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AAA or AAAB?

Poll

AAA or AAAB?

As the title saids... which do you think is preferable - all hypothetically, of course. Is it better to do 3 subjects and gain 3 As, or do 4 subjects and get a B in the extra subject?

ETA: This is not by any means about me or assuming that I will get AAA at all; just wondering in general.

Reply 1

kellywood_5

17

I'd go with AAA because you've got the best grade possible in all the subjects you took, whereas AAAB means you've slightly messed up one of them. In my opinion, it's better to take 3 subjects, do really well in them and have time for other things than to take 4 subjects and not do as well because of the extra work. Although having said that, I'm pretty likely to get AAAB or maybe even AABB, so I really should have taken my own advice :p:

Reply 2

dreamqueen

3

I am suffering from the same dilemma. I think, though, it's better to have the extra one because if you have an AAA university offer and you're taking four you don't have to worry if you find one really difficult

Reply 3

supertramp

9

Well, I voted for AAAB because it shows greater breadth of knowledge, but BBB would be brilliant for me (that includes general studies).

It's rather bigheaded to just assume you are going to get 3 As before you even start your course, too.

kellywood_5

I'd go with AAA because you've got the best grade possible in all the subjects you took, whereas AAAB means you've slightly messed up one of them. In my opinion, it's better to take 3 subjects, do really well in them and have time for other things than to take 4 subjects and not do as well because of the extra work. Although having said that, I'm pretty likely to get AAAB or maybe even AABB, so I really should have taken my own advice :p:

So you calim a B is achieved when someone 'doesn't do well'.

Far from it, a B is an excellent grade.

If you are compared tom someone with AAA and have AAAB, then that is an obvious academic advantage. In fact, other than someone with AAAA (or more As) I cannot think of any situation where AAAB would be considered a 'worse' academic comparison indicator.

Reply 5

Kolya

17

Preferable in what sense?

Reply 6

Happyness

14

supertramp

Well, I voted for AAAB because it shows greater breadth of knowledge, but BBB would be brilliant for me (that includes general studies).

It's rather bigheaded to just assume you are going to get 3 As before you even start your course, too.

dude the guy's only asking! geez

Reply 7

Excalibur

OP

15

supertramp

Well, I voted for AAAB because it shows greater breadth of knowledge, but BBB would be brilliant for me (that includes general studies).

It's rather bigheaded to just assume you are going to get 3 As before you even start your course, too.

Sorry...? As I said, it's entirely hypothetical, and it doesn't have anything to do with me. I wondered in a general sense, whether 4 subjects or 3 subjects would be preferable (as in, better seen by universities etc). Whenever that question is voiced it's always like "Oh AAA is better than BBCC", which is very extreme. I could just have well asked BBB or BBBC.

Reply 8

calciatore

surely u need AAAA as an option here ? :p:

Reply 9

supertramp

9

Sorry...? As I said, it's entirely hypothetical, and it doesn't have anything to do with me. I wondered in a general sense, whether 4 subjects or 3 subjects would be preferable (as in, better seen by universities etc). Whenever that question is voiced it's always like "Oh AAA is better than BBCC", which is very extreme. I could just have well asked BBB or BBBC.

*Sigh*. Yeah. Sorry. I don't know what was up with the random spurt of bitchiness. I'm just in a bad mood because I'm so bad at revising and know I'd never be able to get grades like those. Apologies.

Reply 10

imageofreality

what about the poor souls who do FIVE :eek:

A-levels... not that im one of them thank god.... or even 6.. some people reali like punishment... i duno i think once you get into a university and pass a degree perhaps they become fairly immaterial whether you got 3 As or As n a B?.

Reply 11

brimstone

7

I'd say AAA. It shows you did fantastically in all of them :smile:

.

Reply 12

kellywood_5

17

Roger Kirk

So you calim a B is achieved when someone 'doesn't do well'.

Far from it, a B is an excellent grade.

If you are compared tom someone with AAA and have AAAB, then that is an obvious academic advantage. In fact, other than someone with AAAA (or more As) I cannot think of any situation where AAAB would be considered a 'worse' academic comparison indicator.

I never said a B was not doing well, I said it was 'slightly messing up', which it is in comparison to getting As in 3 other subjects. All I'm saying is that someone taking 3 subjects and getting AAA has achieved the best results possible; someone taking 4 subjects and getting AAAB hasn't.

AAAB in my opinion.

More the merrier! (he says, uselessly, in a desperate bid to boost his post count)

Reply 15

Pippak

10

Most places won't give four grade offers, but I think that oxbridge will sometimes ask for AAAA if they know you're taking four. Personally, I'd go for doing three and doing really well in them rather than stretching yourself between four and maybe not doing as well.

I was really concerned because at AS I got aaac. I was only concerned because I thought that the c really showed me up because I'd obviously done well in my other subjects. I still got five offers though, so clearly my inadequacies at Biology didn't bother the English admissions tutors as much as they bothered me.

Reply 16

Just some guy

10

AAAB shows you have more beadth and have the determination to do four A-levels. However a lot of universities like people doing solidly in 3 A-levels instead of overstretching themselves and trying to do 4 but not as well.

But at the end of the day AAAA trumps all, so go for that :wink:

Reply 17

Lucyvet2006

I did 4 AS's and got 4 As, needed to focus on my 'top 3' (sciences) and ensure 3 As, risked getting AAAB (B in French) or even AABB so dropped French. Would have had to work my ASS off to get AAAA so I'm happy enough with AAA or AAAaa counting AS's!