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How does Triple Science work?

I'm in Year10 doing AQA. Right now i'm doing Additional right now but my teacher said in Year11 that they will decide who does Triple Science.
Asked this question before but how does Triple science work my school is doing Science A.
So do I do Unit 1, 2 and 3? or just Unit3.
Reply 1
Original post by Zeetingman
I'm in Year10 doing AQA. Right now i'm doing Additional right now but my teacher said in Year11 that they will decide who does Triple Science.
Asked this question before but how does Triple science work my school is doing Science A.
So do I do Unit 1, 2 and 3? or just Unit3.

For triple science you get 3 individual GCSEs in Biology Chemistry and Physics.
The units AQA offer are B1, B2, B3, C1, C2, C3 and P1, P2, P3.
For triple science, you do all three units in the subjects. Ie you will have 9 exams in total. I'm not sure if this is true at all schools, but at mine, the triple scientists do all 9 exams at the end of Year 11.
Other students will do Core Science (C1, B1 and P1) (normally at the end of Year 10) and then Additional Science (C2, B2 and P2) (normally at the end of Year 11). There is an alternative option (can be seen with a google search of 'AQA Science A') but this is most common for those not doing triple science.
Presumably, they will teach you the '3's in Year 11 and do some mocks to see if you can/can't get a good grade and then enter you for the subsequent exams. If they think triple is not for you then you will do B1,C1,P1 (Core) and B2,C2,P2 (Additional) at the end of Year 11.
Reply 2
Original post by Gilo98
For triple science you get 3 individual GCSEs in Biology Chemistry and Physics.
The units AQA offer are B1, B2, B3, C1, C2, C3 and P1, P2, P3.
For triple science, you do all three units in the subjects. Ie you will have 9 exams in total. I'm not sure if this is true at all schools, but at mine, the triple scientists do all 9 exams at the end of Year 11.
Other students will do Core Science (C1, B1 and P1) (normally at the end of Year 10) and then Additional Science (C2, B2 and P2) (normally at the end of Year 11). There is an alternative option (can be seen with a google search of 'AQA Science A') but this is most common for those not doing triple science.
Presumably, they will teach you the '3's in Year 11 and do some mocks to see if you can/can't get a good grade and then enter you for the subsequent exams. If they think triple is not for you then you will do B1,C1,P1 (Core) and B2,C2,P2 (Additional) at the end of Year 11.


That's got to be tough, doing all nine exams at the same time? We did B1/C1/P1 in Jan Year 10, B2/C2/P2 in May Year 10 and will have B3/C3/P3 next month in May Year 11 so really spread out for us.
In our school they decided who did Core/Additional/Separates in Year 9 based on the sets you were in I.E. top 2 classes did Separates then next 2 did Additional and so on.
(edited 8 years ago)
Reply 3
Original post by JessM21
That's got to be tough, doing all nine exams at the same time? We did B1/C1/P1 in May Year 10, B2/C2/P2 in Jan Year 11 and will have B3/C3/P3 next month in May Year 11 so really spread out for us.
In our school they decided who did Core/Additional/Separates in Year 9 based on the sets you were in I.E. top 2 classes did Separates then next 2 did Additional and so on.

Yeah I think my school is in the minority in the way we do it. It seems a lot of schools start the GCSE course in Year 9. It's a bit weird how the terminal rule applies to when you can take the exams also - at least we know to just revise everything!! :mmm:
Reply 4
Original post by Gilo98
Yeah I think my school is in the minority in the way we do it. It seems a lot of schools start the GCSE course in Year 9. It's a bit weird how the terminal rule applies to when you can take the exams also - at least we know to just revise everything!! :mmm:

Ahah I don't think I could deal with relearning everything, I don't remember much from core! It's bad enough that I have 3 History exams, can't imagine having 9 Science exams :/
A good explanation of AQA triple science up there.
I'm doing all 9 exams this June 2015 series :3. I haven't done much revision as science is generally a strength; in previous mocks I dedicated around a night or a weekend to ineffective science revision, but still got A*s pretty much everytime, sometimes highest mark in the year.
My advise: practice papers, just do them 10x over, the week before, or the year before - you'll be golden either way.
Reply 6
Original post by Zeetingman
I'm in Year10 doing AQA. Right now i'm doing Additional right now but my teacher said in Year11 that they will decide who does Triple Science.
Asked this question before but how does Triple science work my school is doing Science A.
So do I do Unit 1, 2 and 3? or just Unit3.


If you do Triple Science, you either land up with GCSEs in Biology, Chemistry and Physics or with GCSEs in Science, Additional Science and Further Additional Science., depending on whether the unts are grouped together by Science (e.g. B1, B2, B3, Biology ISA) or number (e.g. B1, C1, P1 plus Science ISA). The actual units you take will be the same. Many schools enter students for Science in Year 9 or 10 in order to get some of the units out of the way which is why the Science/Add Science/FAdd Sci route is becoming popular.
If you do additional in year 10, you'll be screwed in year 11 if you do triple.
Original post by JessM21
That's got to be tough, doing all nine exams at the same time? We did B1/C1/P1 in May Year 10, B2/C2/P2 in Jan Year 11 and will have B3/C3/P3 next month in May Year 11 so really spread out for us.
In our school they decided who did Core/Additional/Separates in Year 9 based on the sets you were in I.E. top 2 classes did Separates then next 2 did Additional and so on.


The GCSEs have changed to linear so you can't do this any more. You either take all 9 together or take Core, Additional and Further Additional separately.
Original post by Marshall Taylor
If you do additional in year 10, you'll be screwed in year 11 if you do triple.


Nah, it's not that hard to pick up, and unit 3's are the shortest of all of them.
Reply 10
Original post by Muttley79
The GCSEs have changed to linear so you can't do this any more. You either take all 9 together or take Core, Additional and Further Additional separately.

When did they change this? And is that for all exam boards?
Original post by JessM21
When did they change this? And is that for all exam boards?


The first cohort finished last year I think - yes its all exam boards as it was an imposed change - all GCSEs are linear now.
Reply 12
Original post by Muttley79
The first cohort finished last year I think - yes its all exam boards as it was an imposed change - all GCSEs are linear now.

I just looked into it and it appears with the WJEC the school can choose between unitised and the new linear system, presumably it is different because it is Wales rather than England.
I believe my school is continuing the unitised system; learning core in Year 9 for the exam mid Year 10, therefore allowing students to focus on each unit individually.
Thanks for informing me anyway as I did not know that other schools followed linear.
Original post by JessM21
I just looked into it and it appears with the WJEC the school can choose between unitised and the new linear system, presumably it is different because it is Wales rather than England.
I believe my school is continuing the unitised system; learning core in Year 9 for the exam mid Year 10, therefore allowing students to focus on each unit individually.
Thanks for informing me anyway as I did not know that other schools followed linear.


I did not know you were in Wales ...
Reply 14
Original post by Muttley79
I did not know you were in Wales ...


Sorry. As I said, I was not aware it was different.
Original post by JessM21
When did they change this? And is that for all exam boards?


It changed for Summer 2014 for all exam boards in England. Wales and (I think) Northern Ireland have retained modular exams.
Reply 16
Original post by Compost
It changed for Summer 2014 for all exam boards in England. Wales and (I think) Northern Ireland have retained modular exams.

Thanks
Reply 17
Im doing triple science currently and our exam board is AQA. For additional science you learn unit 1 biology chemistry and physics so thats B1 C1 and P1 and and unit 2 which is B2 C2 and P2. However for triple science you also have to take unit 3 exams B3 C3 and P3.
In our school everyone whether your taking additional or further you do core science B1 C1 P1 exam at the end of yr 10. For additional science students they only have B2 C2 and P2 to take at the end of yr 11. Whereas triple science students have to take for example B2 exam then straight after take the B3 exam. This would be the same for chemistry (C2 C3) and Physics (P2 P3). My biology exam both b2 and b3 is in 2 weeks, then 2 days after that i have c2 and c3 and 5 days after i have p2 and p3 :frown::eek::angry:.

This is how my triple science exams are happening however you should ask your teachers as they will be able to explain the process to you depending on how your school does it. However when i got picked for triple science they didnt tell us that we have to take the further exam straight after the additional :angry:
(edited 8 years ago)

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