how do universities view 4 a levels

If i have A* A* A A as my predicted grades, is that going to basically be seen the same as 3A* by universities (by assuming i could have had 3 if i had dropped the workload of one subject)

and say my predicted grades were 3A* and one A, would i have much of an advantage over someone with just 3A*?

people keep telling me that it doesn't matter if i have a bad predicted grade in one because universities only ever give offers for 3, but i'm not convinced of that. surely they look at them all, not just the top 3 grades.

Reply 1

Admit-One

Universities Forum Helper

The vast majority just look at your three highest grades. The fourth grade isn't relevant for offer making or considering your application. So A* A* A A would be viewed the same as A* A* A.

If it's an exceedingly competitive course, (maybe something asking for Maths and Further Maths), then they might take it into account, but even Cambs advise it only makes a difference for certain subject areas:

"Most applicants study 3 to 4 A level subjects and our offers are usually based on 3 A levels taken together in Year 13. Taking 4 A levels will not normally give you an advantage. However, strong applicants for STEM courses usually study Further Mathematics as a fourth subject."