The Student Room Group

Which A levels would help in attaining a law degree?

Salutations friends,i have an enquiry.

One of my career pathways(i am currently in year 11) is the career field of Law.

Which other 2 A Levels shall i pick to get in the law field?

I already picked English Literature(favourite subject by far currently at GCSE) and History(goes well with the aforementioned English subject)

I've been thinking Law and Goverment and Politics,but i heard they aren't as good

One more thing,i do not like Math subjects(i dislike math) therefore i don't really want to take Math subjects like Math,fm,Economics,buisness etc

I've been thinking Biology(favourite science) but it has no correlation with Law(although it is an essay based subject,howeveri will not be taking Chem or Physics)

Any advice

Scroll to see replies

Biology is a good subject to take, it will you show you have a range of skills which aren't based on essay work.
Lit and History are the most useful. Government and politics might also be quite useful. I was going to say economics just incase you want to go into a different sector but you said you don't like it. Biology you could do even though it has nothing to do with law, also you could do something else with biology.

How about something like, Philosophy, Geography or classics?
A-Level Economics is very qualitative at A-Level; it's mainly essay writing and short answer questions. You should take English Lit, History, Economics and Biology or Mathematics. I know you say you don't like Mathematics, but it develops strong logical thinking skills, you don't have to take it onto A2.
Reply 4
Original post by Kholmes1
Lit and History are the most useful. Government and politics might also be quite useful. I was going to say economics just incase you want to go into a different sector but you said you don't like it. Biology you could do even though it has nothing to do with law, also you could do something else with biology.

How about something like, Philosophy, Geography or classics?

None of the colleges offer Philosphy or classics in my area(closest is R.E)

I currently do Geography,i'm quite good at it,but for the life of me,i hate it.SO boring.

My Ucas advisor guy at our school said it doesn't matter if i do Biology despite the fact it doesn't releate to my career,but i'm just wondering if he was being euphemistic

For the record,i want to go to an RG uni,i am capable,thus i have chosen two faciliating subjects(it happens to be the ones i like too,plus biology if i choose it,so that'll be three,although i fail to see how biology links to Law)
Reply 5
Economics ...none of my desired college offers it.NONE.Not even the grammar school.So that's out of the equation

Maths,i'm capable of getting at A (my personal target is a B) however i do not enjoy it.If i cannot enjoy it at GCSE, it will be horrendous at A Level.Maths is my weakest academic subject (I am really good at English and Science)
Original post by Blancosdos
None of the colleges offer Philosphy or classics in my area(closest is R.E)

I currently do Geography,i'm quite good at it,but for the life of me,i hate it.SO boring.

My Ucas advisor guy at our school said it doesn't matter if i do Biology despite the fact it doesn't releate to my career,but i'm just wondering if he was being euphemistic

For the record,i want to go to an RG uni,i am capable,thus i have chosen two faciliating subjects(it happens to be the ones i like too,plus biology if i choose it,so that'll be three,although i fail to see how biology links to Law)


History and Lit is all you really need for law. How many are you doing?
So the other subjects could just be something you enjoy. Although I know quite alot of people at my college who does government and politics want to go into law. So that might be helpful. But you don't need it. History and lit are good enough.
Original post by Blancosdos
Economics ...none of my desired college offers it.NONE.Not even the grammar school.So that's out of the equation

Maths,i'm capable of getting at A (my personal target is a B) however i do not enjoy it.If i cannot enjoy it at GCSE, it will be horrendous at A Level.Maths is my weakest academic subject (I am really good at English and Science)


what other A-Levels does your desired college offer?
Reply 8
Look there are 5 colleges in my area.
5 colleges.I've checked and none does A Level Economics

However,in reality,i just shortlisted 2(a sixth form,and my school sixth)
Humanties that the sixth form offer:s-smilie:ociology(no,uni's dont like that),Physcology(no),Geography,Government and politics,History,English Lit,English language.

