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PPE without a Maths A Level
I imagine that my question is quite a common one: how difficult is it to gain entry to a PPE course at a top university without a Maths A Level?
I’m quite competent in Maths, having sat my GCSE a year early in Year 10 (achieving an A* grade) and covered the C1 and C2 modules on the WJEC exam board during Year 11. However, as I sat no examinations and, indeed, didn’t cover enough modules for the full AS Level, I have no proof of this.
Should I not worry too much about this or would it be worthwhile trying to sit the AS Level in Year 13, having mainly to revise two modules and cover a third? Would it be worth just reviewing the work and not sitting the exam? I plan on taking my four AS Levels to A2 so I am wary about biting off more than I can chew and jeopardising my success in other areas.
I’m not entirely sure what to do!
I’m going to Eton College’s Universities Summer School to do Politics and Economics in the summer, which I hope will help my application a bit! I definitely want to study Politics and the breadth of PPE definitely appeals to me; I’m especially keen on the idea of studying the economics of developing countries.
I’m sorry if this question has been asked a million timesb efore!
All and any advice would be much appreciated!
I’m quite competent in Maths, having sat my GCSE a year early in Year 10 (achieving an A* grade) and covered the C1 and C2 modules on the WJEC exam board during Year 11. However, as I sat no examinations and, indeed, didn’t cover enough modules for the full AS Level, I have no proof of this.
Should I not worry too much about this or would it be worthwhile trying to sit the AS Level in Year 13, having mainly to revise two modules and cover a third? Would it be worth just reviewing the work and not sitting the exam? I plan on taking my four AS Levels to A2 so I am wary about biting off more than I can chew and jeopardising my success in other areas.
I’m not entirely sure what to do!
I’m going to Eton College’s Universities Summer School to do Politics and Economics in the summer, which I hope will help my application a bit! I definitely want to study Politics and the breadth of PPE definitely appeals to me; I’m especially keen on the idea of studying the economics of developing countries.
I’m sorry if this question has been asked a million timesb efore!
All and any advice would be much appreciated!
Reply 1
Well, there are some things that you might want to cinsider. First of all it depends which elite schools you are thinking of applying to!? Oxbridge or Warwick, Bath, York, Birmingham, St. Adrews etc?
So if they require that you have had maths A level for the PPE course, than chances are that you will not get in if you havent taken math A. On the other side if it is not specifically stated that you need math at A lev. you should be in a simmilar boat as the rest. The thing that you surely know is that elite UK unis want to see the hardest curriculums in their potential students. And math, unfortunately, is considered one of the hardest at A level. Extracirricular activites are also very important. So yes you do have a chance to get in if you have really good grades (AAAAAB) most likely even if without maths at A.
Hope this helps!
/9mm
So if they require that you have had maths A level for the PPE course, than chances are that you will not get in if you havent taken math A. On the other side if it is not specifically stated that you need math at A lev. you should be in a simmilar boat as the rest. The thing that you surely know is that elite UK unis want to see the hardest curriculums in their potential students. And math, unfortunately, is considered one of the hardest at A level. Extracirricular activites are also very important. So yes you do have a chance to get in if you have really good grades (AAAAAB) most likely even if without maths at A.
Hope this helps!
/9mm
If you covered the AS material in year 11 having got an A* in year 10, why on earth didn't you do AS maths!?!?!
Not that I suppose that matters now. People successfully get into Oxford w/o maths. I was told, however, that people rarely if ever continue with economics beyond the first year unless they have at maths at a-level.
This maybe because they can't cope with the maths on the course without the knowledge from the a-level, knowledge you have (at least to as level), so maybe it wouldn't hinder you once you get there. You need to communicate this on your UCAS form somehow though...
Not that I suppose that matters now. People successfully get into Oxford w/o maths. I was told, however, that people rarely if ever continue with economics beyond the first year unless they have at maths at a-level.
This maybe because they can't cope with the maths on the course without the knowledge from the a-level, knowledge you have (at least to as level), so maybe it wouldn't hinder you once you get there. You need to communicate this on your UCAS form somehow though...
Reply 4
tom391
If you covered the AS material in year 11 having got an A* in year 10, why on earth didn't you do AS maths!?!?!
Not that I suppose that matters now. People successfully get into Oxford w/o maths. I was told, however, that people rarely if ever continue with economics beyond the first year unless they have at maths at a-level.
This maybe because they can't cope with the maths on the course without the knowledge from the a-level, knowledge you have (at least to as level), so maybe it wouldn't hinder you once you get there. You need to communicate this on your UCAS form somehow though...
Not that I suppose that matters now. People successfully get into Oxford w/o maths. I was told, however, that people rarely if ever continue with economics beyond the first year unless they have at maths at a-level.
This maybe because they can't cope with the maths on the course without the knowledge from the a-level, knowledge you have (at least to as level), so maybe it wouldn't hinder you once you get there. You need to communicate this on your UCAS form somehow though...
That's not been my experience. 3 close friends do PPE (3rd year), all without maths A-level, 2 of them still do economics (and have no problem with the maths, I might add....) You'll be fine!
Oh right, well that's just what I heard from an economics tutor at the open day, and I believe Drogue on here has said is the case at his college too. I guess it is different college/college, as so many other things are at Oxford!
That said, if you can do maths, it makes life easier for you, as there are maths questions you can do instead of essays in some of the exams (I believe) that will considerably lighten the workload.
That said, if you can do maths, it makes life easier for you, as there are maths questions you can do instead of essays in some of the exams (I believe) that will considerably lighten the workload.
Reply 6
tom391
Oh right, well that's just what I heard from an economics tutor at the open day, and I believe Drogue on here has said is the case at his college too. I guess it is different college/college, as so many other things are at Oxford!
That said, if you can do maths, it makes life easier for you, as there are maths questions you can do instead of essays in some of the exams (I believe) that will considerably lighten the workload.
That said, if you can do maths, it makes life easier for you, as there are maths questions you can do instead of essays in some of the exams (I believe) that will considerably lighten the workload.
It probably would make it a bit easier, yes. But the people who've not done A-level maths have separate maths classes, my friend nicknamed them her remedial classes! Ironically, a guy who did maths and f. maths in my year said the compulsory maths question on economics prelims was harder than the optional ones! doh!
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