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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think getting four A*s at A-level is pointless and might even be bad

107 replies

MeJuly · 20/02/2025 14:41

If you look at the entry requirements for the top universities, the very top don't ask for four As but have interviews and tests to differentiate the top students. Below that none of them ask for four As and apart from Maths/FM none ask for four A-levels at all as far I know. AIBU to think that working so hard to get four A*s at A-level is actually a bad thing? It doesn't get you anything and is a huge amount of work at a sensitive time in your life.

(I think there might be one degree at Imperial that once asked someone for four A*s. That is really an exception though.)

OP posts:
sweeneytoddsrazor · 20/02/2025 14:58

I always encouraged my children to do their best in what ever activity/academic subject they were doing. Hitting their full potential if that was 3 Cs is better in my eyes than hitting 4 Bs if they could hit 4 As

VoyagerOfTheTeenYears · 20/02/2025 14:52

Depends how competitive the course is. Some accept the top predicted grades only despite what they offer. But then you could argue you could relax a bit once the predictions were in. It’s a strange system.

ntmdino · 20/02/2025 14:52

It's worth noting that the first point is actually what happened to me - I got straight As at A-level (before A-star became a thing even for GCSEs...), but I fell apart at university and only got a 2:2. With hindsight, it's kind of obvious that would happen (now that I actually have a formal autism diagnosis) with the massive change in environment that I just wasn't ready for.

In any case, I've always used my A-level results as an antidote to my poor degree performance in interviews.

ByMerryKoala · 20/02/2025 14:51

How would it be bad to take four a-levels and then aim to do well in them?

Original poster
MeJuly · 20/02/2025 14:49

A-level results may become the differentiating factor for graduate programmes when everybody has a First. That's a very interesting point!

OP posts:
ntmdino · 20/02/2025 14:46

If you see the point of A-levels as only to get into university, then it's a waste of time doing any more than the minimum required to get the grades listed in your #1 offer.

However, it's more nuanced than that. I can think of a number of reasons to work harder than the minimum needed for A-levels:

  • Having a record of top achievement prior to going to university as a backstop in case something goes wrong in your degree
  • Proven ability to work to a high standard throughout your school career
  • Actually learning things
  • A-level results may become the differentiating factor for graduate programmes when everybody has a First.
Original poster
MeJuly · 20/02/2025 14:44

Turns out an asterisk made part of my post bold. I meant:

If you look at the entry requirements for the top universities, the very top don't ask for four A stars but have interviews and tests to differentiate the top students. Below that none of them ask for four A stars and apart from Maths/FM none ask for four A-levels at all as far I know.

OP posts: