Advanced extension awards?

What are they? An extra 3 hour exam, usually taken after A2s but they can also be taken after ASs. You get either Distinction, Merit or Ungraded and the pass rate is generally around 50% for most subjects, so much lower than for A-levels. They're not available in all subjects and each subject is only offered by one exam board, but they're supposed to be designed on the broad A-level syllabus except with harder questions that actually make you think rather than just test your memory, so it doesn't matter if you do an A-level with one exam board and an AEA with another.

How do you do one? Just ask your exams officer to enter you. If you have to pay yourself, they're about £35 each. They're aimed at the top 10% of A-level candidates, so it's probably best if you got a (preferably high) A at AS in the subject you want to take it in.

Is it worth it? Most students and teachers have never heard of them and most unis don't pay much attention to them because not everyone has the chance to do them, so they probably won't make you look any more impressive, but they're actually quite fun if you love your subject, a challenge and a headstart if you want to study that subject at uni.

Is it a lot of extra work/classes? No. Some schools might run extra lessons for them, but the whole idea of them is that you can't really prepare for them, besides doing past papers.

Reply 3

kellywood_5

Just ask your exams officer to enter you.

Please don't...

Reply 4

I did one in English and got 94% :biggrin:

. I actually really enjoyed it!! If you like the subject and are hitting good As, go for it. Nothing to lose and it looks fantastic on your record.

Reply 5

ravenous_soup_dragon

9

I enjoyed my English too! (Such a geek..) I wrote absolute *******s in my History one too, and still got a merit so I think it's a bit hit and miss sometimes. I didn't put them on my UCAS form though, as my school was worried Oxbridge would make offers based on them and it's much much harder to be a dead cert for a distinction/merit than it is to be predicted 3As.

How did you know you got 94% btw? I didn't get a mark with mine...

Reply 6

Danny_777

Please don't...

Reply 7

ravenous_soup_dragon

I enjoyed my English too! (Such a geek..) I wrote absolute *******s in my History one too, and still got a merit so I think it's a bit hit and miss sometimes. I didn't put them on my UCAS form though, as my school was worried Oxbridge would make offers based on them and it's much much harder to be a dead cert for a distinction/merit than it is to be predicted 3As.

How did you know you got 94% btw? I didn't get a mark with mine...

I bumped into my English teacher at school when I was reapplying, and she said that I must've been chuffed with AEA, blah blah blah, told me I got the highest mark in the year and showed me a table of everyone :biggrin:

*head inflates*.
Contact your school; they'll tell you.

Congrats withyour History AEA btw!!! Wow, I found the A2 hard enough!!

Reply 8

kellywood_5

Physically :p:

.

Sorry, bit of a crude joke.... :redface:

Reply 9

Danny_777

Physically :p:

.

Sorry, bit of a crude joke.... :redface:

Ahhhh, I see :p:

Reply 10

Democracy

21

Danny_777

Physically :p:

.

Sorry, bit of a crude joke.... :redface:

Hahaha I get it now :biggrin:

Reply 11

Democracy

Hahaha I get it now :biggrin:

Reply 12

Realist101

13

i did AEA english what a ****ed up paper, everyone in my year failed it, i mean what the hell did they expect from us.

Reply 13

hannah_s_2007

AEAs- to be honest if you do have the option to do them, go for it! at the end of the day, you can eiher fail, gain a merit or a distinction- if you get a pass grade then GREAT, but if not you have lost nothing whatsoever.

I am taking one in history and one in english later this year. The classes...? 45 mins extras (optional) lessons per week... not too bad really, hehe :smile:

anyway, best of luck!

Reply 14

Realist101

13

english v.entertaing, however WHAT THE **** DO THOSE EXAMINERS WANT FROM YOU I HAVE NO IDEA.

Reply 15

fblade

14

If you get a merit or distinction in the paper, but manage to get a B in the A-level, it'll show that you are an A-grade student. ALso I think these papers are near to the end of the exam season, so you could have time to prepare it.

Reply 16

-CBee-

hannah_sissons05

AEAs- to be honest if you do have the option to do them, go for it! at the end of the day, you can eiher fail, gain a merit or a distinction- if you get a pass grade then GREAT, but if not you have lost nothing whatsoever.

About 40 quid actually. Unless your school are very nice and budget for it, unlike mine, but then I wouldn't expect them to.

Actually, I generally agree with the sentiment; my parents were willing to pay for it and I'm just interested to see if I can pass it (I'm taking the English one in June). Not like it's on the UCAS form, or that I'm doing English at uni or anything, so it's purely to see if I can stretch myself to do it.

Reply 17

Realist101

13

english one is v.random, had one on dreams last year, pretty intense variety of articles, poems etc. Some off it nearly made me LOL in the exam room.

Reply 18

punit

ALso I think these papers are near to the end of the exam season, so you could have time to prepare it.

Although the whole point of AEAs is that you're not supposed to be able to prepare for them....

Reply 19

Kolya