Is A level biology really difficult ?
I’m not that great at science especially physics but I don’t mind biology and it would be a good A level for me to have for jobs in the NHS but I’m worried it will be too hard for me and they might not let me do it because I only achieve 4 in double science
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If you only achieved a 4-4 in double science, what makes you think you can cope with the demands of A-level? I’m not going to sugar coat anything to you.
You either resit double science and get the school’s requirements to take A level which is usually 6-6 or try checking to see if any colleges will accept you.
The other option is to just not take A level and look into BTEC.
You either resit double science and get the school’s requirements to take A level which is usually 6-6 or try checking to see if any colleges will accept you.
The other option is to just not take A level and look into BTEC.
Reply 2
Original post by Idk tbh
I’m not that great at science especially physics but I don’t mind biology and it would be a good A level for me to have for jobs in the NHS but I’m worried it will be too hard for me and they might not let me do it because I only achieve 4 in double science
yes. I was the top student in my school at bio and even though i did get extremely high grades, it was through absolute toiling - literally did more for bio than for maths and economics combined.
i would highly recommend you do biology if you are prepared to work hard, you can do it with good GCSEs. ideally with chem and maths but NO difficult third subject in any case, but 4s are difficult to recommend it with, it's very risky.
(edited 3 years ago)
Reply 3
Original post by Idk tbh
I’m not that great at science especially physics but I don’t mind biology and it would be a good A level for me to have for jobs in the NHS but I’m worried it will be too hard for me and they might not let me do it because I only achieve 4 in double science
As @CaptainDuckie says above, a 4-4 in double science isn't a good enough grounding in the science to take it to A level. For a start, it means you've done Foundation, rather than Higher, so have missed out on lots of essential preparatory work already. I doubt your school would permit you to take it with a poor GCSE result in it.
Sorry.
Reply 4
Original post by Idk tbh
I’m not that great at science especially physics but I don’t mind biology and it would be a good A level for me to have for jobs in the NHS but I’m worried it will be too hard for me and they might not let me do it because I only achieve 4 in double science
Anything else you're good at? Focus on that instead.
Original post by A Rolling Stone
yes. I was the top student in my school at bio and even though i did get extremely high grades, it was through absolute toiling - literally did more for bio than for maths and economics combined.
i would highly recommend you do biology if you are prepared to work hard, you can do it with good GCSEs. ideally with chem and maths but NO difficult third subject in any case, but 4s are difficult to recommend it with, it's very risky.
i would highly recommend you do biology if you are prepared to work hard, you can do it with good GCSEs. ideally with chem and maths but NO difficult third subject in any case, but 4s are difficult to recommend it with, it's very risky.
If one uses a problem based approach to learning Biology (questions and answers), rather than trying to learn everything in the books, it actually becomes quite an easy subject to master at A level. If you go through every relevant question you can find from exam papers and text books, and go through the answers after having had a think about what they may be, then by the time you come to sit the exams it becomes a breeze.
Original post by Idk tbh
Even if I worked as hard as I could the max I can get in foundation is five and I need a six so there is no way that I can get a NHS job
Hi there.
It's dependent on which job you're wanting to do. BTECs and other qualifications can perhaps be a more suitable path for you to access your ideal career.
Otherwise you could try to convince your teachers to move you to higher tier - although this may be difficult to catch up on alongside other GCSEs.
Or you could resit your science qualification and spend a year longer at college to help achieve your goals.
I'd advise researching career pathways and uni entry criteria before you lose all hope.
Best wishes.
Original post by TriplexA
Hi there.
It's dependent on which job you're wanting to do. BTECs and other qualifications can perhaps be a more suitable path for you to access your ideal career.
Otherwise you could try to convince your teachers to move you to higher tier - although this may be difficult to catch up on alongside other GCSEs.
Or you could resit your science qualification and spend a year longer at college to help achieve your goals.
I'd advise researching career pathways and uni entry criteria before you lose all hope.
Best wishes.
