a-level grades

My current working at grades:

Maths/Further Maths (taught as one course): B/B+, averaging around 80% in exams but harsh grading
Economics: I usually get Bs, but dropped to a C due to poor evaluation in my essay
Politics: Switched to this in January, Got a B+ in my most recent test

My school predicts us A* if we get an A in the end of year exams in May/June. Realistically, is this possible for me to get, considering that my grades will improve as I will put in significant effort. Also, how can I make it possible for me to maximise my chances of being predicted 4 A*s?

Please be completely honest.

Reply 1

Ariale

Original post

by 11academic11

My current working at grades:
Maths/Further Maths (taught as one course): B/B+, averaging around 80% in exams but harsh grading
Economics: I usually get Bs, but dropped to a C due to poor evaluation in my essay
Politics: Switched to this in January, Got a B+ in my most recent test
My school predicts us A* if we get an A in the end of year exams in May/June. Realistically, is this possible for me to get, considering that my grades will improve as I will put in significant effort. Also, how can I make it possible for me to maximise my chances of being predicted 4 A*s?
Please be completely honest.

Are the exam you mention in May your AS official exams for your ucas predicted grades?

Also what did you get in your GCSEs ?

Reply 2

11academic11

I got all 9s at GCSE + Distinction: Mathematics 9, Physics 9, Chemistry 9, Biology 9, English Language 9, Spoken Endorsement: Distinction, English Literature 9, Computer Science 9, Geography 9, History 9, Spanish 9

The exams in May are not fully AS exams, as my school structures the A-level course uniquely. We study bits from both A-level and AS now, and the tests will just be on all the content studied so far. For some subjects like Maths/Further Predicted Grades, it will be all of the Maths Content, and the little bit of FM which we have started to do.

Based on these exam results, I get predicted grades. 90% of consideration is all based on these EOY exams, but the teachers slightly consider overall trajectory since beginning of Y12 (I have improved from initial poorer grades.)

Reply 3

Project-Tired

As Ariale asked, that makes a difference. Sicne yes:
The AS/A exams will influence your predicted grades drastically. However, that relies on your teacher, as they decide exactly how much the end of year grades affect your predicted. I believe my end of years were *about* 60% of the total contribution to my predicted.
The best advice I have for you is to study in the moment, for unit tests (or whatever your equivalent is) & use a bit of your weekends to check on the things you don't understand/ aren't fully confident in. Personally, I dont't think you need to revise too much, but it's different for everyone. Your GCSE scores basically guarantee you can get A*s for all, but Econ might be a bit harder.
There isn't anything (I don't think) like extra credit, so that's not possible.
Oh, since people usually sign off with their grades: A FM/ A* Maths/ A* Physics/ A* CompSci.
Hope this helped~!

Reply 4

Kingston Eve

Official Rep

Original post

by 11academic11

My current working at grades:
Maths/Further Maths (taught as one course): B/B+, averaging around 80% in exams but harsh grading
Economics: I usually get Bs, but dropped to a C due to poor evaluation in my essay
Politics: Switched to this in January, Got a B+ in my most recent test
My school predicts us A* if we get an A in the end of year exams in May/June. Realistically, is this possible for me to get, considering that my grades will improve as I will put in significant effort. Also, how can I make it possible for me to maximise my chances of being predicted 4 A*s?
Please be completely honest.

Hey @11academic11,

I also achieved all A*'s at GCSE, and didn't have a phenomenal start to my first year at A-Levels. I initially found Economics quite complicated and it took me a few months to wrap my head around it; I'd never studied it before, and I didn't fully understand where lots of the graphs were coming from. Luckily, by the end of the year, I managed to achieve all A's at AS-Level. By giving myself a bit more time to study and digest what I was actually learning, I found the end of year exams much easier than the in-class exams I had done throughout the first term.

From experience, I would say it's definitely possible to achieve an A in your end of year exams and therefore be predicted an A* next year. Make use of past papers and reflect on where you've fallen short in previous tests - e.g. improving your evaluation skills in Economics. 🙂

Best of luck with your exams!
Eve (Kingston Rep).