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Private candidate confusion regarding AS reforms...?

So I'm applying to do my exams (AS and A2, for further maths and maths) in 2018 summer and I'm wondering if I have to sit AS levels for physics (which has reformed I think). If they don't count I really don't want to be paying for the AS modules in 2018. Thanks! (I have asked around Unis but yeah, they're slow :P)

(edited 6 years ago)

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Reply 1

S2M

Original post by august11

@Reality Check has pretty much covered everything. :smile:

Reply 2

august11

Original post by Reality Check

You don't have to sit the AS if you don't want to - it no longer has units that count towards the full A level qualification: you sit the exams for this after the end of 2 years.

Yeah but will I still have to do the six units for my a level Physics qual or just the ones considered a level (3 units)? Sorry, really confused. I'm not going through a college so I'm not talking about sitting the a-level separately or anything.

Thank you :smile:

Reply 3

august11

Original post by S2M

@Reality Check has pretty much covered everything. :smile:

Yeah, except I'm an idiot that complicates everything :P

Reply 4

august11

Original post by Reality Check

OK - the full A level qualification now has three two-hour examination papers taken at the end of the second year of study. There are no 'units' which count towards the qualification any longer - it isn't 'unitised' now. So if what you want to do is the full A level, AS has no bearing - the system has entirely changed.

So, no units to take. No AS exams to take in the first year. Just three, two-hour papers at the end of the second year, covering the entire course.

Okay, awesome. This saves me a lot of bother and money I think XD. Thanks a lot for explaining.

Reply 5

S2M

Original post by august11

Yeah, except I'm an idiot that complicates everything :P

Basically, AS exams you can do them at the end of Y12 if you want. If you don't want to do AS exams then you can sit them with A2 because AS doesn't go towards A2 anymore, it's a standalone qualification.

Reply 6

S2M

Original post by Reality Check

Say as in A-Level Maths has 5 exams for the new one I think. Are you saying you don't have to do the two you can only take 3 for A2?

Reply 7

S2M

Original post by Reality Check

Which board is this that has five examinations for the full A level?

I think I have it wrong, I thought it was Edexcel. I checked the specification on AS and it has Paper 1 and Paper 2. I then checked A-Level and that has Paper 1 and 2 then Paper 3. What is this, don't really get it.

Reply 8

august11

Original post by S2M

Yeah, I don't want to do AS at all. I don't think the Maths and Further Maths have the AS rule Physics and the reformed ones do yet for 2018, which sucks? But is there 5 in the maths for 2018? :O I'm doing maths with Edexcel, Physics with Aqa :smile:

(edited 6 years ago)

Reply 9

S2M

Original post by august11

Yeah, I don't want to do AS at all. I don't think the Maths and Further Maths have the AS rule Physics and the reformed ones do yet for 2018, which sucks? But is there 5 in the maths for 2018? :O

I checked the specification for maths and in total it does have 5. 2 for AS and 3 for A2 but I'm not sure what it means.

Reply 10

S2M

Original post by august11

Have you found a private exam centre?

Reply 11

august11

Original post by S2M

Have you found a private exam centre?

I'm still rooting around for schools and sixth forms. Do you know any?! I'm in the northwest. I found some really reasonable prices (the ones near me are like 75 a unit or more lol) but they're like 3 hours away by train. And doing 10+ exams I won't be able to swing that haha. I did find a school that's near and is 300 an alevel, so that's good.

Reply 12

S2M

Original post by Reality Check

Yes, I think you've got this a bit muddled :smile:

The full A level specification is 3 two-hour papers. The AS is 2 two-hour papers. They are separate qualifications, and the examinations are similarly separate. There's no 'adding' the AS exams to the A level ones - that's the way it used to work.

Oh ok! So can you do AS and A2 separately? If A2 is 3 papers, then why do they even have AS?

Reply 13

S2M

Original post by august11

Sorry, I don't know much and there aren't any where I live. The one that offers 300 for an a-Level, is it 300 for any A-Level? For Science will that mean the whole A-Level including practicals?

Reply 14

august11

Original post by S2M

Sorry, I don't know much and there aren't any where I live. The one that offers 300 for an a-Level, is it 300 for any A-Level? For Science will that mean the whole A-Level including practicals?

No I wish haha! The unis I want don't need me to do practicals if I haven't been registered for them :biggrin:

The practicals are around 1k for 12 of them, and I'd never pay that, so extortionate :P.

Reply 15

S2M

Original post by august11

No I wish haha! The unis I want don't need me to do practicals if I haven't been registered for them :biggrin:

The practicals are around 1k for 12 of them, and I'd never pay that, so extortionate :P.

Yeah true. Many universities still want a pass in science practicals. What university do you want to go to? Apparently for practicals for each science it costs £950! :colonhash:

Reply 16

august11

Original post by S2M

Yeah true. Many universities still want a pass in science practicals. What university do you want to go to? Apparently for practicals for each science it costs £950! :colonhash:

Exeter, Surrey or Swansea, but I'll probably get in a safe uni (doubting myself haha). But from memory I think 2 of them don't want practicals (Surrey don't for sure) because I haven't been put down for any so I don't need a pass endorsement :smile:

Yeah it's around that, if you get get around it like I have you really shouldn't bother yourself with them, they don't even count to your grade ;/. Just email around :smile:

Reply 17

S2M

Original post by august11

Yeah it's around that, if you get get around it like I have you really shouldn't bother yourself with them, they don't even count to your grade ;/. Just email around :smile:

True. What course is this for?

Reply 18

august11

Original post by S2M

True. What course is this for?

Mechanical Engineering. I know there are better unis for this, but they'll probably be more competitive lol. Btw, checked my emails and Exeter do, although their email was vague lol.

I can confirm that we accept all nature of completed A Levels, with the exception of General Studies, therefore it does not matter the composite of the actual A Level, providing that you complete three full A Levels including the sunbject requirements, in this case a B in both Maths and another Science.