A Level Blacklist Oxbridge?

Yearforever

Can someone tell me where I could find the A Level Blacklist for Oxbridge?

Thanks! :biggrin:

Reply 1

River85

17

You do realise Oxford and Cambridge are two different, independent universities :tongue:

Oxford may have a blacklist and Cambridge may have a blacklist, but there certainly isn't an "Oxbridge" blackist, just like there isn't a Durham-Bristol or UCL-Warwick blacklist.

Oxford don't have a strict blacklist, as far as I'm aware. Cambridge, however, do but it's fairly common sense.

http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki/A_Level_-_%22Respected%22_A_Levels#Sample_.22Blacklists.22

I'll try and find a proper Cambridge source tomorrow.

Reply 2

HighSkies

15

Its also available in the sticky at the top of this subforum.

http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=810355

Its suggests the relative difficulty of subjects too.

Reply 3

Tyrotoxism

2

this is the de facto blacklist.

http://www.trin.cam.ac.uk/index.php?pageid=604

Reply 4

Lysdexia

Generally Suitable Arts A-levels
Art History
Economics
Irish
Music
Welsh

Excuse me?

Beg your pardon that my Drama A-level is of "More Limited Suitability". Apparently knowing a good-as-dead language and knowing how to play the flute is more academically challenging than taking a socially/culturally/historically significant theme of a play and analysing how that theme would have been perceived by audiences over 400 years of moral evolution.

Reply 5

kat2pult

18

Search this, it's been done many times before.

On the whole, avoid subjects like psychology, sociology, media/business studies, art subjects, etc.

Reply 6

The_Lonely_Goatherd

20

Yearforever

Can someone tell me where I could find the A Level Blacklist for Oxbridge?

Thanks! :biggrin:

If you already have a particular subject that you'd like to study at uni in mind, you can always post in the Oxbridge forum and ask which A Level subjects would complement the subject you think you may like to take.

Here's Oxford's table of subjects they'd expect/quite like you to have taken:

http://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate_courses/courses/courses_and_entrance_requirements/table.html

There's probs a Cambridge equivalent floating about somewhere :smile:

Reply 7

The_Lonely_Goatherd

20

Lysdexia

Generally Suitable Arts A-levels
Art History
Economics
Irish
Music
Welsh

Excuse me?

Beg your pardon that my Drama A-level is of "More Limited Suitability". Apparently knowing a good-as-dead language and knowing how to play the flute is more academically challenging than taking a socially/culturally/historically significant theme of a play and analysing how that theme would have been perceived by audiences over 400 years of moral evolution.

There's a lot more to Music A Level than "playing the flute" just as (as you have rightly pointed out) there's a lot more to Drama A Level than bunging on a costume and reciting a few lines :wink:

Reply 8

Tyrotoxism

2

Lysdexia

Generally Suitable Arts A-levels
Art History
Economics
Irish
Music
Welsh

Excuse me?

Beg your pardon that my Drama A-level is of "More Limited Suitability". Apparently knowing a good-as-dead language and knowing how to play the flute is more academically challenging than taking a socially/culturally/historically significant theme of a play and analysing how that theme would have been perceived by audiences over 400 years of moral evolution.

two words: transferable skills.

Reply 9

Lysdexia

I admit I probably jumped the gun a bit with Music but I don't see why it's any more valuable/challenging than Drama.

Tyrotoxism

two words: transferable skills.

Two words: How so?

Reply 10

Bezzler

1

Lysdexia

Generally Suitable Arts A-levels
Art History
Economics
Irish
Music
Welsh

Excuse me?

Beg your pardon that my Drama A-level is of "More Limited Suitability". Apparently knowing a good-as-dead language and knowing how to play the flute is more academically challenging than taking a socially/culturally/historically significant theme of a play and analysing how that theme would have been perceived by audiences over 400 years of moral evolution.

Oi! I'll have you know learning the flute to the required standard takes years of dedicated learning!

In addition to that, performance is only a third of A level music. The written exam is very hard; for A2 I have to write two essays, one on Aspects of Romanticism from 1815-1885 which requires me to have an in-depth knowledge and understanding of various themes and specific works from the period. Plus I then have to answer questions on words and music on a piece of vocal music from 1900-1945, AND compare it to a piece of vocal music from that period which I've already studied, discussing details such as orchestration, word-painting, texture, harmony etc.

Not to mention my 2500 word performance investigation comparing two recordings of a piece of music which I then have to perform on the basis of this investigation. And the composition and commentary on that!

PLUS I'd like to see you harmonise a Bach chorale!

I think writing some vague soppy essay on a play is considerably easier than all of that!

Reply 11

jessiainscough

10

The_Lonely_Goatherd

There's a lot more to Music A Level than "playing the flute" just as (as you have rightly pointed out) there's a lot more to Drama A Level than bunging on a costume and reciting a few lines :wink:

And (i don't study music, just going by what people have told me) music involves quite a lot of knowledge of composers and history of music which is essentiall similar to things like art history/straight history but with practical elements, right?

Reply 12

Lysdexia

And I'll have you know that I've seen an A-level Music exam, and "writing some vague soppy essay on a music generation" is considerably easier than what I do.

You said that "AND compare" with such importance. In Drama we cross-reference ideas and themes all the time. It's nothing worth mentioning.

As for the 2500 words? My heart weeps! Makes my 3000 word analysation of historical events dramatised in plays, 20 A4 pages on our devised piece and why it's relevant to a modern day audience and 10 pages of notes for the written exam seem a doddle. :tongue:

Reply 13

ArchedEdge

15

Lysdexia

I admit I probably jumped the gun a bit with Music but I don't see why it's any more valuable/challenging than Drama.

There's a heavy side to Music A level which you'd probably find very surprising.

Don't slag off A levels that you don't know much about.

Reply 14

Lysdexia

Clearly though, neither does Cambridge.

Reply 15

Malsy

18

Tyrotoxism

this is the de facto blacklist.

http://www.trin.cam.ac.uk/index.php?pageid=604

yep. always the one i refer to!

Reply 16

forsaken_earth

13

General Studies and Critical Thinking lol

Reply 17

Lysdexia

Welsh may be a complex and weird language but it is as good as dead, and if you've grown up in Northern/Western Wales should be a breeze anyway. Latin on the other hand is dead and buried but lay the foundation for many modern day languages. THAT would give you transferable skills.

I know how to read (albeit basic) sheet music and can self-teach myself songs on the piano. As for music theory I have limited knowledge on composers, symphonies, orchestras, etc.

Reply 18

The_Lonely_Goatherd

20

Lysdexia

I admit I probably jumped the gun a bit with Music but I don't see why it's any more valuable/challenging than Drama.

Two words: How so?

I'm not really sure. I think it could be perhaps because Music is perceived as being more selective as a subject (in that theoretically, you need to be of a certain level both on your instrument and in music theory to be eligible to take the course) whereas there is no set standard you need to be at to take Drama and thus "anyone" can take it?! :dontknow:

Note that this is not my opinion as such, just one theory as to maybe why Cambridge find Music to be more acceptable as an A Level :smile:

Reply 19

Lysdexia

The_Lonely_Goatherd

I'm not really sure. I think it could be perhaps because Music is perceived as being more selective as a subject (in that theoretically, you need to be of a certain level both on your instrument and in music theory to be eligible to take the course) whereas there is no set standard you need to be at to take Drama and thus "anyone" can take it?! :dontknow:

Note that this is not my opinion as such, just one theory as to maybe why Cambridge find Music to be more acceptable as an A Level :smile:

That's a good point.

A Level Blacklist Oxbridge?

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