A levels subjects

I am a year 11, I want to aim for Oxford or Cambridge and I want to take engineering. I want to take maths, further maths and physics. Is it a fair decision to take chemistry as my third? Or would it be too difficult and overwhelming? Thanks for your time and help.

Hi @SmileyCatty,

Maths and Further Maths are two qualifications on their own, so I assume you meant taking chemistry as your fourth subject?

Nonetheless, many people would tell you that four A-Levels is a lot to bare and oftentimes most candidates drop their fourth subject after AS level due to the substantial workload. You could start off with the four subjects, and drop it if it gets too overwhelming. Obviously, each individual is unique in their own way as some do manage to juggle all four A-Levels- it really does just depend on the individual.

But according to what I've read online, Oxbridge also take into account and really value how much of a well-rounded individual you are. How you are as a person beyond your grades and studies. Perhaps you could consider sticking to three, and think about how you could pick up extra opportunities outside of college to polish up your CV. Competitions, volunteering etc... could also be great prompts for you to include in your personal statement for when the time comes for university applications. Doing extra outside of the classroom also demonstrates to Oxbridge your passion for the subject.

I think it's important to keep in mind that most Oxbridge applicants are already scoring the top grades, so it's valuable to think about how you can differentiate yourself from the other candidates by showing your depth of knowledge in other ways.

Hope this helps,
Danish
BCU Student Rep

Honestly, chemistry is a lot of work and most of my friends keep saying how compsci is a breeze but don't take my word on that. However, basically all successful engineering applicants to top colleges are doing 4 with Phys,Math,FM and either chem/compsci so don't worry too much

I am a year 11, I want to aim for Oxford or Cambridge and I want to take engineering. I want to take maths, further maths and physics. Is it a fair decision to take chemistry as my third? Or would it be too difficult and overwhelming? Thanks for your time and help.

I am a year 11, I want to aim for Oxford or Cambridge and I want to take engineering. I want to take maths, further maths and physics. Is it a fair decision to take chemistry as my third? Or would it be too difficult and overwhelming? Thanks for your time and help.