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Anyway to take a levels on time?

, i am unable to take the gcses this year due to being admitted to hospital. I also missed my mocks. Is there anyway next year i can take a levels without sitting gcses? I dont want to go to uni a year late

Reply 1

DataVenia

Volunteer Team, Clearing and Applications Advisor

Original post by Katerina444

You don't mention which A levels subjects you'd be interested in taking, but if you look at the specification for each (on the exam boards' web site) it'll tell you whether they are any educational expectations prior to commencing the course. I would be very surprised if you find any which say, "This could is only available to those with a GCSE grade X in subject Y."

However, the places which teach A levels (schools and colleges) absolutely have such requirements. These are often for very sensible reasons. There is no point in taking an A level (where A means Advanced) in a subject for which you have not demonstrated any prior ability or talent.

So if you want to study for and ultimately take A levels without having done any GCSEs, you'll be fine. However, if you want to be taught the A level material, then you're going to need some GCSEs first.

Two further points:
1. Many A level subjects are very hard to self-study. This includes anything which involves coursework (as there's nobody to mark it), fieldwork (as you'd have to organise those trips yourself), or practicals (e.g. the sciences).
2. If you plan to go to university, you'll need some GCSEs anyway. There are very few courses / universities which don't mandate a particular grade in GCSE Maths and/or English Language, or which don't mandate a minimum number of GCSEs at grade 4/5.

As for the fact that you "dont want to go to uni a year late", many, many people do exactly that. Perhaps because they needed to retake their A levels, or because that wanted to take a gap year, or for a variety of other reasons. Taking this year to get well, and then sitting your GCSEs next year, would be by far the simplest approach.