The Student Room Group

A levels

Hi everyone, I hope you will response me as soon as possible as I am about to go to sixth form soon.

If I choose business studies, maths and (law or ICT or chemistry or biology)as an A level, Are these subjects good and what jobs can I get by choosing those subjects?
I didn't choose bussiness in my gcse so can I still do it as A level, if yes Am I going to be behind or they are going to teach everything again in sixth form, what they taught in busines gcse?
my first option is maths and second is business studies but I am not sure about third one so can anyone please tell which subject to pick as third one from the list where I have put in brackets.

Thanks
Original post by Harman Kaur
Hi everyone, I hope you will response me as soon as possible as I am about to go to sixth form soon.

If I choose business studies, maths and (law or ICT or chemistry or biology)as an A level, Are these subjects good and what jobs can I get by choosing those subjects?
I didn't choose bussiness in my gcse so can I still do it as A level, if yes Am I going to be behind or they are going to teach everything again in sixth form, what they taught in busines gcse?
my first option is maths and second is business studies but I am not sure about third one so can anyone please tell which subject to pick as third one from the list where I have put in brackets.

Thanks


I didn't do that for GCSE and got A*, so yeah you can do it without GCSE easily. I would do what you enjoy, literally that is it. Are you not going to university?
Original post by Harman Kaur
Hi everyone, I hope you will response me as soon as possible as I am about to go to sixth form soon.

If I choose business studies, maths and (law or ICT or chemistry or biology)as an A level, Are these subjects good and what jobs can I get by choosing those subjects?
I didn't choose bussiness in my gcse so can I still do it as A level, if yes Am I going to be behind or they are going to teach everything again in sixth form, what they taught in busines gcse?
my first option is maths and second is business studies but I am not sure about third one so can anyone please tell which subject to pick as third one from the list where I have put in brackets.

Thanks


This is going to be one of the long answers.

If I choose business studies, maths and (law or ICT or chemistry or biology)as an A level, Are these subjects good and what jobs can I get by choosing those subjects?
Maths is a required subject. Business, law, and ICT are not. Biology and chemistry are required subjects for life sciences.

A good subject by my definition is:

one where you can get a high grade in

would give you the most options in terms of what degrees you can do

would maximise the number of careers that you can go into based on your personal preferences (usually based on degree choice)

one that you enjoy the most and you are really passionate about

A "good" subject by itself means very little if you don't really define it or be specific. I hate it when people are vague about this - it makes it very difficult to work with.

Maths is a required subject for degrees in:

Maths

Computer science and software engineering

Physics and general engineering

Bioengineering (if you have biology)

Chemical engineering (if you have chemistry)

Data science, business analysis, and data analysis

Finance, financial engineering, actuarial science, and financial mathematics

Bioinformatics (quantitiative)

Economics (quantitiative degrees)


Subjects in life sciences can be ridiculously wide and you often get a number of exceptions based on the individual degree and university, but in a general case, you can do the following (ideally when you have both):

Medicine, dentistry, vetinary science - because they all are the more competitive life/health science degrees

Nutrition, food science, and dietics

Biomed, biochem, and biological sciences

Biology and chemistry

Pharmacy, pharmacology, toxicology

Zoology

Sports

Midwifery

Physiology, physiotherapy, pathology


Degrees that asks for 2 sciences, which can include maths include:

Radiography

Optometry

Geology

Environmental science


With any degree in healthcare and life sciences, you would need to check if the degree is required for the specific role and whether the specific degree needs to be accredited by a certain specific professional body in order for the degree to be of use. Do also note, the degree itself might not necessarily be recognised outside of the country that it's taught in so you would need to check with local regulations to be sure.

