DP has just declared that A'levels are harder than a degree.

[supersop60]

And that's what employers are looking for.
AIBU to think he's a twit?

One thing 'harder' about A levels is that so much depends on a single day or 2 days/ papers. If you've got flu or your dog dies on any one of your A level days you're whole future can be swung one way or another by a few points dropping a grade boundary within one hour (especially if you want to do a degree that doesn't accept retakes). A degree grade is made up of a whole year or two or three's worth of assignments, exams, reports, dissertations etc. If the worst comes to the worst you can do retakes or retake a year even in medicine degrees. It doesn't depend on any one single day.

So with A levels more depends on less.

The step up from GCSEs to Alevels is greater than the Alevels to degree. I got really good grades and went to a Russell Group Uni to do a science course and the Alevels were definitely more intense. He may have a point.

I didn’t do uni but I found a levels hard and it was one of my reasons for not going to uni as I was worried I’d struggle

I worked hardest for A-levels, so much depended on those very few exams. I still have nightmares sometimes. After that, first year at an elite university doing a hard science was relatively gentle. 2nd, 3rd and 4th years were hardcore though, although I was happy to get a 2.1 and enjoy life too, rather than the AAA needed to get into uni.

All my jobs have required not just a degree but a science post-grad degree too, so I think he's wrong about employer expectations.

I too found the jump from O levels to A levels much more difficult to manage than going from A levels to my degree. Mind you, my A levels were 44 yrs ago !

A levels are the hardest exams I took.
Degree level wasnt so bad as most was coursework written assignments which I'm really good at. Depends on the person

Agree it might also depend on calibre of university. I had a subject specific internship where there were people from same degree courses, same year, different unis. We compared course notes and experiences. We were all astonished at how some of the lower ranking universities concentrated on the 'easier' parts of the degree, generally the less theoretical and less mathematical parts. Some of the hardest compulsory modules I had to study were only taught at 2 (highest ranking) universities. Everyone else had dropped them. The thesis requirements were also noticeably lower in some unis.

I have a Masters but found my A levels harder because I'm motivated now and wasn't at 18!

Having done both I agree with him.

I went to medical school so it wasn't as though my degree was easy. A levels are to this day the hardest exams I ever took. I was poorly taught and found the time constraints for the content so stressful. So yes, imo they can be harder than a degree where you have weeks off to revise and a load of coursework which as long as you pace yourself can be less stressful (though not always) than a load of exams.

Also I only have one shot at my final a level exams. At med school I could resit everything ; even finals were done in January and could be resat in summer

I agree, I found my a levels harder than my degree - it will depend what you do for both but doing 3 vastly different a levels with one necessitating high levels of recall, I found them really hard. I found my degree far more interesting which probably helped in finding it easier.

Degree is harder as much more independent learning and tons of reading and research . No way are A-levels, harder sorry !

I did English literature and history

A degree grade is made up of a whole year or two or three's worth of assignments, exams, reports, dissertations etc.

Mine was mostly dependent on Finals, 3 hour exams 5 days running.
I think DDs will also depend heavily on finals, afaik no resits possible.

So... some people find some degrees harder than some A levels and vice versa seems to be the conclusion.

And as to what employers require - some may use A levels, some go more by the degree and others will require relevant postgrad qualifications so... we're all right. Except the OPs DH, whose blanket assertion based on limited experience makes him a twit.

I definitely found my degree much harder. The level of reading was a huge step up plus the level of analysis required. For my A levels I was out partying all the time barely did any work on rocked up and passed the exams at the end of the year. My degree I worked my arse off for 3 years solid I did come out with a first but it was blood sweat and tears. I am currently doing a masters in an unrelated subject and it’s the hardest by far. The level of reading required the amount of hours I have to spend researching just to write 3000 words is easily double my degree modules. Plus there is very little room for error. (Eg I lost 10% on my last paper for making some minor mistakes in my referencing because I failed to meet the standard and therefore missed all the marks for that objective) I regularly think I must be the stupidest person on the course/in the world because I work so so hard and I still don’t get the top grades there have been lots of drop outs.
My friend did a Msc in policing a found it a breeze despite not having a degree.