Highlighted bold ones are the courses i shortlisted(along with Bio),but i'm having doubts about Bio(kinda irrelevent to my course at uni,despite its status) and G&P(sixth form head said it isn't facilliating).Of course Law is another option,however i've heard unis dont like that

Thanks anyways
(edited 3 years ago)
Beyond English literature and history the rest of your choices can be based on personal preference. Law would be fine, as would politics or biology. Law famously has no subject prerequisites and you are already taking two top tier subjects. Study what you think you will enjoy.
Original post by Blancosdos
Look there are 5 colleges in my area.
5 colleges.I've checked and none does A Level Economics

However,in reality,i just shortlisted 2(a sixth form,and my school sixth)
Humanties that the sixth form offer:s-smilie:ociology(no,uni's dont like that),Physcology(no),Geography,Government and politics,History,English Lit,English language.

Highlighted bold ones are the courses i shortlisted(along with Bio),but i'm having doubts about Bio(kinda irrelevent to my course at uni,despite its status) and G&P(sixth form head said it isn't facilliating).Of course Law is another option,however i've heard unis dont like that

Thanks anyways


you don't necessarily need four facilitating subjects, i think most candidates have about two. i only have one facilitating subject (out of four A-Levels) and i got offers from 5 RG universities to study computer science. two of them have hardly any relevance to computer science. you could take up History, English, Politics and Biology and if you get good grades in them you can apply to pretty much any university for law. having a science subject will make you a well-rounded candidate, even if you drop it after AS Level
(edited 3 years ago)
Beyond English Lit and History, take subjects that you genuinely enjoy
BUT DON'T TAKE A SUBJECT JUST BECAUSE YOU FIND IT EASY! A-Levels are not easy, and if you take it because you think it's easy, you're not going to have a good time :s-smilie:
Original post by Gogregg
Beyond English Lit and History, take subjects that you genuinely enjoy
BUT DON'T TAKE A SUBJECT JUST BECAUSE YOU FIND IT EASY! A-Levels are not easy, and if you take it because you think it's easy, you're not going to have a good time :s-smilie:


While in general I agree with you, the thing with law is that you need the top grades to get in. So I would actually advise for law that you take subjects you find easy and are likely to get the top grades in, even if you find them a bit boring it's only for two years then you can study law for three years.

I took a subject I enjoyed at A level but it wasn't my strongest. I got a B in it. I therefore missed my offer for UCL. If I had taken another subject that I was more naturally suited to I probably would've got my third A and have gone to UCL. OP you need to find the balance between subjects you can stomach and subjects you are good at because if you miss your grades most times good unis for law will not let you in. Unis for other subjects are often very lenient and let you in if you miss a grade or two, law is far more strict and this isn't the case for top unis. You need to take subjects you know you can get the grades in, there's no point getting offers that you then miss because you won't end up on the course.

Anyways having done law I would suggest politics, you will study public law and politics will be excellent preparation for this. You don't need to show you're an all rounder, plenty of people on my course only did humanities A levels and still got places. Similarly there were friends of mine who did maths and the sciences and got a place. Do subjects you can do well in and if there are three subjects you enjoy a lot and can do well in then even better! English lit, history and politics would be a great combination for law (as long as you're ok with doing a lot of essays through your A levels of course). I did psychology as my additional AS thinking I would enjoy a break from essays but I didn't enjoy it at all in the end.
Original post by infairverona
While in general I agree with you, the thing with law is that you need the top grades to get in. So I would actually advise for law that you take subjects you find easy and are likely to get the top grades in, even if you find them a bit boring it's only for two years then you can study law for three years.

I took a subject I enjoyed at A level but it wasn't my strongest. I got a B in it. I therefore missed my offer for UCL. If I had taken another subject that I was more naturally suited to I probably would've got my third A and have gone to UCL. OP you need to find the balance between subjects you can stomach and subjects you are good at because if you miss your grades most times good unis for law will not let you in. Unis for other subjects are often very lenient and let you in if you miss a grade or two, law is far more strict and this isn't the case for top unis. You need to take subjects you know you can get the grades in, there's no point getting offers that you then miss because you won't end up on the course.

