A-Levels- 3 or 4?

I am currently in year 11 and will be sitting my GCSEs in May and June (for which I'm targeted all A* and A other than a B for English Lit) and don't know whether it'd be better to take 3 or 4 A-Levels. I'm looking to do maths, physics, and then either chemistry or music, but if I get good enough results am considering doing all 4 instead of 3. Is doing 4 a good idea or is the workload overwhelming?

Reply 1

C_Yap

17

It is not overwhelming.

I think if you are certain of what course you want to do in the future and have researched, then do 3 a levels. There is 0 benefit in most cases of taking 4 as universities (if you plan to go) only make offers based on 3 a levels.

However if you want to leave yourself with more options then take 4.

Reply 2

AzureCeleste

20

I don't do A-levels so don't know much about the workload. I do highers, where the norm is to do 5 however I did 6. My attitude was that if I find it all becomes a bit much and my grades aren't great come the mocks/prelims then I just drop one of the subjects

Reply 3

Radioactivedecay

16

All Alevels are overwhelming if you dont enjoy them or put in enough effort. However, if you truly enjoy these fields and are willing to go the extra mile, then it is very do-able.

Reply 4

Fishy289

6

Unless u doing a really competitive course or aiming for oxbridge (or other really competitive Uni's like Imperial or UCL), just go for three. No point in doing four when many Uni's don't actually care about the fourth.

Reply 5

AzureCeleste

20

Original post by Fishy289

Unless u doing a really competitive course or aiming for oxbridge (or other really competitive Uni's like Imperial or UCL), just go for three. No point in doing four when many Uni's don't actually care about the fourth.

Oxbridge don't care about 4 a levels. All offers are only based off 3

Reply 6

Fishy289

6

Original post by AzureCeleste

Oxbridge don't care about 4 a levels. All offers are only based off 3

Can't say I agree. Applied to uni this year, know about 7 people with offers, all do 4. No one I know doing three got in

Reply 7

Radioactivedecay

16

Original post by Fishy289

Can't say I agree. Applied to uni this year, know about 7 people with offers, all do 4. No one I know doing three got in

Correlation is not causation.

Reply 8

Fishy289

6

Although these were all for science courses (medicine, natural sciences etc). Possibly different for the humanities

Reply 9

AzureCeleste

20

Original post by Fishy289

Can't say I agree. Applied to uni this year, know about 7 people with offers, all do 4. No one I know doing three got in

But their actual offer is purely based off 3.
The doing 4 a-levels affects nothing-I went to their open days and they said they really couldn't care. Only difference is those who do 4 tend to be smarter(as they have the ability) and hence are more likely to get in as they have the brains.

Reply 10

Heathco

3

Original post by Lewianter

I am currently in year 11 and will be sitting my GCSEs in May and June (for which I'm targeted all A* and A other than a B for English Lit) and don't know whether it'd be better to take 3 or 4 A-Levels. I'm looking to do maths, physics, and then either chemistry or music, but if I get good enough results am considering doing all 4 instead of 3. Is doing 4 a good idea or is the workload overwhelming?

It depends on your work ethic. if you are productive then 4 is definitely doable. If you have a problem procrastinating then i would advise only 3

Reply 11

Fishy289

6

True, offer normally based of three. But wouldn't take everything they say to be strictly true. For a course where the standard offer is A*A*A my friend was told that its very unlikely to get an offer with that as ur predicted. Exact words were "its good, but not competitive"

Reply 12

Chemusen

OP

18

Original post by C_Yap

It is not overwhelming.

I think if you are certain of what course you want to do in the future and have researched, then do 3 a levels. There is 0 benefit in most cases of taking 4 as universities (if you plan to go) only make offers based on 3 a levels.

However if you want to leave yourself with more options then take 4.

OK thanks. I've got an idea of what it is I want to do- teaching. Whether I'd be suited for that is another thing and that's pretty much the reason for doing 4.

A-Levels- 3 or 4?

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