Then you can usually go into degrees that ask for A Levels in any subjects so long you have the right grades. The list is long, but generally include:

Anything in business expect for financial mathematics and actuarial science (for obvious reasons)

Law

Anthropology

Archaeology

Sociology and criminology

Most psychology degrees

Some degrees in creative writing and English literature

Nonquantiative economics degrees

Education

Theology

Politics

Philosophy

Linguistics

Agriculture

Some art and design degrees, including architecture

Fashion

Some geography degrees (usually ones with emphasis on human geography)

Some history degrees

Film

Game design

Hospitality

Property and urban planning

Journalism

Media studies

Nursing

Paramedic science

Social work


If you want a more extensive list on this, the uni guide by TSR has the A Level Explorer that can give you a better idea. See: https://www.theuniguide.co.uk/a-level-explorer

Jobs are usually more dependent on what you apply for and whether you are a suitable candidate as opposed to what qualifications that you have. The only possible exceptions would be if it's anything in the health sector, academia, or teaching (at least in the UK; not sure about anywhere else).
Even if you have the qualification, it doesn't necessarily mean you would get a job - this should be a standard disclaimer for any qualification that you do. Having a qualification doesn't mean you deserve or are entitled to a job - never forget this.

If you go on websites that offer you job profiles such as National Careers Service, Prospects, and Career Pilot, they would usually specify the following won't require you to have anything above A Level in order to do the jobs in the following sectors (i.e. getting a degree is redudant if you only intend to get a job from it in the industry):

Administration

Government services

Social work

Some areas of healthcare

Most areas of business (HR, marketing, accounting, sales)

IT roles

Some areas of construction

Most areas of property

Most areas of beauty and wellbeing

Creative/design and media (if you're good)

Theatre and film (if you're good)

Music (if you're good)

Anything related to writing (if you're good)

Storage

Logisitics

Armed forces and police force (if you pass certain tests, have a clean record, and are of a certain age range)

Some environmental services

Hospitality

Manufacturing

Management (if you have the relevant experience)

Retail

Care work

Travel and tourism

Charity

Entertainment (if you're good)

Translation (if you are fluent in more than one language)



If you decide to go back to college (adult college), then you can do courses that are relevant to the following:

Animal care (other than vet)

Some areas of construction and certain trades

Some areas of beauty and wellbeing

Some areas of engineering


You can go into the following areas with specific professional qualifications (irrespective of what previous qualifications you have):

Accounting

Actuary (if you have a math background e.g. A Level Maths)

Law (CILEx - only if you intend to be a solicitor, otherwise you would have to become a solicitor before transferring over to become a barrister through various tests)

Most areas of finance

Delivery and transport (licences)

Sports coaching



I didn't choose bussiness in my gcse so can I still do it as A level, if yes Am I going to be behind or they are going to teach everything again in sixth form, what they taught in busines gcse?
They would teach the A Level from the ground up, since it's not a requirement to have the GCSE prior to doing the A Level (no A Level exam board requires this for any subject, but it should be standard policy for any sixth form that you don't).
As I didn't do GCSE business when I did my A Level, I can say it took me a bit longer to match the grades of the other students in the class but it's doable if you put in the extra hours.

my first option is maths and second is business studies but I am not sure about third one so can anyone please tell which subject to pick as third one from the list where I have put in brackets.
Personally I would go with biology, chemistry, and maths, because you can then go do a degree that accepts any subjects (including law and business) as well as those that require specific A Levels e.g. life science/healthcare, anything quantitiative (except for most of engineering and physics), anything that requires any 2 sciences.
If you are certain that you want to do maths and business irrespective (because you really like the subjects and get high grades in them for example), then I would either pick biology or chemistry. Law and ICT are not required subjects, and law has a bad rep from students who did it for A Level.
Of course, if you don't intend to go into a quantitative degree or life sciences, then it matters little which subjects you pick i.e. in which case, pick the ones you enjoy the most and can get the highest grades in (presuming you don't intend to go into degrees/unis where they have a strict preference over which subjects you picked). As you have not stated the sort of careers you want to do (would have been really helpful) or what sort of subjects you really like doing (even more helpful), I'm really working with a blank slate.

Next time, if you can be a lot more specific, I can give you a significantly more concise and relevant answer instead of writing long winded theses.
Original post by MindMax2000
This is going to be one of the long answers.

If I choose business studies, maths and (law or ICT or chemistry or biology)as an A level, Are these subjects good and what jobs can I get by choosing those subjects?
Maths is a required subject. Business, law, and ICT are not. Biology and chemistry are required subjects for life sciences.

A good subject by my definition is:

one where you can get a high grade in

would give you the most options in terms of what degrees you can do

would maximise the number of careers that you can go into based on your personal preferences (usually based on degree choice)

one that you enjoy the most and you are really passionate about

A "good" subject by itself means very little if you don't really define it or be specific. I hate it when people are vague about this - it makes it very difficult to work with.

