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GCSE to A-LEVEL JUMP.

Currently, I am working at a grade 8 in biology, chemistry and physics. Also i am working at a grade 7 in maths. I am in year 10 and i want to do the three sciences or chemistry, biology and possibly maths. Do you think i will be able to handle it at A-level? Asking because I am constantly informed that A-level is very hard and different from GCSE.
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Sinnoh
22
Put it this way: Getting 3 A*s at GCSE is a lot easier than getting 3 A*s at A-level.

You should try to stick to 3 subjects, unless you plan on dropping one at the end of year 12. You might think 4 isn't that big a deal since you already had 8 subjects at GCSE, but think about it this way - if you take 4 distinctly different A-levels, that is 33% more work than doing 3. Further maths is a bit of an exception, because if you're good at further maths then the normal A-level maths won't need that much work at the end of it.

The main differences between A-level and GCSE exams are:

- detail. You have to be very specific, especially in A-level sciences because you can give a technically correct answer and score 0 on it because you miss out some key words or phrases (thankfully less of an issue in maths). This doesn't happen as much in GCSE from what I remember, because some of the things you learn are straight-up incorrect in order to simplify things (e.g. electron shells go 2, 8, 8. Nope)

- relevancy of the info. You can kiss goodbye to learning about renewable energy and how high-grade copper ores are running out. That should be a relief if anything.

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