somebody please explain what is happening to as and alevels?

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oh right, because AS level is 1 year, and then A-level (totally separate) is 2 years?

Say your starting sixth form in 2015, you would select 3 A levels and 1 AS that you want to study. You will take the exam for the AS in 2016. You will take the 3 A levels in 2017. So the total time is 2 years in post 16 education.

Reply 41

Gorwell

Original post by 06shawm

Cheers! Feels such along time ago now though haha! :biggrin:

I studied Maths, Further Maths, Chemistry, Biology plus Gen studs. I'm studying medicine.

Yeah pretty much, past papers are the key to doing well at a level, count yourself lucky!! :eek:

Best of luck with your GCSE results! Not long to go now for those, what a levels are you going to be studying?? :biggrin:

Gosh taking Maths would kill me let alone Further M. :eek:

How did you survive?!

I'm just shocked they haven't done anything drastic for our year again- I assumed we were the 'testing' year but I guess that's wrong :tongue:

Thank you! Good luck with your degree (and the results for first year ofc!).
I've chosen: English Lit, History, Biology & Art (maybe RS). Did useless studies this year though, :wink:

I assume it was compulsory for you??

Reply 42

06shawm

Original post by mynameisntdoug

The current parliament dissolves in March 2015, so the next government could potentially scrap this before September 2015.

Yes that is a possibility. I can imagine the education reforms remaining though. :smile:

Reply 43

06shawm

Original post by Gorwell

Gosh taking Maths would kill me let alone Further M. :eek:

How did you survive?!

I'm just shocked they haven't done anything drastic for our year again- I assumed we were the 'testing' year but I guess that's wrong :tongue:

Thank you! Good luck with your degree (and the results for first year ofc!).
I've chosen: English Lit, History, Biology & Art (maybe RS). Did useless studies this year though, :wink:

I assume it was compulsory for you??

Maths wasn't too bad, I could only cope with further maths up to AS though. :tongue:

My year was the last year to have january exams. I could not imagine doing all my A2 units in the summer. That would be too much stress haha!

Thanks mate, appreciate it! Good a-level choices, my friend said a level art was one of the hardest a levels she ever took- it seems a really critical subject based on someones opinion ultimately, do you know what your exam board is for biology? I can recommend some useful websites if we had the same exam board :biggrin:

Haha yeah it was, I got a U in that pointless subject!! :wink:

Reply 44

Gorwell

Original post by 06shawm

Maths wasn't too bad, I could only cope with further maths up to AS though. :tongue:

Haha yeah it was, I got a U in that pointless subject!! :wink:

Fair enough! You got further (excuse the pun) than I could ever dream of, so well done you! :tongue:

She's probably right! GCSE was time consuming and you either had it or didn't, so I can imagine the AS is as bad (hence why I'm reconsidering :awesome:

).

I'm doing AQA :biggrin:

Thank you!! I assume you did quite well in the sciences considering you're a med student :eek:

Ahh well useless studies is useless so that U won't do any harm! :wink:

Reply 45

-=|Jay|=-

The old system of A levels caused me way more stress than my 1st class degree.

The new system is brutal.

I feel sorry for you 16 year olds.

Reply 46

06shawm

Original post by Gorwell

Fair enough! You got further (excuse the pun) than I could ever dream of, so well done you! :tongue:

She's probably right! GCSE was time consuming and you either had it or didn't, so I can imagine the AS is as bad (hence why I'm reconsidering :awesome:

).

I'm doing AQA :biggrin:

Thank you!! I assume you did quite well in the sciences considering you're a med student :eek:

Ahh well useless studies is useless so that U won't do any harm! :wink:

Haha cheers :tongue:

Lucky for you I did AQA aswell. I would say it is pretty good exam board for a level biology and the exams are quite fair. :biggrin:

These notes are really good http://www.heckgrammar.co.uk/index.php?p=10312

Past papers are pretty much the key to doing well in a level biology since the mark schemes are so specific. At first you'll feel there is tons of information to learn but once you have read over everything it will appear a lot easier than you initially thought. Thats what happened to me essentially.

These books are really good aswell. They do them for AS and A2 but heres the links for the AS ones:

http://www.collins.co.uk/product/9780007268177/Student+Support+Materials+for+AQA+-+AS+Biology+Unit+1%3a+Biology+and+Disease

http://www.collins.co.uk/product/9780007268184/Student+Support+Materials+for+AQA+-+AS+Biology+Unit+2%3a+The+Variety+of+Living+Organisms

Reply 47

Chloeeejess

This is the new AQA specification for Sociology from 2015 [h="2"]http://filestore.aqa.org.uk/resources/sociology/specifications/AQA-7191-7192-SP-2015-V1-0.PDF[/h]

Reply 48

us3481jd

Will somebody with AS's be able to enter University or will they have to have A-levels?