Maths is a required subject for degrees in:

Maths

Computer science and software engineering

Physics and general engineering

Bioengineering (if you have biology)

Chemical engineering (if you have chemistry)

Data science, business analysis, and data analysis

Finance, financial engineering, actuarial science, and financial mathematics

Bioinformatics (quantitiative)

Economics (quantitiative degrees)


Subjects in life sciences can be ridiculously wide and you often get a number of exceptions based on the individual degree and university, but in a general case, you can do the following (ideally when you have both):

Medicine, dentistry, vetinary science - because they all are the more competitive life/health science degrees

Nutrition, food science, and dietics

Biomed, biochem, and biological sciences

Biology and chemistry

Pharmacy, pharmacology, toxicology

Zoology

Sports

Midwifery

Physiology, physiotherapy, pathology


Degrees that asks for 2 sciences, which can include maths include:

Radiography

Optometry

Geology

Environmental science


With any degree in healthcare and life sciences, you would need to check if the degree is required for the specific role and whether the specific degree needs to be accredited by a certain specific professional body in order for the degree to be of use. Do also note, the degree itself might not necessarily be recognised outside of the country that it's taught in so you would need to check with local regulations to be sure.

Then you can usually go into degrees that ask for A Levels in any subjects so long you have the right grades. The list is long, but generally include:

Anything in business expect for financial mathematics and actuarial science (for obvious reasons)

Law

Anthropology

Archaeology

Sociology and criminology

Most psychology degrees

Some degrees in creative writing and English literature

Nonquantiative economics degrees

Education

Theology

Politics

Philosophy

Linguistics

Agriculture

Some art and design degrees, including architecture

Fashion

Some geography degrees (usually ones with emphasis on human geography)

Some history degrees

Film

Game design

Hospitality

Property and urban planning

Journalism

Media studies

Nursing

Paramedic science

Social work


If you want a more extensive list on this, the uni guide by TSR has the A Level Explorer that can give you a better idea. See: https://www.theuniguide.co.uk/a-level-explorer

Jobs are usually more dependent on what you apply for and whether you are a suitable candidate as opposed to what qualifications that you have. The only possible exceptions would be if it's anything in the health sector, academia, or teaching (at least in the UK; not sure about anywhere else).
Even if you have the qualification, it doesn't necessarily mean you would get a job - this should be a standard disclaimer for any qualification that you do. Having a qualification doesn't mean you deserve or are entitled to a job - never forget this.

If you go on websites that offer you job profiles such as National Careers Service, Prospects, and Career Pilot, they would usually specify the following won't require you to have anything above A Level in order to do the jobs in the following sectors (i.e. getting a degree is redudant if you only intend to get a job from it in the industry):

Administration

Government services

Social work

Some areas of healthcare

Most areas of business (HR, marketing, accounting, sales)

IT roles

Some areas of construction

Most areas of property

Most areas of beauty and wellbeing

Creative/design and media (if you're good)

Theatre and film (if you're good)

Music (if you're good)

Anything related to writing (if you're good)

Storage

Logisitics

Armed forces and police force (if you pass certain tests, have a clean record, and are of a certain age range)

Some environmental services

Hospitality

Manufacturing

Management (if you have the relevant experience)

Retail

Care work

Travel and tourism

Charity

Entertainment (if you're good)

Translation (if you are fluent in more than one language)



If you decide to go back to college (adult college), then you can do courses that are relevant to the following:

Animal care (other than vet)

Some areas of construction and certain trades

Some areas of beauty and wellbeing

Some areas of engineering


You can go into the following areas with specific professional qualifications (irrespective of what previous qualifications you have):

Accounting

Actuary (if you have a math background e.g. A Level Maths)

Law (CILEx - only if you intend to be a solicitor, otherwise you would have to become a solicitor before transferring over to become a barrister through various tests)

Most areas of finance

Delivery and transport (licences)

