Would you let your child choose “easier” A-levels to get better grades?

[ainawatson]

My child is about to start sixth form and we're having a bit of a disagreement about subject choices.
They're considering subjects they genuinely enjoy and feel confident they can get good grades in, but I'm wondering whether they should choose more traditionally academic or “useful” subjects instead to keep more university and career options open.
Would you prioritise enjoyment and the chance of higher grades, or choose subjects based more on future career prospects?
Interested to hear what other parents and students would do!

I'm sorry but "things moved quite quickly"? I agree with @IdaGlossop that @ainawatson must live in a very disorganised household. Open days for sixth forms are in the autumn of year 11, and GCSE results are in the August of the following calendar year. Yeh that 10-month period passed in just a day. Hmmm.

Well I hope your DS is happy with his choices. If he got all 7s in his GCSEs that's a great start for A level. All the best to him.

He'll be fine at A level with 7s. Good for him. I wish him well and hope he is happy with his choices.

It's a shame you weren't able to get to any open days, which presumably happened last Autumn, as they could have saved you the difficult discussions you and DS have had to have over the last few weeks.

You can't force them to do things they don't feel interested in. Any subject where they display talent and enjoyment should be encouraged.
Not everyone wants to work in law or finance or tech.

Thanks for your opinion.

Passion makes the late-night revision actually bearable, and you'll always do better in something you genuinely care about than a "smart" choice you hate.

I don't think there are any 'easier' A levels.

The standard expected across the board is very high.

As a caveat to the advice to choose subjects they really like.- nothing kills enthusiasm for a subject like studying it for an important exam.

It's better to go with general strengths.(STEM, humanities, literature, languages, art, music) and also to look ahead to the sort of university they want to attend and the sort of career ideas they have. The grades are a stepping stone - what is the destination?

I agree with the point about looking at the destination, not just choosing subjects because they seem easier. A-levels are a big commitment, so checking university requirements alongside your strengths seems like the sensible approach. And yes, even a subject you love can feel very different once exams are involved!

Sone universities and subjects have ‘facilitating’ A levels. Oxbridge/Imperial etc are unlikely to consider a candidate that takes A level drama, business studies and PE, even at top grades, for economics for example. I think two of the A levels at least need to be facilitating subjects for what they need to do at university.

You don't think STEM research requires deep thought.
Unless they are a dunce at STEM iwould steer them that way.j
As an employer i would take a D in maths, chemistry or physics over an A star in physics any day ofvthe week

Hi OP
I've speed read your comment but not the whole thread so apologies if I'm repeating anything but there is an excellent thread currently on Mumset called something like 'warning for those taking A level maths'. I completely agree with it that if you child wants to do well in Maths (A A*) they need to be a natural 9 (who may have just missed and got an 8). There is great graph that shows A level results from those who got 6,7,8,9 in GCSE.

Results do matter and if the course they want to do a university does not require A level maths but does require A A A then picking maths, if it has always required tutoring, might be the wrong choice.

My DH is a sixth form teacher/Head of house and every year he advises his students to
A) look outside of university to see if their chosen career is achievable via an apprenticeship
B) look at the subjects and grades the course/university requires
C) pick subjects that they are strongest at - as it is very unlikely a childs top 3 strongest subjects won't also be ones they do enjoy.
They may really enjoy a weaker subject too and want to do that but this is when they need to be mature beyond their years, be strategic and choose the ones that will enhance their future prospects. There is nothing that will kill their enjoyment in a subject than struggling at it (compared to their peers) and other than too many extra curricular clubs, or simply not doing any work, choosing one A level that is too hard will eat into the time you have to do well at your other A levels. One bad A level choice can easily turn the other two potential A* grades into A or B grades.

So while it is important for children to 'pick what they are interested in' you are right to be concerned. You are right to want to guide them to subjects they will be able to excel at, rather than struggle with. Trust me - the children in the top boarding schools are told this in no uncertain terms. My DH doesn't work in one but a friends 'thick' child (the friends words not our) just got A*AA in his A levels as a day student in a top boarding school, and more importantly his first choice top tier university for the career of his choice.

Children choose A levels for all manner of reasons (because a teacher flatters them into doing it, because their mates are doing it, because they think they are better than they are and don't appreciate the help they have had and the jump from GCSE to A level). It is your job to guide them to success not let them make choices you know aren't right.

I've just realised I have no idea which subject(s) you are concerned about, I just assumed maths, but I think my second-hand advice is pretty generic anyway. Good luck to you and your Son. I hope he really enjoys his 6th form years (2 of the best years of my life back in the 90s!)

I know of two DC who took maths A level because their parents thought they should. It didn’t end well for either of them. A levels are very different to GCSE’s. Everyone has a natural level for a subject without too much effort, that means someone will get a 9 at GCSE and someone else a 2. Once the natural ability is exhausted the work really begins. If the subject is enjoyed they are much more likely to push through from their natural ability level upwards than if they are just slogging away. Subject choice should be entirely down to the individual who has to actually do the work and live with the consequences.

My DS works in tech for an AI startup. He and 1 other are the only UK born employees out of around 50. All the others are here on visas from all over the world.

I am only mentioning this as I think if more UK students focused on future employment rather than doing what they loved, we may have fewer unemployed grads.

Agree. Mine takes four then drops one end of this year. She suggested sociology for her forth which husband I were not supportive of but we kept our powder dry and discussed pros and cons and she came to her own conclusion and swapped for economics.

That’s a really interesting perspective, especially the point about looking at the university requirements and the child’s strongest subjects rather than just choosing what they enjoy. I agree that struggling with one A-level can end up affecting the others too.
I think the balance between guiding them and letting them make their own choices can be quite difficult though. At what point do you think parents should step back and let them take the risk themselves?

Thank you for your advice. I really appreciate it.

That’s a really interesting point. I do think there’s a balance between choosing something you genuinely enjoy and thinking realistically about where it can lead you afterwards. The job market can change so much by the time students graduate too.
I suppose the difficult part is knowing which careers will actually be in demand by then. Did your DS always plan to work in tech, or did he end up there through his degree?

Psychology isn’t a ‘soft’ subject. You can do a BSc in Psychology at RG universities and A Level Psychology counts as a science for many RG Degrees

I disagree - not because A levels or degrees are easier but because there is a huge crisis of reproducibility in psychology. It is soft in the sense that there is a lack of real solid stuff that it is based on.

I think maybe a different sort of ‘deep thought’. Your post doesn’t make much sense, however, I think we probably look for very different sorts of skills and characteristics in both our recruitment and everyday life.

Well if they are strong in 3 but want to drop 1 for a weaker subject then a conversation needs to be had.

If they are strong in 4-5 then the choice of the 3 should be up to them, and them alone.

If they know what they want to do great, they can pick A levels to achieve it. If they don't then they should pick the ones they enjoy. Parents should respect that.

Parents are there to give advice and stop bad decisions, not to make the decisions. What you think is irrelevant. If you have a child who is predicted to do well at 3 subject then back off and let them get on with it.

What don't you think make sense?

It doesn’t make sense to me either - Ds in 3 STEM subjects vs A* in one of those 3 …did you mean physics for that one or was that meant to be some other subject?

"As an employer i would take a D in maths, chemistry or physics over an A star in physics any day ofvthe week"

Yes, I think that’s a fair way of looking at it. If they’re strong across several subjects and know what they want to do, I agree the final choice should really be theirs. I just think parents can sometimes spot potential problems that a 15/16-year-old might not see yet, so having the conversation is important. Ultimately, though, they have to be happy with the choices they’re making.