're asking this question now and you have time to get yourself prepared for the next step in your educational journey. Your teachers will be there to support you and give you help when needed, I know when I was studying for my A-Levels I was always using the free time between periods to do work, attending after school revision classes for exams, attending revision classes in the breaks. It might be fun to form some study groups with friends to keep you motivated during your studies as well.

Organisation is also key, I'd recommend having a different notebook and folder for each course to stay on top of everything and don't feel stress under a mountain of notes and paper. Quizlet was also a revising app that really helped me as a student!

Practice exam papers are extremely helpful, set yourself learning objectives, read up on textbooks and resources, and treat mock exams like the real thing.

But remember, it's equally as important to focus on your mental health and wellbeing, take regular breaks, still make time for things you enjoy such as hobbies, seeing loved ones etc, get enough sleep, it all helps contribute to how well you do :smile:

Best of luck with your studies!!

Becky