Sports coaching



I didn't choose bussiness in my gcse so can I still do it as A level, if yes Am I going to be behind or they are going to teach everything again in sixth form, what they taught in busines gcse?
They would teach the A Level from the ground up, since it's not a requirement to have the GCSE prior to doing the A Level (no A Level exam board requires this for any subject, but it should be standard policy for any sixth form that you don't).
As I didn't do GCSE business when I did my A Level, I can say it took me a bit longer to match the grades of the other students in the class but it's doable if you put in the extra hours.

my first option is maths and second is business studies but I am not sure about third one so can anyone please tell which subject to pick as third one from the list where I have put in brackets.
Personally I would go with biology, chemistry, and maths, because you can then go do a degree that accepts any subjects (including law and business) as well as those that require specific A Levels e.g. life science/healthcare, anything quantitiative (except for most of engineering and physics), anything that requires any 2 sciences.
If you are certain that you want to do maths and business irrespective (because you really like the subjects and get high grades in them for example), then I would either pick biology or chemistry. Law and ICT are not required subjects, and law has a bad rep from students who did it for A Level.
Of course, if you don't intend to go into a quantitative degree or life sciences, then it matters little which subjects you pick i.e. in which case, pick the ones you enjoy the most and can get the highest grades in (presuming you don't intend to go into degrees/unis where they have a strict preference over which subjects you picked). As you have not stated the sort of careers you want to do (would have been really helpful) or what sort of subjects you really like doing (even more helpful), I'm really working with a blank slate.

Next time, if you can be a lot more specific, I can give you a significantly more concise and relevant answer instead of writing long winded theses.

OP wants to do Maths and Business. Maybe Maths, Business and Biology / Chem. Also many degrees like Law which have no required subjects very much prefer essay related subjects. If everyone just did Maths Chem and Bio we'd all be boring, factual robots
Reply 4
Original post by MindMax2000
This is going to be one of the long answers.

If I choose business studies, maths and (law or ICT or chemistry or biology)as an A level, Are these subjects good and what jobs can I get by choosing those subjects?
Maths is a required subject. Business, law, and ICT are not. Biology and chemistry are required subjects for life sciences.

A good subject by my definition is:

one where you can get a high grade in

would give you the most options in terms of what degrees you can do

would maximise the number of careers that you can go into based on your personal preferences (usually based on degree choice)

one that you enjoy the most and you are really passionate about

A "good" subject by itself means very little if you don't really define it or be specific. I hate it when people are vague about this - it makes it very difficult to work with.

Maths is a required subject for degrees in:

Maths

Computer science and software engineering

Physics and general engineering

Bioengineering (if you have biology)

Chemical engineering (if you have chemistry)

Data science, business analysis, and data analysis

Finance, financial engineering, actuarial science, and financial mathematics

Bioinformatics (quantitiative)

Economics (quantitiative degrees)


Subjects in life sciences can be ridiculously wide and you often get a number of exceptions based on the individual degree and university, but in a general case, you can do the following (ideally when you have both):

Medicine, dentistry, vetinary science - because they all are the more competitive life/health science degrees

Nutrition, food science, and dietics

Biomed, biochem, and biological sciences

Biology and chemistry

Pharmacy, pharmacology, toxicology

Zoology

Sports

Midwifery

Physiology, physiotherapy, pathology


Degrees that asks for 2 sciences, which can include maths include:

Radiography

Optometry

Geology

Environmental science


With any degree in healthcare and life sciences, you would need to check if the degree is required for the specific role and whether the specific degree needs to be accredited by a certain specific professional body in order for the degree to be of use. Do also note, the degree itself might not necessarily be recognised outside of the country that it's taught in so you would need to check with local regulations to be sure.

Then you can usually go into degrees that ask for A Levels in any subjects so long you have the right grades. The list is long, but generally include:

Anything in business expect for financial mathematics and actuarial science (for obvious reasons)

Law

Anthropology

Archaeology

Sociology and criminology

Most psychology degrees

Some degrees in creative writing and English literature

Nonquantiative economics degrees

Education

Theology

Politics

Philosophy

Linguistics

Agriculture

Some art and design degrees, including architecture

Fashion

Some geography degrees (usually ones with emphasis on human geography)

Some history degrees

Film

Game design

Hospitality

Property and urban planning

Journalism

Media studies

Nursing

Paramedic science

Social work


If you want a more extensive list on this, the uni guide by TSR has the A Level Explorer that can give you a better idea. See: https://www.theuniguide.co.uk/a-level-explorer

Jobs are usually more dependent on what you apply for and whether you are a suitable candidate as opposed to what qualifications that you have. The only possible exceptions would be if it's anything in the health sector, academia, or teaching (at least in the UK; not sure about anywhere else).
Even if you have the qualification, it doesn't necessarily mean you would get a job - this should be a standard disclaimer for any qualification that you do. Having a qualification doesn't mean you deserve or are entitled to a job - never forget this.

