Changes to A levels

I'm not quite sure about the changes. I know that AS doesn't count but will there still be exams at the end of the first year or will all the exams be at the end of the two years? If so, which exams are still linear and which one have all the exams at the end?

Reply 1

S.G.

Original post by ibrahimansarju72

Think of AS and A level as two separate qualifications. If your school pays for you to do AS exams then you'll do them and get a AS qualification. These exams are not compulsory if you don't drop the subject.

Linear just means you do all your exams at the end of the course

Reply 2

black1blade

So yeah if your school pays for as levels you'll do an exam on first year content in year 12. Either way you do exams at the end of year 13 that test stuff from both years of the course.

Reply 3

Bernadette04

Apart from Wales. Here in Wales our devolved govt rejected the changes imposed in England and we have AS levels that count as 40% of the overall A level grade at the end of Year 13. Most students take 4 subjects to AS level, drop one subject, then go on to do 3 full A levels. They still receive UCAS tariff points for their AS level too.

Reply 4

ibrahimansarju72

Original post by black1blade

So yeah if your school pays for as levels you'll do an exam on first year content in year 12. Either way you do exams at the end of year 13 that test stuff from both years of the course.

So the AS exams are just to see whether you progress to the next year? I know for the RS alevel, the AS exam is not repeated in the second year. For which other a level subjects is this the same?

Reply 5

Compost

If you're starting A levels in September 2017 then you will find that nearly every subject is now linear. There are a few exceptions such as the lesser taught languages https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/accreditation-of-gcses-and-a-levels-for-teaching-from-2018/gcse-and-a-level-subjects-accredited-to-be-taught-from-2018 For linear A levels.
There are AS exams which test AS content and get you an AS. There is no requirement to take AS exams if you are going to take the A level but you will have to study the AS content as part of the A level.
There are A level exams which test the content of the whole of the A level (i.e. what's generally studied over 2 years) and taking these will get you an A level.
All exams for a qualification have to be taken in the same exam season.