critical thinking AS

[eatyourveg]

ds1 has come home on his first day in the 6th form saying everyone has to take As critical thinking to boost their ucas tarriff.

I thought many universities discounted it.

Anyone know if there is a list somewhere that tells you which unis accept it and which don't?

We have to do it in college too....Uni I will be going to needs the as we have to apply in January.

Critical thinking is slightly more acceptable than general studies. Many universities discount one or both of them, but many do not.

I got a Grade A in general studies in the early 1980s on the back of three hours' work (I entered privately for various reasons, wrote an essay, had a teacher friend mark it, then did the exam three weeks later - as I was doing A Level sciences, the writing was the only issue) and I don't believe its academic "demands", or that of Critical Thinking, have hugely increased. I think it gets the appropriate amount of credit, which is "not much" and therefore your son shouldn't invest any work in it that wouldn't be better spent on improving the grades in his real A Levels.

To be fair, a programme of general reading and writing and analysis cannot harm at interview. But strong candidates should be doing that anyway, without needing the lure of an (almost worthless) AS to pull them on.

My DD also had to do Critical Thinking for AS level. Almost all of the more academic unis discount it, and don't make offers based on UCAS tariff points anyway. At first we were really quite annoyed that DD was being made to do a useless subject and worried it would adversely affect her other subjects. However, she really enjoyed doing it, because there is a lot of debating (and what teen doesn't like arguing!) and the revision of the skills of analysis, credibility of sources etc can only be useful. DD had 2 hours a week of it and said the exam wasn't difficult at all, apparently you just need a bit of common sense and no actual knowledge from the lessons. So even if the universities your DS applies to don't accept it, I wouldn't worry about it.

By the way, the reason it's compulsory is because the school gets money from the government for every student that takes it. It's not really about the tariff points.

My DD did Critical Thinking at AS in an independent school where it is positively encouraged - many girls got an A grade. All of them are doing 4 other 'regular' subjects where they're likely to get As and Bs so for our school its not about the points or any subsidy. The school genuiely thinks its a useful subject as a 5th AS (but never as a 3rd or 4th)

The OP asked which unis accept it.

In the course of my DD's application to study English next year we noticed that Brimingham positively encourage critical thinking at A2 level (not a mistype, yes A2). But that's the only place we noticed that encourages it as one of the three A2s.

"we noticed that Brimingham positively encourage critical thinking at A2 level (not a mistype, yes A2)."

Are you sure? English with Creative writing says "A level English Literature or English Language and Literature; a language other than English at GCSE grade C minimum and Critical Thinking at AS level are encouraged; Critical Thinking may also be offered at A2 level" but straight English says "English Literature ? A level English Literature or A level in Language and Literature; English Literature and Language ? A level English Language and Literature or both A level English Language and A level English Literature".

You're right, I'm sure, Tokyo

Its English with Creative Writing that my DD has applied for so that's what I'm remembering....