Anyways having done law I would suggest politics, you will study public law and politics will be excellent preparation for this. You don't need to show you're an all rounder, plenty of people on my course only did humanities A levels and still got places. Similarly there were friends of mine who did maths and the sciences and got a place. Do subjects you can do well in and if there are three subjects you enjoy a lot and can do well in then even better! English lit, history and politics would be a great combination for law (as long as you're ok with doing a lot of essays through your A levels of course). I did psychology as my additional AS thinking I would enjoy a break from essays but I didn't enjoy it at all in the end.


I know you need top grades, but it is very difficult to get a good grade in a subject you don't enjoy at A-Level. Also, finding it easy at GCSE is no indicator that you will find it easy at AS-Level.
Many people in my school take Biology at A-Level every year, thinking that because it was simple at GCSE, it will be easy again at A-Level, and every year these types of people get bad grades.
I would agree with subjects you are likely to get top grades in, but not only because you find them easy at GCSE.
Original post by Gogregg
I know you need top grades, but it is very difficult to get a good grade in a subject you don't enjoy at A-Level. Also, finding it easy at GCSE is no indicator that you will find it easy at AS-Level.
Many people in my school take Biology at A-Level every year, thinking that because it was simple at GCSE, it will be easy again at A-Level, and every year these types of people get bad grades.
I would agree with subjects you are likely to get top grades in, but not only because you find them easy at GCSE.


I don't think it necessarily is. If you're good at something naturally you're still likely to do well even if you're not that interested. The two A levels I got As in I didn't like that much, the A level I got a B in was my favourite subject that I got an A* in at GCSE.

I agree Biology A level is not easy though, my friend who is exceptionally clever (A*A*AA in A levels, doing medicine now) found Biology really hard and had to retake AS modules as she got a B in it. I think Biology has a bad rep for being 'the easiest science' but the A level is actually harder than everyone thinks
Original post by infairverona
I don't think it necessarily is. If you're good at something naturally you're still likely to do well even if you're not that interested. The two A levels I got As in I didn't like that much, the A level I got a B in was my favourite subject that I got an A* in at GCSE.

I agree Biology A level is not easy though, my friend who is exceptionally clever (A*A*AA in A levels, doing medicine now) found Biology really hard and had to retake AS modules as she got a B in it. I think Biology has a bad rep for being 'the easiest science' but the A level is actually harder than everyone thinks


I definitely agree with the Biology part.

I guess it depends on what type of person it is. It is definitely possible to succeed in every A-Level subject, but it will depend on the person as to whether or not they will succeed.
Original post by Gogregg
Beyond English Lit and History, take subjects that you genuinely enjoy
BUT DON'T TAKE A SUBJECT JUST BECAUSE YOU FIND IT EASY! A-Levels are not easy, and if you take it because you think it's easy, you're not going to have a good time :s-smilie:


Hey there

I am taking English Lit purely because i have a passion for it(good thing its a facilitating subject).So is History.I know these subjects are'nt easy.So yeah...I actually have passion for this subject

Law A level seems interesting but apparantly Unis look down upon it(same with G&P) so yeah...its not about the easyness,its about me enjoying the subject.I regret picking Geo at GCSE(foolish year 8 me) even though i'm good at it,but i don't like it.Frankly,it is easier to get an A* at GCSe than it is to get a C at A Level,therefore if i don't enjoy a subject at A Level(for those of you saying "Do Maths or Economics" i will not be at my full potential)
Original post by ByronicHero
Beyond English literature and history the rest of your choices can be based on personal preference. Law would be fine, as would politics or biology. Law famously has no subject prerequisites and you are already taking two top tier subjects. Study what you think you will enjoy.


Is Law a good career field though?Many people said "it requires no specific subject thus its ****"
Original post by Blancosdos
Is Law a good career field though?Many people said "it requires no specific subject thus its ****"


Those people are - at least based on that evidence - idiots.
Reply 19
Are you any good at languages?

Quick Reply

Latest