Are AS levels actually important??

Aren't they basically like mocks? and its the A level grades that actually matter??

No no no! They definitely matter. They determine your predicted grades that get sent of to your uni the following year. If you're applying for competitive courses like dentostry, medicine etc. they can determine whether you get an interview offer etc.

Reply 2

zaina.aa

Original post by RM170103

wait im confused why would they get sent to my uni rather than my a level grades?

Reply 3

artful_lounger

Universities Forum Helper

They matter for A-levels sat outside of England (i.e. NI, Wales, and international A-level courses) as those courses retain the old modular format and so the AS level is an integral part of the overall A-level qualification. For A-levels sat in England now, the AS level is basically just a wholly separate exam which does not in any way influence your final A-level grade, and thus is essentially pointless unless you want to take a subject for only one year (which is very uncommon now in England).

If you take the AS exams in England then you do need to declare them in your UCAS application and they may influence admissions decisions. However as they aren't necessary for the final award for A-levels taken in England, you may as well just not take them in the first place. Some schools might enter their students in the AS exams regardless though.

They are however an actual qualification and as with all other qualifications you are required to list those results in your UCAS application, unlike mocks which are just organised internally within your school and don't need to be reported in your UCAS application (although mocks may affect what your teachers predict you).

Reply 4

username5173262

They're used to whip up your predicted grades for university applications, so I'd say so yes.

Reply 5

RM170103

Original post by zaina.aa

wait im confused why would they get sent to my uni rather than my a level grades?

So whatever you get in your mocks get sent to unis as predicted grades. Say your predicted grades were BBB from your mock resultsbut the grades to get into the course were AAA, unis may be hesitant to give you a place because they may think you might not meet their conditional offer, so wont even give you the offer. Your mock grades overall to your predicted grades which get sent to you uni. Then when you sit your a levels those get sent to your uni for them to see if youve met the conditional offer

Reply 6

Adz2042

AS Levels prepare you for the A2 the following year.
It's a big step-up in terms of coursework and exam preparation from GCSE's.

Also, when writing up your CV (basically a sheet of paper that lists your qualifications, work experience, hobbies etc that you give to employers for jobs), it's beneficial to add your AS results (either predicted or confirmed grades) in addition to your GCSE's.

I remember doing my AS Levels. I should have left my 6th form centre to study them elsewhere, but 16/17yr old me wanted to stay with my friends. Sadly that meant I was studying courses I had zero interest in, and in the end, I did fail some.
Got pushed back a year and had to re-sit them in a different college.

Edit: 'and pay the up-charge price of £9K a year. (If I had moved straight away, I would have paid £3K a year)' - This is in relation to university fees, as I did attend after completing my A Levels. I just missed out big time on the cheaper price for uni.