Perhaps your DP found the transition from GCSE to AS/A2 Levels difficult... It's a big academic, emotional, mental and maturity level jump. At GSCE, most under 16s can just about juggle 8+ subjects, maybe less and maybe more, some are compulsory and then you have to choose one or two that have some link to future AS/A2 Levels. The stress starts mounting. AS Levels are a step up in terms of developing analytical and critical/creative thinking, and though these are voluntary, students are pressurized to pick subjects that have a link, they are encouraged to think about transfwrable knowledge/skills, employability and university points. A2 Levels appear to be a breath away from first diplomas or 1st year undergrad, as these THE ticket into university.

But regarding undergraduate degrees at university being more difficult than options-based further education, I disagree. The levels of emotional, mental, academic and maturity are really ratcheted up - this is dependent of course on where you go, the teaching and learning style, and it's the first serious step toward your career.

I remember during my 1st year at university being counseller to learn hard, then 2nd and even 3rd won't appear so difficult.
I chose to do a diploma at the same time as my undergraduate, and found that by 3rd year I was working as hard as any given NQT (my studies dictated that I should). My postgrad degree in comparison was a lot less in terms of stress management.

Depending on your chosen career, wherever you go, employers will not disagreed what you did at university, NEVER. It may appear so and that is dependent on your co-workers and their educational paths, they may not have degrees for example. If they want promotions though, they will have to do training or some kind of FE/HE. That's hard and harsh.

Seriously though. If all employers were selecting their employees by A levels only, the universities would be out of business. Some are swayed that way, yes, but they're most likely after one or two transferable skills which they will try to capitalise on, and expect the employee to further develop too. And generally, they won't have the know how or ability, unless they have been to university and got a degree.

I think 'more difficult' is more to do with studying multiple often unrelated subjects, with no 'choice' over skipping lectures at a time when many teenagers are starting to get part time jobs, and god forbid, starting to develop hobbies and a social life at a time when the emotional intelligence is far from the end product.

A degree is obviously a big step up, but typically your whole life is dedicated to doing it, and you are that much more grown up.

I can see what he means.

Going from O level to A level was a ridiculously huge jump and was basically 2 its of non stop study and revision if you wanted decent grades. A level to degree seemed much easier - in many ways, degree seemed like a note researched in depth a level with extras, IYSWIM.

I used to say A levels were harder than degree but explained the context. What I actually meant was that studying for and achieving good A levels was harder than studying and achieving good degree.

So, in context, I agree with DP, however the bus about employers is way off. A degree is higher qualification with way more knowledge/info/areas of study and requires additional skills such as working alone, research, motivation, consistency, analysis, thesis, and so on.

Employers may look at A levels but will go by most recent /highest qualification.

*was basically 2 years...

I've done A levels, a degree and a PhD.
He's right, in general. You have more time for independent study at university and it's about critical thinking not rote learning, which I'm much better at.

It seems from people's examples it varies an awful lot
My degree subject encompassed several subject areas some completely new to me so wasn't just a matter of going into a subject I had done previously in more depth.
Some of it was completely new skill sets and they varied quite a bit. We were assessed through exams, crits/presentations & coursework. There was a very long hours culture on the course which is reflected the profession. Lecture and studio time was huge and that's before having to find time to do written work and research.
You have to do 3 degrees to become professionally qualified and not many make it all the way through, so the pressure is definitely there.

My A-levels however were modular so exams throughout the 2 yrs, with an ability to retake so some of the pressure was taken off.

I found my A levels much harder than my degree (20 years ago - good degree at good university).

A levels were SUCH a shock to me - the leap from GCSE's felt huge.

I have five a levels and four degrees and without a doubt the degrees were much, much harder.

And i think this thread has reached its conclusion!