AS/A level question

Violent-J

Violent-J

Violent-J

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I'm not exactly sure how the system works lads.

I've done 3 AS levels this summer, if come August I've done rubbish in them (I'm thinking B/D/E) can I still go onto A2 in those subjects, I mean, will my grades at A2 in anyway be affected by AS or are they two totally independant qualifications/courses.

So in theory if I worked hard next year, I could come away with A/A/A?
 
Nope, A2 is independant, although universities are now able to see your AS grades and all the retakes you've done for them.

edit: sorry, A2 isn't independant, my bad :)
 
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AS grades affect the overall A level grade.
You can however re-do the AS papers you did bad in so can still up your chances of getting a good A level grade. I know people that have gone from a grade C to a grade A just through re-taking a few papers in subjects they didnt do well in.
Some schools/colleges have a cut off grade whereby they will only let your carry on the AS to A2 if you get a good enough grade. For example, my school only lets you carry on your AS to A2 if you achieve a D or higher at AS.

If you get a D at AS then it is near enough impossible to get a A overall because an AS is half an A level.
 
Inquisitor said:
Nope, A2 is independant, although universities are now able to see your AS grades and all the retakes you've done for them.
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I've been told they are very much combined. I've also been told to try and get the highest possible mark in AS (as it is easier) and thus you end up having a better grade after A2 when they're combined. (A2 is much harder so it's better to get top marks in AS)
 
Tommy B said:
I've been told they are very much combined. I've also been told to try and get the highest possible mark in AS (as it is easier) and thus you end up having a better grade after A2 when they're combined. (A2 is much harder so it's better to get top marks in AS)
Click to expand...

Oh so grades at AS do directly affect output at A2?
 
Inquisitor said:
Nope, A2 is independant, although universities are now able to see your AS grades and all the retakes you've done for them.
Click to expand...

Now that Uni's can see what retakes you have done and what you got first will it massively affect your chances of getting into a course you want to?
For example, say i get a C at AS Business this year but i re-take 2 papers of the AS and up my grade to an A. Will that massively affect which uni's will take me in?
Is it even worth doing re-takes this year if uni's know what you get first time round and what re-take marks you get ?

Thanks
 
Yes defiently! They'l take into account the fact that you've bothered to retake the exam, that you've bothered to study for it, and that you've bothered to do well in it!

This will probably be questioned in an interview, but it's defiently worth it.
 
AS is 50% of your final A2 result. If you think you have done bad then you'd be best to do some resits to try and get your AS grade up, this will therefore make it easier to get a better grade at A2. As others have said it's difficult to jump from say a D/E to a B/C so the better you can do in AS the easier A2 will be.
 
Okay, I understand now :D thanks a lot guys, need to really think about what I'm gonna do with me life... Got some important decisions to make
 
matthew_o50 said:
AS is 50% of your final A2 result
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[PEDANTIC]It actually tends to be worth less than that, the A2 part of the course is usually much harder (as anyone whos just done them will tell you) plus you get the bigger exams at the end, (synoptic papers -shudders-)[/PEDANTIC]
;)
 
Tommy B said:
I've been told they are very much combined. I've also been told to try and get the highest possible mark in AS (as it is easier) and thus you end up having a better grade after A2 when they're combined. (A2 is much harder so it's better to get top marks in AS)
Click to expand...
Whoops, ignore me then :p
 
PinkFloyd said:
[PEDANTIC]It actually tends to be worth less than that, the A2 part of the course is usually much harder (as anyone whos just done them will tell you) plus you get the bigger exams at the end, (synoptic papers -shudders-)[/PEDANTIC]
;)
Click to expand...

So if the A2 part of the course is harder, AND has bigger exams, but is worth the exact same points as the AS half of the course was, shouldn't it be that the AS is actually worth more than 50% to most candidates? :p
 
Umm, he's on about the grades for example if you get an E at AS but get an A at the A2 exam, A2 worksout as a C because the A2 grade is determined from combined marks over 2 years.
AS is worth a lot less in UCAS points im 99% sure on that.
 
xcessive said:
If you get a D at AS then it is near enough impossible to get a A overall because an AS is half an A level.
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Rubbish. I got three low C's at AS level, and three A's at A level. Retook all but 2 units, but hey, I did it.

I did absolutely max out though. Was a lesson learned for being such a slacker.
Violent-J said:
AS is worth a lot less in UCAS points im 99% sure on that.
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Yes, they are half the UCAS points because they are worth half as much.
 
Killerkebab said:
So if the A2 part of the course is harder, AND has bigger exams, but is worth the exact same points as the AS half of the course was, shouldn't it be that the AS is actually worth more than 50% to most candidates? :p
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Don't just go by the points.

Every Uni I applied for completely blanked my AS levels. None of them would take them for what they where, my best offer (the one I've accepted) at staffordshire would be to take a maximum of 40 points from my AS (which with lucky I'l have an A in - 60points)
Uni's from what I can see couldn't give a flying *fish* about AS grades :mad:
 
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