Tips for getting high UMS in A levels?

Original post by jneill

Because far fewer people used to get A grades until recently. So the A* had to be introduced to differentiate the very top.

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and 20+ years ago was an A still 80 UMS?

Would you say exams have definitely gotten easier?

Reply 42

Original post by DylanJ42

I do wonder how the top top unis handled admissions without the A* grade

Until we had the massive grade inflation of the past 20 years it wasn't a problem. I am pretty ancient but when I was applying for university (1981) it was possible to get into Med school with CCC (BBB was probably about the highest anyone wanted) and I remember one of my classmates getting into Oxford to read Zoology with CCD. You still needed AAA for Vet Sci though.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 43

Original post by DylanJ42

and 20+ years ago was an A still 80 UMS?

Would you say exams have definitely gotten easier?

UMS didn't exist 20 years ago. A levels were linear I think - they certainly were 30 years ago. regardless, UMS requirements are meaningless as they just pick a raw to UMS conversion to get the UMS they want.

Reply 44

Original post by DylanJ42

and 20+ years ago was an A still 80 UMS?

Would you say exams have definitely gotten easier?

Back in the day a fixed % of students would get the A grade (top 8% I think?)

That changed in the 80s and the proportion of those getting an A started to rise. Now >25% get A or A*.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 45

Original post by jneill

x

very informative, thank you :smile:

Am i right in saying, from the chart, that 9% of students get A*s these days? didn't think it would be as many as that :eek:

Original post by Compost

Until we had the massive grade inflation of the past 20 years it wasn't a problem. I am pretty ancient but when I was applying for university (1982) it was possible to get into Med school with CCC (BBB was probably about the highest anyone wanted) and I remember one of my classmates getting into Oxford to read Zoology with CCD. You still needed AAA for Vet Sci though.

wow, how things have changed... :bawling:

Reply 46

Original post by DylanJ42

very informative, thank you :smile:

Am i right in saying, from the chart, that 9% of students get A*s these days?

It varies massively between subjects, see statistics here: http://www.jcq.org.uk/examination-results/a-levels/2015/a-as-and-aea-results-summer-2015

Reply 47

Original post by Compost

It varies massively between subjects, see statistics here: http://www.jcq.org.uk/examination-results/a-levels/2015/a-as-and-aea-results-summer-2015

40% get A or better in maths :laugh:

, and 56% get A or better in FM :eek:

I will have a better look over this later once I've done some work , thanks :smile:

Reply 48

Original post by DylanJ42

40% get A or better in maths :laugh:

, and 56% get A or better in FM :eek:

Those are the stats for people who make it to the end of A level, but a lot of the people who start it are weeded out before that point - either because they just drop it or because their AS grade causes them to give up. I don't know what the stats would look like if you looked at all those starting AS Maths in Year 12.

Reply 49

Original post by Compost

Those are the stats for people who make it to the end of A level, but a lot of the people who start it are weeded out before that point - either because they just drop it or because their AS grade causes them to give up. I don't know what the stats would look like if you looked at all those starting AS Maths in Year 12.

Well even thinking of my A2 maths class, I don't think 40% will get an A or better, and I also don't think my school is rubbish :dontknow:

Reply 50

Original post by Compost

Those are the stats for people who make it to the end of A level, but a lot of the people who start it are weeded out before that point - either because they just drop it or because their AS grade causes them to give up. I don't know what the stats would look like if you looked at all those starting AS Maths in Year 12.

I'm pretty sure the A grade rate for AS-level Maths is also high (maybe not as high as A2 but still).

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(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 51

@Compost, how different is the one year AS-level syllabus from the first year of the new linear A-levels? In other words, is it becoming impractical to take AS in Y12 and then continue with the linear A-level for Y13?

Reply 52

Original post by jneill

@Compost, how different is the one year AS-level syllabus from the first year of the new linear A-levels? In other words, is it becoming impractical to take AS in Y12 and then continue with the linear A-level for Y13?

All the new specifications have been designed with the intention of the AS and first year of A level being 'co-teachable' and every school I know is teaching all their Y12s taking the new specs together regardless of whether the students are taking AS, A level or haven't decided yet - state schools could certainly not afford to do anything else.

At my school we're not even asking the students what they are dropping until they get their AS results in August.

Reply 53

Original post by Compost

All the new specifications have been designed with the intention of the AS and first year of A level being 'co-teachable' and every school I know is teaching all their Y12s taking the new specs together regardless of whether the students are taking AS, A level or haven't decided yet - state schools could certainly not afford to do anything else.

At my school we're not even asking the students what they are dropping until they get their AS results in August.

Excellent - thanks.

But 2 year ASs are also coming aren't they?

Reply 54