A* at A level question thread

Discussion for A-Level students and for those choosing their A-Level subjects.

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  1. gdunne42's Avatar
    • Vengeful, Imperial Overlord of The Student Room
    • Location: Buckinghamshire
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    Re: A* in A-level Maths...
    (Original post by rnshan)
    I cannot find any table in Edexcel - which terms S1,m1,d1 as As modules.
    See the link provide by Michaelyus and the exact page number provided - look at the column titled level

    A* for FM requires 480/600 overall and 270/300 from best 3 A2 units (confirmed in another post that quotes an email from edexcel)
    Last edited by gdunne42; 04-09-2009 at 09:48.
  2. rnshan's Avatar
    • Peer Of The TSR Realm
    • Location: London Posts: 59,857
    Re: A* in A-level Maths...
    (Original post by gdunne42)
    See the link provide by Michaelyus and the exact page number provided - look at the column titled level

    A* for FM requires 480/600 overall and 270/300 from best 3 A2 units (confirmed in another post that quotes an email from edexcel)
    That is exactly my point. - that document clearly say for FM A level - Fp1 and FP2 and any modules as long as it is not c1,c2,c3,c4.
  3. gdunne42's Avatar
    • Vengeful, Imperial Overlord of The Student Room
    • Location: Buckinghamshire
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    Re: A* in A-level Maths...
    (Original post by rnshan)
    That is exactly my point. - that document clearly say for FM A level - Fp1 and FP2 and any modules as long as it is not c1,c2,c3,c4.
    Yes, as long as you do the required FP units FM can include any modules that are not already used for MATHS
    The TABLE tells you that FP1, D1, S1, M1 are AS level units .
    You cannot put together a combination for FM that does not include at least 3 A2 units (as you will have already used up at least one of M1, S1, D1 for Maths)
    FM A* requires 270/300 for the best 3 A2 units
    Last edited by gdunne42; 04-09-2009 at 10:27.
  4. rnshan's Avatar
    • Peer Of The TSR Realm
    • Location: London Posts: 59,857
    Re: A* in A-level Maths...
    (Original post by gdunne42)
    Yes, as long as you do the required FP units FM can include any modules that are not already used for MATHS
    The TABLE tells you that FP1, D1, S1, M1 are AS level units .
    You cannot put together a combination for FM that does not include at least 3 A2 units (as you will have already used up at least one of M1, S1, D1 for Maths)
    FM A* requires 270/300 for the best 3 A2 units

    :facepalm: Yes I found it - dumb me............ It is very clear now.
  5. amro105's Avatar
    • New Member
    • Posts: 12
    Information on the A* grade for the CIE exam board
    Hi, I'm a year 13 student studying A level Biology under the CIE exam board and i really wanted to know whether anyone knows if CIE will offer the A* grade to students who are doing the A2 level exam in june 2010. I completed my AS biology and i got an overall grade of A, and i know there's a whole page on this website about the A* grade, but it was not updated and therefore unreliable, as i heard from my biology teacher that the A* grade is no longer available for those taking the A2 exam in June 2010. I want to make sure of this, since i am applying to oxbridge and i dont want to have an A as my predicted grade when it should be an A*. Please can someone reply if they know anything, THIS COULD DETERMINE THE REST OF MY SORRY PATHETIC LIFE!!!
  6. amro105's Avatar
    • New Member
    • Posts: 12
    Re: Information on the A* grade for the CIE exam board
    Please Somebody Reply, Im Dying Here!!! I Need A Reply Nowwwwwwww!!!!!
  7. thetopnotch's Avatar
    • TSR Demigod
    • Posts: 7,343
    Re: Information on the A* grade for the CIE exam board
    (Original post by amro105)
    Hi, I'm a year 13 student studying A level Biology under the CIE exam board and i really wanted to know whether anyone knows if CIE will offer the A* grade to students who are doing the A2 level exam in june 2010. I completed my AS biology and i got an overall grade of A, and i know there's a whole page on this website about the A* grade, but it was not updated and therefore unreliable, as i heard from my biology teacher that the A* grade is no longer available for those taking the A2 exam in June 2010. I want to make sure of this, since i am applying to oxbridge and i dont want to have an A as my predicted grade when it should be an A*. Please can someone reply if they know anything, THIS COULD DETERMINE THE REST OF MY SORRY PATHETIC LIFE!!!
    I think the information here should be relevant: http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki...al_A-levels.3F
  8. amro105's Avatar
    • New Member
    • Posts: 12
    Re: Information on the A* grade for the CIE exam board
    no, tht has not been updated since last year and my teacher said CIE decided not to do the A star grade this year. I just want confirmation from ANYONE doing biology or another CIE subject whether or not there teachers sed they can achieve the A* grade in A-level this year (june 2010 examinations). please if anyone is doing CIE A2 levels THIS year please reply
  9. AnonyMatt's Avatar
    • Vengeful, Imperial Overlord of The Student Room
    • Location: Wales
    • Posts: 3,521
    Re: Information on the A* grade for the CIE exam board
    Your question is completely irrelevant, as many people on here, including myself, have been told by admissions tutors at both Oxford and Cambridge that all A* predictions will be regarded as A grade predications because:
    a) some schools just aren't predicting A*s
    b) some schools do not understand how it will work
    c) some believe that no one should be predicted them, as no one has sat an exam paper with the new style questions yet.

