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Can A levels make up for poor GCSEs?

jw ?? 1234
(edited 7 years ago)

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Original post by KrisD98
In my GCSEs I received BBCCCC,would 4As levels at grade AAAA and 3A* at A Level make up for it??


Definitely, almost all uni courses wont even look at your GCSEs and no employer will care about your GCSEs if you have A-Levels.
While University do look at GCSE's to see what kind of potential you have, AS grades and A Level predictions are definitely more important. You're going to have to get stuck in early if you want to earn them though!
Original post by KrisD98
In my GCSEs I received BBCCCC,would 4As levels at grade AAAA and 3A* at A Level make up for it??


Generally, yes. :smile:

The only exceptions are when applying for uni courses with specific GCSE subject grade requirements (e.g. it needs B in GCSE english and maths). Or if you are applying to Oxbridge/medicine/dentistry/vetmed and some other competitive courses.
Reply 4
Original post by Laurasaur
Generally, yes. :smile:

The only exceptions are when applying for uni courses with specific GCSE subject grade requirements (e.g. it needs B in GCSE english and maths). Or if you are applying to Oxbridge/medicine/dentistry/vetmed and some other competitive courses.
haha I'm definitely not going for medicine.Yeah that's the only thing I'm worried about, a uni asking for a B in maths or English, I just really want to get into a top 20 uni
Oxbridge look at how many A*s you have at GCSE. (atleast for medicine)
Original post by KrisD98
haha I'm definitely not going for medicine.Yeah that's the only thing I'm worried about, a uni asking for a B in maths or English, I just really want to get into a top 20 uni


Don't apply if you don't meet the entry requirements: you can usually find these on the course detail page. What are you applying for?

Top 20 unis will probably be harder to get into due to the high standard of competition, but don't let that deter you if you ace your A levels! GO FOR IT!!! :smile:
Reply 7
Original post by Laurasaur
Don't apply if you don't meet the entry requirements: you can usually find these on the course detail page. What are you applying for?

Top 20 unis will probably be harder to get into due to the high standacompetition, but don't let that deter you if you ace your A levels! GO FOR IT!!! :smile:

Either history or law, they don't have any gcse requirments and a level requirement are like AAB so A* A A should cut it I think
Original post by KrisD98
In my GCSEs I received BBCCCC,would 4As levels at grade AAAA and 3A* at A Level make up for it??


Yeah GCSE's really don't matter unless you are applying to Cambridge, Oxford, LSE or UCL. As long as you have good grades in good subjects at A level you will be fine.
Reply 9
Original post by BinaryJava
Yeah GCSE's really don't matter unless you are applying to Cambridge, Oxford, LSE or UCL. As long as you have good grades in good subjects at A level you will be fine.

Are psychology, history, business and sociology good subjects?
Original post by Starvation13
Oxbridge look at how many A*s you have at GCSE. (atleast for medicine)


Oxford does that. Cambridge cares more about AS results and, while they look at GCSEs, their requirements are pretty low (Cs in English, maths and science). Most successful candidates have quite a few A*s but that's probably because most people who go to Cambridge have a good academic track record rather than because it's a requirement of any kind.
Original post by KrisD98
In my GCSEs I received BBCCCC,would 4As levels at grade AAAA and 3A* at A Level make up for it??


Of course but if you struggled at GCSE you probably won't be able to achieve an A or above at A level. A levels are a completely different ballpark.
Reply 12
Original post by bobbybob12
Of course but if you struggled at GCSE you probably won't be able to achieve an A or above at A level. A levels are a completely different ballpark.

I didn't struggle at all, I just had different things going on
Original post by KrisD98
Are psychology, history, business and sociology good subjects?


I would personally consider History a good subject but the others I am not too sure about. They are better subjects than travel and tourism and media but I think you would a hard time trying to get into unis like Warwick and Bath.
Reply 14
When applying for jobs very few have asked for GCSE grades so I would say it does not matter. Have you achieved these A level results already? If not this seems a very ambitious step up from GCSE.
Original post by bobbybob12
Of course but if you struggled at GCSE you probably won't be able to achieve an A or above at A level. A levels are a completely different ballpark.


Wrong... If you put in the effort there's no reason why you can't do it.
Reply 16
Original post by BinaryJava
I would personally consider History a good subject but the others I am not too sure about. They are better subjects than travel and tourism and media but I think you would a hard time trying to get into unis like Warwick and Bath.

Ah okay, I'm thinking of self teaching myself AS level maths and hopefully I do well on that
Original post by KrisD98
Ah okay, I'm thinking of self teaching myself AS level maths and hopefully I do well on that


C1 should be easy enough to self teach and C2 is a little harder but S1 I found really hard all year so I would focus more time onto that module if possible since I only got a B in that.
Reply 18
Original post by BinaryJava
C1 should be easy enough to self teach and C2 is a little harder but S1 I found really hard all year so I would focus more time onto that module if possible since I only got a B in that.

Do you take all 3 exams in the summer or are they spread out?? Because if the first one is in January then I probably won't be able to apply?
Original post by KrisD98
Do you take all 3 exams in the summer or are they spread out?? Because if the first one is in January then I probably won't be able to apply?


You do them all at once since they have abolished January exams.

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