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Advanced Extension Award- what do people think of it?

8

At the school where Im hopefully studying next year, the best students are expected to attempt these.

I was just curious to know what people think of them- their value, particularly in applying to oxbridge.

Would they be incredibly time consuming and cause a lot of extra stress, or would it be a good way of learning the subject in greater depth that is required for an A, thus making getting an A relatively easy?

Reply 1

kellywood_5

17

I think they look good on your application, especially if they're related to the subject you applied for, because they show dedication and a willingness to be stretched. It's possible you might get one included in an offer, but this is pretty rare. You don't need to do any extra work for them (although a few past papers wouldn't hurt) because they're based on the A-level syllabus, just harder.

Reply 2

leannemarie

11

I'm taking them in English, French and Spanish and I haven't done any extra work for them apart from a past paper for the two languages. I haven't even seen a past paper for English so it could be interesting! It's hard to tell how much Oxbridge value them becaues not all schools offer them so they can't really use them to judge between applicants but they can't do any harm and can be used as a bargaining tool if you miss your offer. There is a thread about AEAs somewhere below this one.

Reply 3

JohnStuartMill

8

Taking in History and Economics. History AEA is probably the only exam I am looking forward to as it should be challenging without requiring major amounts of pre-exam stress. Economics I am just going to fail in so less looking forward to.

They can't hurt your application as far as I can see so no real reason not to take them. Strictly speaking my school doesn't offer them, you have to go and speak to the examinations officer and request to take them. They don't actually tell students about them.

Reply 4

kellywood_5

17

JohnStuartMill

Strictly speaking my school doesn't offer them, you have to go and speak to the examinations officer and request to take them. They don't actually tell students about them.

This ties in with what Leanne said about Oxbridge not being allowed to use them too much because not all schools offer them, so it wouldn't be fair, but obviously if your new school does, you won't have a problem. I'm taking the French one and all I've done in terms of preparation is the specimen paper and 1 past paper.

Reply 5

ad absurdum

2

When are these exams taken? And can us Scots take them?

Reply 6

kellywood_5

17

ad absurdum

When are these exams taken? And can us Scots take them?

They're taken at the end of Year 13 and are usually the very last exams, after A2s. I'm not sure if you can take them because they're based on the A-level, so although they're no extra work for us, they would be for you if you haven't covered the same topics.

Reply 7

ad absurdum

2

kellywood_5

They're taken at the end of Year 13 and are usually the very last exams, after A2s. I'm not sure if you can take them because they're based on the A-level, so although they're no extra work for us, they would be for you if you haven't covered the same topics.

Thanks for the information. I'm pretty confident with the A-level syllabus for maths so I'll ask if my school can put me in for it, just to see how I get on :smile:

Reply 8

gwright

I attempted AEA Maths last year in the lower sixth... didn't do particularly well. Give yourself at least a month to prepare for it. You need to be used to the type of questions they ask.

Reply 9

A_n_d_y

1

I'm doing the maths and chemistry ones - but I signed up for them after I applied so cam doesnt know i'm taking them.

Still got an offer tho :cool:

Reply 10

JohnStuartMill

8

Athena

Technically you're supposed to tell them, UCAS and your insurance choice.

No, you are meant to tell them if you withdraw from any exams but you don't have to tell them if you sign up to take more exams as it doesn't alter the contract between the university and student.

Reply 11

thefish_uk

14

I'm taking AEA Maths and Physics with very little preparation!

The guy interviewing me at Cambridge commented that not many people are taking them.

Reply 12

shinyhappy

14

They look quite good on an application, not just for Oxbridge, for other unis too. Oxbridge will still rely a lot more on interviews, but there wouldn't be any harm in taking some. (Although a couple of colleges have made offers specifying distinctions in AEAs as part of the offer.)
I think they'd be quite interesting, if you enjoy the subject. My school doesn't enter people for them, but I've looked at some online, and kind of wish I'd made the effort to get myself entered for a bio one.
My mum looked at some online, and said that they're a lot more like how A levels used to be...

Reply 13

Alan Smithee

They're piss easy.

Reply 14

epitome

11

I don't think a Uni's going to mind if you have more qualifications than you ask them for!
I dropped a subject after getting an offer and they didn't mind (AND it was a relevant subject). I checked with them first. I didn't, however, tell them that I added a subject...and they didn't seem to notice/mind.

But if you want to tell them, do. :smile:

Reply 15

ThornsnRoses

11

Do you think its too late to enter the history one? Which is next week?

Reply 16

JohnStuartMill

8

Athena

That's not what the small print on the back of my offer letter from Birmingham University said.

For taking MORE qualifications? I can't find any mention of it in any of the information UCAS provided me with or Cambridge.

Reply 17

kellywood_5

17

ThornsnRoses

Do you think its too late to enter the history one? Which is next week?

If AEAs are the same as A2s, you can enter on the day of the exam if you want as long as they have a paper for you (which they won't with an AEA if no-one else is taking it) but it will probably cost quite a bit. And if your exams officer is as scary as mine, I don't envy you :p:

Reply 18

leannemarie

11

kellywood_5

If AEAs are the same as A2s, you can enter on the day of the exam if you want as long as they have a paper for you (which they won't with an AEA if no-one else is taking it) but it will probably cost quite a bit. And if your exams officer is as scary as mine, I don't envy you :p:

I was always scared of mine because he used to be my tutor when I was 14 and had a huge go at me for not coming as a reserve to sports day when it was my birthday (it's in the evening) and I had the flu, which I'd caught on a school trip to Belgium! But he's actually really nice, as I've discovered from having exams with only him in the hall at the end!
I think you can enter AEAs late, but as Kelly said they won't have the papers if you're the only on doing it. Also, they cost between £30-£40 anyway, so it could be very expensive.

Reply 19

kellywood_5

17

leannemann

I was always scared of mine because he used to be my tutor when I was 14 and had a huge go at me for not coming as a reserve to sports day when it was my birthday (it's in the evening) and I had the flu, which I'd caught on a school trip to Belgium! But he's actually really nice, as I've discovered from having exams with only him in the hall at the end!

Harsh! I always hated sports day- ours lasted a normal school day and we all had to go and watch even if we weren't taking part in anything. We also had to sit in tutor groups, so we couldn't even relieve the boredom with our friends! I was usually 'ill' on those days :wink:

as well as this other rubbish thing we had to do called industry day. My exams officer is a bit of a mixed bag really. Most people (teachers included) hate her because she can be a bit grumpy and has been described as 'power mad' and 'with a stick up her ass' lol, but when I had to be in isolation with a few others in between 2 GCSE exams, she got us free drinks and cakes from the canteen and she was really nice to me about GCSE Spanish and AEA French.

Advanced Extension Award- what do people think of it?

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