If you go on websites that offer you job profiles such as National Careers Service, Prospects, and Career Pilot, they would usually specify the following won't require you to have anything above A Level in order to do the jobs in the following sectors (i.e. getting a degree is redudant if you only intend to get a job from it in the industry):

Administration

Government services

Social work

Some areas of healthcare

Most areas of business (HR, marketing, accounting, sales)

IT roles

Some areas of construction

Most areas of property

Most areas of beauty and wellbeing

Creative/design and media (if you're good)

Theatre and film (if you're good)

Music (if you're good)

Anything related to writing (if you're good)

Storage

Logisitics

Armed forces and police force (if you pass certain tests, have a clean record, and are of a certain age range)

Some environmental services

Hospitality

Manufacturing

Management (if you have the relevant experience)

Retail

Care work

Travel and tourism

Charity

Entertainment (if you're good)

Translation (if you are fluent in more than one language)



If you decide to go back to college (adult college), then you can do courses that are relevant to the following:

Animal care (other than vet)

Some areas of construction and certain trades

Some areas of beauty and wellbeing

Some areas of engineering


You can go into the following areas with specific professional qualifications (irrespective of what previous qualifications you have):

Accounting

Actuary (if you have a math background e.g. A Level Maths)

Law (CILEx - only if you intend to be a solicitor, otherwise you would have to become a solicitor before transferring over to become a barrister through various tests)

Most areas of finance

Delivery and transport (licences)

Sports coaching



I didn't choose bussiness in my gcse so can I still do it as A level, if yes Am I going to be behind or they are going to teach everything again in sixth form, what they taught in busines gcse?
They would teach the A Level from the ground up, since it's not a requirement to have the GCSE prior to doing the A Level (no A Level exam board requires this for any subject, but it should be standard policy for any sixth form that you don't).
As I didn't do GCSE business when I did my A Level, I can say it took me a bit longer to match the grades of the other students in the class but it's doable if you put in the extra hours.

my first option is maths and second is business studies but I am not sure about third one so can anyone please tell which subject to pick as third one from the list where I have put in brackets.
Personally I would go with biology, chemistry, and maths, because you can then go do a degree that accepts any subjects (including law and business) as well as those that require specific A Levels e.g. life science/healthcare, anything quantitiative (except for most of engineering and physics), anything that requires any 2 sciences.
If you are certain that you want to do maths and business irrespective (because you really like the subjects and get high grades in them for example), then I would either pick biology or chemistry. Law and ICT are not required subjects, and law has a bad rep from students who did it for A Level.
Of course, if you don't intend to go into a quantitative degree or life sciences, then it matters little which subjects you pick i.e. in which case, pick the ones you enjoy the most and can get the highest grades in (presuming you don't intend to go into degrees/unis where they have a strict preference over which subjects you picked). As you have not stated the sort of careers you want to do (would have been really helpful) or what sort of subjects you really like doing (even more helpful), I'm really working with a blank slate.

Next time, if you can be a lot more specific, I can give you a significantly more concise and relevant answer instead of writing long winded theses.