Reply 49

Dani04

Original post by 06shawm

Yes, so I imagine you will study 4 AS levels in year 12. Once you have completed these and have your grades. You will then have your predicted grades which you will apply to university with. Then in year 13 you will study a-levels. These are totally separate to AS levels. Therefore your grades at AS will have no effect on your A level grades. Your a-level grades will be solely determined by how you perform in your exams at the end of year 13.

Hey!

Would this mean you can't drop AS levels anymore!? :frown:

Reply 50

Dani04

Original post by Gorwell

I really do feel for the year below!

bawling

Reply 51

Dani04

Original post by mynameisntdoug

The current parliament dissolves in March 2015, so the next government could potentially scrap this before September 2015.

yikes I am on the floor begging this would be the case.. I been in the same situation GCSE's because the English Barraculate was brought out for a month then scrapped but I was forced to stay on the EB which totally messed up everything! :unimpressed:

Reply 52

06shawm

Original post by Dani04

Hey!

Would this mean you can't drop AS levels anymore!? :frown:

From what I've read so far, the AS and A level specifications will have quite similar content. So what you are studying in AS pretty much forms the first part of the A level even though they are separate qualifications. I know this sounds slightly confusing. The exam boards are saying that the specifications for AS and A level will complement each other to make life easier for teachers.

The two ways I can imagine it being done:

You start sixth form in 2015 and you preselect 3 A levels you want to study and 1 AS level.

You will take the exam for the AS in 2016.

During 2016 your teachers will work out your predicted grades for university. This is likely to be based on your performance in class and your GCSE grade since there will be no longer an AS result to base this on.

You will then take the A level exams in 2017.

You get your results and go to uni.

The other way it could work:

You start sixth form and preselect 4 AS levels you want to study.

You will take your AS exams in 2016 and have your grades.

These will then be used for your predicted grades.

During 2016 after you have taken your AS's you will then pick which 3 subjects you want to study at A level. Since the AS has content which complements the A level qualification this could be a viable option.

You will then take your A levels exams in 2017.

You get your results and go to uni.

As too which one sixth forms will use I do not have a clue. I hope this helps!

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 53

Dani04

Original post by 06shawm

It has helped thank you very much! I just felt myself die inside. I know I completely will fail these GCSE's and knowing they will use this to compare has made me feel a complete failure. Knowing they use SATs to give your target grade for GCSE's I thought this was bad enough..

Why do teachers need an easy life. A job is a job and don't complain to what you signed up for! :frown:

Reply 54

Compost

Original post by Dani04

Why do teachers need an easy life. A job is a job and don't complain to what you signed up for! :frown:

I don't think the purpose of the reforms was to make life easier for teachers. The reasons exam boards have made the content of the first year of A level and the AS similar are:

It makes sense - it's the next most obvious stuff to teach you after GCSE.

So that they can be taught to the same class (otherwise the class sizes of lots of less popular A levels and AS levels would make them too expensive to run)

So that students won't have to decide which subject they will drop until as late as possible - although this could still be the summer exam entry deadline in February is is still better than September of Year 12.

Reply 55

Dani04

Original post by Compost

I don't think the purpose of the reforms was to make life easier for teachers. The reasons exam boards have made the content of the first year of A level and the AS similar are:

It makes sense - it's the next most obvious stuff to teach you after GCSE.

So that they can be taught to the same class (otherwise the class sizes of lots of less popular A levels and AS levels would make them too expensive to run)

Shawn said the AS and A2 compliment each other which gives teachers an easier life? I'm confused! Two people are saying opposite things! :frown:

Reply 56

06shawm

Original post by us3481jd

Will somebody with AS's be able to enter University or will they have to have A-levels?

You have to have A levels to enter university. They will not accept AS's for entry.

Reply 57

newblood

I am all for a more rigorous exam system but it just sounds downright stupid to me if youre AS' dont count towards your final grade.

Reply 58

Compost

Original post by Dani04

Shawn said the AS and A2 compliment each other which gives teachers an easier life? I'm confused! Two people are saying opposite things! :frown:

I think he meant it in a general sense in that they were compatible for the first half of A level to be taught with AS - most 6th forms will not be viable if this is not true.

Reply 59

06shawm

Original post by Dani04

Shawn said the AS and A2 compliment each other which gives teachers an easier life? I'm confused! Two people are saying opposite things! :frown:

Original post by Compost

I think he meant it in a general sense in that they were compatible for the first half of A level to be taught with AS - most 6th forms will not be viable if this is not true.

Yeah that is pretty much what I meant. They need to complement each other because if they didn't it would require more resources to be able to teach two separate qualifications. Like compost was saying, it would not be viable system.