Just wondering who had started their A-levels and what they were doing.

I've picked:
Biology,
Chemistry,
Maths,
Law.

And they're all really hard, i feel like i'm gonna combust and i've only been doing them 3 weeks.

ha been doing a levels for a year now
i do
Biology
Theatre Studies
Archaeology
HIstory
General Studies - lol i did maths but it was too hard so i dropped it lol xx

I finished my A-levels a long time ago however I chose:

Chemistry,
Biology,
Physics,
Information technology.

Now I'm an English teacher

Can someone explain A-levels to me?

I'm just an american

Taoquan wrote:
Can someone explain A-levels to me?

I'm just an american

From what I understand America and Japan is very similar in its education system so I will try and give you an answer as best I can.

In Japan (and I think America as well), when you graduate high school, there is a ceremony and you receive a high school diploma. In Japan university entrance is based on tests provided by universities for entrance. In the U.S. I believe you have S.A.T's that do a similar thing (correct me if I'm wrong by the way).

In England there is a set of qualifications you take at an optional stage after high school (since high school can finish when you are 16 in the U.K.). If you opt to do an additional 2 years of education you get to take exams called A-Levels. The A stands for advanced and is basically a description of, post general qualifications.

You take the A-Levels and get a qualification for each subject. Depending on the score on a subject will depend on how many points you get.

A - 120
B - 100
C - 80
D - 60

Universities in the U.K require you to have a certain number of points for univerity entrance. For example, I studied Pharmacology at the univerity of Leeds that required me to have 210 points to get on the course (with one of the A levels having to be in Biology).

The system is maybe a little difficult to understand and sometimes is a little harsh as once you have the A level, you are stuck with the score. This can be a good thing if you got a good result as you permanently have that score but a bad thing if you fail to get the required score.

Hope this was helpful.

Thank you,

You are correct in how USA and Japan does their schools. Thanks for the explanation it was helpful.

The system is maybe a little difficult to understand and sometimes is a little harsh as once you have the A level, you are stuck with the score. This can be a good thing if you got a good result as you permanently have that score but a bad thing if you fail to get the required score.

Although like most qualifications before University they're pretty much useless except for gaining entrance to Uni where you study what you really want to. IMO of course. My A-levels were not great due to the fact i had some family issues going on at the time and the fact i was a bit of a slack ass

Anyway when i got to Uni it didn't matter squat what A Levels i had, i got a very good 2.1Bsc (Because i cared about what i was studying) and bizarrly enough i use what i learnt in my job today

Thats why i feel sorry for the crap the media give students these days. Who cares if you got 5 A's or just enough to get onto the course you want too.

I did:

Psychology
IT
Media

At Uni i did Electronic Information & Media Communications

Now i work as a Communications Manager but get to do all the design stuff too.

The system is maybe a little difficult to understand and sometimes is a little harsh as once you have the A level, you are stuck with the score. This can be a good thing if you got a good result as you permanently have that score but a bad thing if you fail to get the required score.


You are allowed to retake your A levels so it is possible to up your grade if you want to. Since 2000, the A levels are now run on a moduler basis - so you are allowed to retake componants that you haven't done so well in, thus helping you to up your grade. You also don't have the glut of exams at the end of two years now, so it makes is more condusive and manageable.

As a consiquence of the reorganisation of the A levels, grades will go up as the structure helps students as they don't have to remember everything at the end of two years.

Now don't get me on the subject of the British media and exam grades, I will EXPLODE!

Lesley Jackson wrote:


Now don't get me on the subject of the British media and exam grades, I will EXPLODE!

I did my A levels back in 1995 and I haven't been in a school since so I can confidently say that exams are much easier these days

I did my A levels back in 1995 and I haven't been in a school since so I can confidently say that exams are much easier these days


Aagghh, gaaahhh, pphhhmmmppp!!

Im in my second year and am doing maths, physics and product design.
hoping to go to loughborough uni next year