Please explain me A Levels (examination board, subjects, papers)

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Reply 20

SafwanIdris

Original post by Rhythmical

Wait, can you do that before iGCSEs? I'm sure you have to do iGCSEs/GCSEs before A Levels.

I don't have do do igcse because im an external candidate.

Reply 21

Rhythmical

Original post by SafwanIdris

I don't have do do igcse because im an external candidate.

That's odd, to do A Levels you needs GCSE's/iGCSE's

Reply 22

Compost

Original post by Rhythmical

That's odd, to do A Levels you needs GCSE's/iGCSE's

There is no absolute requirement to take GCSEs before A levels it is just that colleges generally won't let you enroll on a course without some prior attainment.

Reply 23

Rhythmical

Original post by Compost

There is no absolute requirement to take GCSEs before A levels it is just that colleges generally won't let you enroll on a course without some prior attainment.

That's interesting to know but I thought that they were required as other wise you couldn't do them?

Reply 24

bigwang

Original post by Compost

There is no absolute requirement to take GCSEs before A levels it is just that colleges generally won't let you enroll on a course without some prior attainment.

Universities will make you an offer based on your AS grades, A2 predictions PLUS your GCSE (or equivalent French diploma). 9 A-levels is far too many and won't count for anything on your CV or personal statement (4 is the absolute limit for A2 and perhaps 5 AS isn't too strange). At my college the majority of people I know only did 3 A2's+4AS, very few did 5 AS never mind 5 A2.

Reply 25

Compost

Original post by Rhythmical

That's interesting to know but I thought that they were required as other wise you couldn't do them?

If you are a private candidate you can enter for anything you want.

Reply 26

Rhythmical

Original post by Compost

If you are a private candidate you can enter for anything you want.

Ah right. So how would universities look at this? Would they accept those without GCSE's?

Reply 27

Compost

Original post by Rhythmical

Ah right. So how would universities look at this? Would they accept those without GCSE's?

It depends on loads of things - which country you were educated in pre-16, what you want to do etc. It's best to start by checking the course requirements and then checking with the university if they don't cover your circumstances.

Reply 28

username1560589

Original post by SafwanIdris

I’m planning to take A levels within 1 or 2 years. I alreadytake the French diploma called “le baccalauréat” last year; I’m already studyingsubjects that I want to take since January. So I know maths and science arequite easy for me because I have already studied a lot of things that are intothese subjects’ syllabus. In fact, I just need few months to be preapred for a subject, I think. I guessim good enough at science, maths and art to do a full a level in each. For literature,I have to work a bit. (Maybe I’m wrong, will see). Im not planning to study atuniversity, I will do preparatory classes in France, then it could be possiblefor me to study abroad, if I didn’t get the school that I want at the end ofprep classes ;
Now I know that a module cost 30-40€ and for each a level inscience and maths there are 6 modules. So it will cost 180-240€ for one a level; I better do 3-4 A levels now and the others in November. I think I will domaths, further maths, physics, chem now… Will see then

Ok. That puts you in a better position: you already have a decent grounding in the subjects.

I don't have experience of the French diploma, but I know someone who took it last year. He struggled quite a bit with some of the maths at the beginning of a physics degree so an A-level in a subject seems to be harder and more in depth than one subject's worth of the French diploma. So be aware that you will need to study quite a bit on top of what you've studied previously.

If you're very good at the subjects, it could be doable(at least for maths/science), but I don't know enough about your current knowledge. As I said before, not many people are good at that many subjects so you might want to stop after the first 3-4.

What are your reasons for taking A-levels? As far as I'm aware they're not better than the French diploma.

Reply 29

SafwanIdris

Original post by morgan8002

It's true that an A level is harder than his french equivalent, in science and maths ; I'm studying A level's syllabus, and i don't need a year to know everything, if you know what i mean. I'm just taking A levels to have
2 diplomas in my CV :smile: