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What are some alternatives to A Level and AS Level Maths?

I am looking to do either biomedicine or Molecular Biology at university. I have been looking into european universities, including swedish universities, and I have found that all universities that offer biomedicine (which are roughly 4/7 of my swedish university choices) look for math 4 or math d. I have been told by my swedish friends that this is akin to AS level math, but I am working on a very tight time constraint, and I have never been good at math particularly. I take biology, chemistry and physics, and I was wondering if Physics A level would show that I have the math skills necessary for biomedicine or if not, what are some alternatives to AS Level math that could give me a math qualification during summer between my final exam and the swedish deadline for qualification submission in roughly mid august, I am willing to put in the work, but I think it would be too strenuous to take on AS math at this point in the year, especially since I have struggled in the past with GCSE math.
Have you contacted the universities to ask this?

Reply 2

Original post
by bleeeehglooby
I am looking to do either biomedicine or Molecular Biology at university. I have been looking into european universities, including swedish universities, and I have found that all universities that offer biomedicine (which are roughly 4/7 of my swedish university choices) look for math 4 or math d. I have been told by my swedish friends that this is akin to AS level math, but I am working on a very tight time constraint, and I have never been good at math particularly. I take biology, chemistry and physics, and I was wondering if Physics A level would show that I have the math skills necessary for biomedicine or if not, what are some alternatives to AS Level math that could give me a math qualification during summer between my final exam and the swedish deadline for qualification submission in roughly mid august, I am willing to put in the work, but I think it would be too strenuous to take on AS math at this point in the year, especially since I have struggled in the past with GCSE math.


If it requires maths then you have to do maths. You can't just choose another subject with 'maths in it'. Also idk about Swedish unis but many UK unis don't require maths for biomed, are there any other options for you in Sweden?

Reply 3

Original post
by pagan-scimitar
If it requires maths then you have to do maths. You can't just choose another subject with 'maths in it'. Also idk about Swedish unis but many UK unis don't require maths for biomed, are there any other options for you in Sweden?

Yes, there are, I have a few courses in mind that don’t require math, but it seems like a missed opportunity if I don’t work toward an equivalent or similar math qualification to AS math, It doesn’t necessarily need to be AS math, it can just be any math qualification equivalent to AS/Math 4/d, it’s just that with the current time frame I could not somehow do AS math from now until the exams, it’s not feasible

Reply 4

Original post
by DerDracologe
Have you contacted the universities to ask this?

I haven’t, the applications for the courses are in June/July so I need to wait until then to see which courses are available, but from universityadmissions.se, I could gather that I don’t need AS math, I just need a qualification equivalent to AS math or the Swedish Math 4/d, I thought this forum would have some ideas on alternative qualifications that I could do during the summer and be awarded the qualification in August in time for document submission.

Reply 5

Original post
by bleeeehglooby
Yes, there are, I have a few courses in mind that don’t require math, but it seems like a missed opportunity if I don’t work toward an equivalent or similar math qualification to AS math, It doesn’t necessarily need to be AS math, it can just be any math qualification equivalent to AS/Math 4/d, it’s just that with the current time frame I could not somehow do AS math from now until the exams, it’s not feasible


In that case there is Core Maths which is also a Level 3 maths qualification, but I don't think it would be accepted in place of an AS since you learn different content. This is something you'd have to check with individual unis. It would probably be best to sit AS maths in 2026 and apply to uni after (if you have gap year plans that is). Otherwise you'd just have to focus on unis that don't require maths.

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