The Student Room Group

What is the difference between AS and A level?

What is the difference between AS level and A level. Is it 2 different certificates. Do you need both?

I checked examsolution website which have videos for AS level A level Maths and those two level have the same videos.

I am really confused.

Thank You

Scroll to see replies

Reply 1
AS covers the first half (ish) of the A level. You can just take the AS, or you can take both or you can just take the A level exam - once you have the A level the AS result is more or less irrelevant..
Reply 2
Original post by Ghassan12345
What is the difference between AS level and A level. Is it 2 different certificates. Do you need both?

I checked examsolution website which have videos for AS level A level Maths and those two level have the same videos.

I am really confused.

Thank You


So AS level is just the first year of the A-level course, typically studied during year 12 in England. Some people take AS exams and get certificates, but you don’t have to. AS is one year of the two year course, but if you do take the exam then this doesn’t influence the final A-level exam at all. It’s still a qualification, and means that people can gain something from their work if they drop a subject after year 12.

A-level is the whole qualification made up of AS (first year) and A2 (second year). This is the one you need, and the exam that everyone will take at the end of year 13.
So to get an A level Maths certificate do I need to do 2 AS level papers and 1 A level paper or just the one A level paper is enough.
Reply 4
Original post by Ghassan12345
So to get an A level Maths certificate do I need to do 2 AS level papers and 1 A level paper or just the one A level paper is enough.

Just the A-level. AS does not count towards A-level anymore - it used to.
You just sit a few papers at the end of year 13 and they alone will decide your grade (unless you do a subject which has assessed coursework)
There are 3 exams for A-level maths. The AS papers are not "compatible" as they only cover AS content.
Original post by lemmens
So AS level is just the first year of the A-level course, typically studied during year 12 in England. Some people take AS exams and get certificates, but you don’t have to. AS is one year of the two year course, but if you do take the exam then this doesn’t influence the final A-level exam at all. It’s still a qualification, and means that people can gain something from their work if they drop a subject after year 12.

A-level is the whole qualification made up of AS (first year) and A2 (second year). This is the one you need, and the exam that everyone will take at the end of year 13.

So you need both to get the A level certificate.
Reply 6
Original post by Ghassan12345
So you need both to get the A level certificate.


You need to have studied the content of both, but you don’t need to have taken the AS exam.
Reply 7
Original post by Ghassan12345
So to get an A level Maths certificate do I need to do 2 AS level papers and 1 A level paper or just the one A level paper is enough.


3 A level papers, but no need to take the 2 AS papers.
Original post by Compost
3 A level papers, but no need to take the 2 AS papers.

So the 3 papers are 2 AS papers and 1 A level paper.
Original post by lemmens
You need to have studied the content of both, but you don’t need to have taken the AS exam.

2 AS papers and 1 A level paper right.
Reply 10
Original post by Ghassan12345
2 AS papers and 1 A level paper right.

No. Three A Level papers and no AS papers.
Reply 11
AS helps with things like moving to a different sixth form after year 12 and helps the universities/teachers see how you are predicted?
Reply 12
Original post by HamzaD
AS helps with things like moving to a different sixth form after year 12 and helps the universities/teachers see how you are predicted?

That would be true if everyone took them. They would be a good progress check. But they would still count for nothing if you went on to do the full A Level. And considering that schools have to pay to enter people for exams, they have been almost completely dropped to save money.
Original post by Pangol
No. Three A Level papers and no AS papers.

But those two pages have 90% same stuff but you are saying A level have 3 new papers. Why does it have every AS level stuff too than?
Reply 14
Original post by Ghassan12345
But those two pages have 90% same stuff but you are saying A level have 3 new papers. Why does it have every AS level stuff too than?

I'm not sure how many different ways I can say this!

Those two pages don't have 90% the same stuff. The A Level page has twice as much. Or if it doesn't, it should have. The full A Level is a two year course. AS is just the first year.

It would be a good idea not to obsess too much about the layout of a particular web site (which, good though it is, is not the official Edexcel site) and instead read the course specification (which I linked to earlier, and which the site you are talking about recommends you read too).
Original post by Pangol
I'm not sure how many different ways I can say this!

Those two pages don't have 90% the same stuff. The A Level page has twice as much. Or if it doesn't, it should have. The full A Level is a two year course. AS is just the first year.

It would be a good idea not to obsess too much about the layout of a particular web site (which, good though it is, is not the official Edexcel site) and instead read the course specification (which I linked to earlier, and which the site you are talking about recommends you read too).

OK I will summerise what I learn from you guys and from Google searches and that website. Tell me if I got it right.

A level = 50% AS and 50% A level.
A level = 3 papers with 50% AS contents and 50% A level contents.
Examsolution website A level pages repeats everything from AS page but with 50% more stuff so if I need to self learn A level Maths, that page is enough and no need the AS page because all those stuffs are repeated in A level page right.
Reply 16
Original post by Pangol
That would be true if everyone took them. They would be a good progress check. But they would still count for nothing if you went on to do the full A Level. And considering that schools have to pay to enter people for exams, they have been almost completely dropped to save money.


yeah true. I am still happy that my school does AS exams, like I don't have to throw away my revision resources.
(edited 4 years ago)
Reply 17
Original post by Ghassan12345
OK I will summerise what I learn from you guys and from Google searches and that website. Tell me if I got it right.

A level = 50% AS and 50% A level.
A level = 3 papers with 50% AS contents and 50% A level contents.
Examsolution website A level pages repeats everything from AS page but with 50% more stuff so if I need to self learn A level Maths, that page is enough and no need the AS page because all those stuffs are repeated in A level page right.

That is almost right, but I don't agree with the line that says "3 papers with 50% AS contents and 50% A level contents". You can't expect it to split up in this way. You need to think of the whole course as one thing. You learn the content over two years, and the questions will test you on everything that you have learnt. So there will be questions which test things that you learn in the first year (AS, if you like), but you should not expect that after learning the first year's content that you will be able to do half of the final exam papers.
Original post by Pangol
That is almost right, but I don't agree with the line that says "3 papers with 50% AS contents and 50% A level contents". You can't expect it to split up in this way. You need to think of the whole course as one thing. You learn the content over two years, and the questions will test you on everything that you have learnt. So there will be questions which test things that you learn in the first year (AS, if you like), but you should not expect that after learning the first year's content that you will be able to do half of the final exam papers.


This is correct!! And to add to this, quite a lot of what you learn in the second year will be an extension of the AS content, so it’s rarely a clear split.
Our local college only does AS Maths. ( My son is thinking of doing it). But to do the second year, A2, he would have to travel 20 miles away to the Armagh campus and be up at the crack of dawn. He is thinking of just doing the AS Level, to eventually strengthen his Primary Education application ( along with a full online A Level and a GCSE in Biology). If he does this one year AS Maths, will unis think he has wasted his time? ( He already has the equivalent of seven A Levels).

Quick Reply

Latest