Thank You so much for your response it was really helpful. I just saw your reply.
I was sure for doing for Maths and Business as an A level and I am now thinking of doing third option as health and social care. Can you pls tell me if these subject options are good and which degrees can I get in uni by choosing maths, business and health and social care and which jobs can I do?
If you are certain that you want to do maths and business irrespective (because you really like the subjects and get high grades inthem for example), then I would either pick biology or chemistry. Law and ICT are not required subjects, and law has a bad rep from students who did it for A Level.
I was thinking of picking either biology or chemistry but someone told me that if you choose one of the science then you will not be able to do any medical related degree and it is not beneficial as if you do 2 of the science then in uni you study all of three science then after one year of uni you have to choose one subject from 3 of the science but you should not choose only one science subject as an A level so they suggested me to pick health and social care.
I am willing to do further maths as fourth option but I am not sure as I am not much smarter, I am average student. Pls tell me if I should do fourth option or not because it must be hard.
Original post by Harman Kaur
Thank You so much for your response it was really helpful. I just saw your reply.
I was sure for doing for Maths and Business as an A level and I am now thinking of doing third option as health and social care. Can you pls tell me if these subject options are good and which degrees can I get in uni by choosing maths, business and health and social care and which jobs can I do?
If you are certain that you want to do maths and business irrespective (because you really like the subjects and get high grades inthem for example), then I would either pick biology or chemistry. Law and ICT are not required subjects, and law has a bad rep from students who did it for A Level.
I was thinking of picking either biology or chemistry but someone told me that if you choose one of the science then you will not be able to do any medical related degree and it is not beneficial as if you do 2 of the science then in uni you study all of three science then after one year of uni you have to choose one subject from 3 of the science but you should not choose only one science subject as an A level so they suggested me to pick health and social care.
I am willing to do further maths as fourth option but I am not sure as I am not much smarter, I am average student. Pls tell me if I should do fourth option or not because it must be hard.

Can you pls tell me if these subject options are good and which degrees can I get in uni by choosing maths, business and health and social care and which jobs can I do?
I am not going to go through the same answer as I did above. Once per thread is more than enough.

Health and Social Care is not a required subject, so if you didn't pick biology/chem, then all the life science, anything requiring 2 sciences, and engineering options would be removed. You would be eligible for degrees that require A Level Maths or subjects that accept 3 A Levels in any subjects.
If you want specific options, use the following website like I have provided previously: https://www.theuniguide.co.uk/a-level-explorer
Do note, Health and Social Care is not considered an academic subject so I don't know how you would fare if you submit an application to top end unis for competitive courses.

Career options are pretty much the same with the exception of most degrees in life sciences and healthcare.

I was thinking of picking either biology or chemistry but someone told me that if you choose one of the science then you will not be able to do any medical related degree and it is not beneficial as if you do 2 of the science then in uni you study all of three science then after one year of uni you have to choose one subject from 3 of the science but you should not choose only one science subject as an A level so they suggested me to pick health and social care.
I'm having a bit of problem understanding this paragraph.

I wouldn't say that you couldn't do a degree in medicine, but yout options would be severely limited since a number of unis would be asking for both chemistry and biology. If you only did Chemistry (because Chemistry allows you to apply to more degrees in medicine than Biology) from the 2 then you would still be eligible for 19 degree courses in medicine. If you did Biology along with Maths, you're open to 16 degrees in medicine. See: https://www.themedicportal.com/application-guide/choosing-a-medical-school/what-a-levels-do-you-need-to-be-a-doctor/

You lost me at "it is not beneficial as if you do 2 of the science then in uni you study all of three science then after one year of uni you have to choose one subject from 3 of the science". Can you clarify what you meant?

Health and Social Care is not a required subject and doesn't help with applying for any science related subjects, so I don't know why they recommended it to you.

I am willing to do further maths as fourth option but I am not sure as I am not much smarter, I am average student. Pls tell me if I should do fourth option or not because it must be hard.
FM is a recommended subject if you intend to go into a top end uni for quantitative subjects e.g. finance, economics, maths. If you are applying for degrees that area looking for well rounded candidates, FM + Maths combo is considered a single subject e.g. you would have problems getting onto some degrees for law and possibly business management.

FM builds on what was already taught in Maths i.e. it's like Maths 2.0. It's going to get a bit more difficult and people tend to say it's more difficult than Maths. Having said that, a lot of people also say FM is just more Maths. I am not sure what to make of it, but I am currently studying the subject myself.

When studying maths subjects, I think it's down more to the approach as opposed to whether something is difficult or not. If you have the right approach, it's doable. If you have the wrong approach, it would be significantly more difficult.
I have read stories of "average maths students" scoring Field Medals just through years of persistance and hard work (with a lot of thinking). It's not impossible to get through challenging maths, but it would need a careful approach.

If you think you can handle the workload of 4 A Levels and you're willing to work through the sticking points, then it's a subject that I can recommend.

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