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Should I take Maths AS-Level at 14?

Hi all,

I am 14 years old and currently studying my GCSE subjects including Maths. However, I am able to lots of the units in the Maths AS-Level book and feel that I could be successful if I did an AS exam. However, because of the recent changes in GCSE, I am unable to take my Maths GCSE early meaning that it could be the situation, if I take the exam, that I have A-Level Maths before GCSE level Maths. Should I do AS-Level Maths knowing I will have to do it outside of school as there isn't time within my curriculum? I really enjoy Maths and would like to hear your feedback.

Thanks.
(edited 8 years ago)

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What do you mean by "Maths AS-Level book"? If you're talking about C1, there's not much new content in there. It's good that you're driven, but do check out C2 and whatever other applied module you might take
Original post by Maths465Man
Hi all,

I am 14 years old and currently studying my GCSE subjects including Maths. However, I am able to lots of the units in the Maths AS-Level book and feel that I could be successful if I did an AS exam. However, because of the recent changes in GCSE, I am unable to take my Maths GCSE early meaning that it could be the situation, if I take the exam, that I have A-Level Maths before GCSE level Maths. Should I do AS-Level Maths knowing I will have to do it outside of school as there isn't time within my curriculum? I really enjoy Maths and would like to hear your feedback.

Thanks.


First make sure you understand gcse maths ~ there's no point in getting more advanced if you don't get the basics. When you feel grounded in gcse stuff, do lots of past papers. You should consistently be getting very high marks before considering a level.

If you think you can get it~ do it! But always prioritise your schoolwork (even like RE) and keep your expectations reasonable

Wish you the best of luck!!
Original post by Maths465Man
Hi all,

I am 14 years old and currently studying my GCSE subjects including Maths. However, I am able to lots of the units in the Maths AS-Level book and feel that I could be successful if I did an AS exam. However, because of the recent changes in GCSE, I am unable to take my Maths GCSE early meaning that it could be the situation, if I take the exam, that I have A-Level Maths before GCSE level Maths. Should I do AS-Level Maths knowing I will have to do it outside of school as there isn't time within my curriculum? I really enjoy Maths and would like to hear your feedback.

Thanks.


No don't jeopardise your GCSE grades - there is NO advantage in taking exams early and unis don't like it.
Reply 4
Original post by Maths465Man
Hi all,

I am 14 years old and currently studying my GCSE subjects including Maths. However, I am able to lots of the units in the Maths AS-Level book and feel that I could be successful if I did an AS exam. However, because of the recent changes in GCSE, I am unable to take my Maths GCSE early meaning that it could be the situation, if I take the exam, that I have A-Level Maths before GCSE level Maths. Should I do AS-Level Maths knowing I will have to do it outside of school as there isn't time within my curriculum? I really enjoy Maths and would like to hear your feedback.

Thanks.


I think you might be a little dilusioned about the fact that there are some GCSE topics in A-level maths. Just because there are GCSE topics (like simultaneous equations, indices and inequalities to name a few) doesn't mean it's the same difficulty. Most of it is building on from the GCSE type questions and are generally much more complex.

If your teachers thought you were at the ability you say you are - you would've done your GCSE exam already or be doing it at the end of this year, it's irrelevant that exams are linear. Just because they are linear, all it means is that you can only do it in June.

I really don't mean for this to sound horrible!
Original post by Maths465Man
Hi all,

I really enjoy Maths and would like to hear your feedback.

Thanks.


The general advice is don't take exams early, called acceleration. Part of the reason is what do you do later on when your contemporaries are doing AS Maths? If you find your GCSE Maths too easy, seek out problems , e.g. UKMT, which are harder, but require no more knowledge. This is called enrichment, and will set you up better in the long run.
Original post by ian.slater
The general advice is don't take exams early, called acceleration. Part of the reason is what do you do later on when your contemporaries are doing AS Maths? If you find your GCSE Maths too easy, seek out problems , e.g. UKMT, which are harder, but require no more knowledge. This is called enrichment, and will set you up better in the long run.


Thanks for the great advice. I think that this is what I shall do.
Reply 7
Frankly, can you do Further Pure 3 Integration? I think not. FRANKLY
Original post by Messi555
Frankly, can you do Further Pure 3 Integration? I think not. FRANKLY

The relevance of that comment was what..?
Reply 9
Original post by Student403
The relevance of that comment was what..?


The relevance is preparing for the core 4 integration. Thanks pls.
Original post by Messi555
The relevance is preparing for the core 4 integration. Thanks pls.

This guy's taking about AS maths. He'll have plenty of prep for when he does C4 int
its not for me to say, you need to ask your teacher if there is a possibility of you trying a mock paper just to see how you get on. And then if you feel comfortable with that then talk to them about wanting to do AS early
Original post by Maths465Man
Hi all,

I am 14 years old and currently studying my GCSE subjects including Maths. However, I am able to lots of the units in the Maths AS-Level book and feel that I could be successful if I did an AS exam. However, because of the recent changes in GCSE, I am unable to take my Maths GCSE early meaning that it could be the situation, if I take the exam, that I have A-Level Maths before GCSE level Maths. Should I do AS-Level Maths knowing I will have to do it outside of school as there isn't time within my curriculum? I really enjoy Maths and would like to hear your feedback.

Thanks.


Just because there's some GCSE topics in C1 doesn't mean you'll be able to do it just like that haha
Have a look at our lovely 2015 C1 and C2 papers and u shall see

(Also you have to do 3 exams not just one, it's C1, C2 and then an applied module)
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by Student403
This guy's taking about AS maths. He'll have plenty of prep for when he does C4 int


Thank you, very sorry for the irrelevancy of CORE 4 INTEGRATION. It is with great regret that I inadvertently made a vacuous remark, alas my behaviour may be perceived as idiosyncratic. Frankly, I am a Down Quark.
Original post by Messi555
Thank you, very sorry for the irrelevancy of CORE 4 INTEGRATION. It is with great regret that I inadvertently made a vacuous remark, alas my behaviour may be perceived as idiosyncratic. Frankly, I am a Down Quark.


Reply 15
Original post by Messi555
Frankly, I am a Down Quark.


On some level we are all just lonely down quarks.

:sheep:
Original post by ombtom
On some level we are all just lonely down quarks.

:sheep:


Frankly, I concur with your assertion.
Original post by Messi555
Thank you, very sorry for the irrelevancy of CORE 4 INTEGRATION. It is with great regret that I inadvertently made a vacuous remark, alas my behaviour may be perceived as idiosyncratic. Frankly, I am a Down Quark.


Lmao
Original post by RonnieRJ
Just because there's some GCSE topics in C1 doesn't mean you'll be able to do it just like that haha
Have a look at our lovely 2015 C1 and C2 papers and u shall see

(Also you have to do 3 exams not just one, it's C1, C2 and then an applied module)

In my opinion people really overrated the difficulty of the C1 and C2 paper. I think the problem was people revise too much from past papers. They don't learn the fundamental concepts so in depth, which is what the curriculum wants us to do.
Original post by Student403
In my opinion people really overrated the difficulty of the C1 and C2 paper. I think the problem was people revise too much from past papers. They don't learn the fundamental concepts so in depth, which is what the curriculum wants us to do.


Trust me I found C1 and C2 quite easy compared to whatever else I did in my A levels. Those two were my highest UMS (excluding practicals in sciences). And I didnt revise from past papers at all as I generally don't.
I just don't see how someone who's not even doing GCSE maths yet wants to do AS maths. It'd be OK to just take on maths AS in year 11 if they're that good but otherwise I don't see the point, there are three whole units worth of work there

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