It's dependent on which job you're wanting to do. BTECs and other qualifications can perhaps be a more suitable path for you to access your ideal career.
Otherwise you could try to convince your teachers to move you to higher tier - although this may be difficult to catch up on alongside other GCSEs.
Or you could resit your science qualification and spend a year longer at college to help achieve your goals.
I'd advise researching career pathways and uni entry criteria before you lose all hope.
Best wishes.
Thank you so much I will try to find a way , I could take three A levels not including biology and do an access course
Reply 10
Original post by Idk tbh
Thank you so much I will try to find a way , I could take three A levels not including biology and do an access course
No you probably can't. Access courses are designed for adult learners who have either not sat A levels (or at least not in the recent past), or have the wrong A levels for their chosen study path.
Reply 11
I got an A in all my other A levels but a B in biology and put a lot more work into it. I found it really hard!
Original post by Reality Check
No you probably can't. Access courses are designed for adult learners who have either not sat A levels (or at least not in the recent past), or have the wrong A levels for their chosen study path.
So why can’t I do one when I’m an adult
Reply 13
Original post by Idk tbh
So why can’t I do one when I’m an adult
You can - but when are you talking about. If you take three A levels and then immediately try to do an Access course, unless the Access course is in a completely unrelated area, you're unlikely to be able to do this. That's how Access courses work. If you had a significant gap between your A levels and your proposed Access course, that makes it more likely that you will be able to take it.
Reply 14
Original post by CaptainDuckie
If you only achieved a 4-4 in double science, what makes you think you can cope with the demands of A-level? I’m not going to sugar coat anything to you.
You either resit double science and get the school’s requirements to take A level which is usually 6-6 or try checking to see if any colleges will accept you.
The other option is to just not take A level and look into BTEC.
You either resit double science and get the school’s requirements to take A level which is usually 6-6 or try checking to see if any colleges will accept you.
The other option is to just not take A level and look into BTEC.
I 100% agree. I want to do Biology too and majority of the schools I have applied to for that subject said that you need grade 6/7s+ in sciences. They're clearly saying that for a reason as it shows that people with the higher grades will be more capable with A-Level Biology.
If the requirements were lower, you'd get a lot of random people applying
(edited 3 years ago)
I got a 9-8 in combined science GCSE and ended up with a B in bio A level. Its very different to GCSE, it's more application and understanding content as well as more maths. If you want to take it for A level then I'd resit your GCSE science and try get at least a 7-7 or 7-6, 6-6 at the very LOWEST, and then do A level Biology.
Reply 16
Original post by aliaa03
I got a 9-8 in combined science GCSE and ended up with a B in bio A level. Its very different to GCSE, it's more application and understanding content as well as more maths. If you want to take it for A level then I'd resit your GCSE science and try get at least a 7-7 or 7-6, 6-6 at the very LOWEST, and then do A level Biology.
what grade do you think is needed for maths, though they say 6/7?
Original post by harlz_chalamet
what grade do you think is needed for maths, though they say 6/7?
I think maths A Level is more about understanding the concepts and application than at GCSE (no non-calculator exams
) I would say you would be fine with a 6 but be prepared to put in work to do lots of practice questions on the application of maths (as that's where you get most of your marks from) and it's quite different to GCSE maths in that respect. I got an 8 at GCSE and preceded to get A's and A*'s though my achieved grade was an A (
TAGs). If you think you'll be good at applying harder maths concepts then you'll probably be fine 
Original post by harlz_chalamet
what grade do you think is needed for maths, though they say 6/7?
I got an 8 in GCSE maths but I dropped A level maths a few weeks in 😂 I hate maths anyway and I always thought you needed maths, chemistry and bio for vet school, when I found it they didn't need maths I was OUT of there 😭 my school ask for a 7 in maths.
Reply 19
Original post by Idk tbh
Even if I worked as hard as I could the max I can get in foundation is five and I need a six so there is no way that I can get a NHS job
do a BTEC course
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