    Also, if you weren't so damn lazy, you could go on the CIE website yourself and check the specification.
  10. amro105's Avatar
    • New Member
    • Posts: 12
    Re: Information on the A* grade for the CIE exam board
    i have checked the specification, it says nothing, the CIE website is useless as well since it says nothing about the new grade, so dont assume im lazy. Also im not only applying to Cambridge, so i think it does matter and you have not answered the question. Is it available for CIE biology?
  11. ac_1991's Avatar
    • Junior Member
    • Posts: 30
    Re: A* and A levels (AS)
    yeah I know I cant get an A* at AS. But how does it work for A2 does it need to be an average of 90% across AS and A2 units or just the A" ones. and if it is just the A2 ones does it matter what you got at AS?>??



    ps the search on TSR is **** hence i couldnt find them. if anyone knows of a thread that is compiling a list of people apply cambridge for law let me know
  12. jink's Avatar
    • Respected Member
    Re: A* and A levels (AS)
    Technically, you can get a C at AS and get an A* overall. An A* is 80%+ in the entire A-level and 90%+ in the A2 modules (or in the case of Maths, only C3 and C4).
  13. rockingreviser's Avatar
    • Adored and Respected Member
    can you get A*s with a retake?
    Is it true that you cannot get an A* if you retake some modules? My teacher says you can only get one if you dont retake at all?
  14. goldsilvy's Avatar
    • Overlord in Training
    • Location: London
    Re: can you get A*s with a retake?
    Rubbish. You CAN get A* with retakes. I have asked the exam boards and all of them were positive about that.
  15. n_251's Avatar
    • Overlord in Training
    • Location: London
    • Posts: 2,374
    Re: can you get A*s with a retake?
    You can get an A* if you retake!
  16. rockingreviser's Avatar
    • Adored and Respected Member
    Re: can you get A*s with a retake?
    my teachers tell lies then haha oh well
  17. AnonyMatt's Avatar
    • Vengeful, Imperial Overlord of The Student Room
    • Location: Wales
    • Posts: 3,521
    Re: can you get A*s with a retake?
    Hooray! I'm not doomed! :ahee:
  18. Tefhel's Avatar
    • TSR Demigod
    • Location: England
    • Posts: 7,361
    Re: can you get A*s with a retake?
    Of course you can, it's not some special A* club that if you failed once you're tainted, it's just a grade boundary.
  19. thetopnotch's Avatar
    • TSR Demigod
    • Posts: 7,343
    Re: can you get A*s with a retake?
    (Original post by rockingreviser)
    Is it true that you cannot get an A* if you retake some modules? My teacher says you can only get one if you dont retake at all?
    Nope you can still get an A* if you retake. Edexcel specifically mention it here:http://www.edexcel.com/notices/Pages/a-star-grade.aspx
  20. Noble.'s Avatar
    • Vengeful, Imperial Overlord of The Student Room
    • Location: Oxford
    • Posts: 4,387
    Re: can you get A*s with a retake?
    Same at my college, it seems that the teachers are the last group of people to ask about things pertaining to their subject. Half of my teachers were under the impression that you couldn't achieve an A* if you retook.
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