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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Original poster

Biology with no practical element?

25 replies

Hoppinggreen · 22/07/2023 08:54

DD is going to have a gap year and do Biology A level online because she needs it for her chosen course.
The online provider we have found offers the Practicals as a paid for extra but says that the A level will be of the same status if she doesn’t do them.
Does anyone know if this is the case?
I am happy to pay for the practicals if they are needed but if I don’t have to and I can save around £1000 then I would prefer to
DD reckons you can YouTube them and learn the necessary info for the exam from that

OP posts:
PrivateSchoolTeacherParent · 22/07/2023 09:07

Science A-levels now have a practical section where a teacher needs to sign off that students have demonstrated particular skills. It's a big deal and lots of paperwork for teachers. The grade is given on the A-level certificate along with "pass" or "fail" for the practical component.

Many but not all universities say that an offer including a science subject also requires a pass in the practical, so please do your research carefully!

Revengeofthepangolins · 22/07/2023 09:50

Tbf I think they say that the practical part has to be passed if there is one. Am curious though ehich a level board doesn’t require a practical element.

OP posts:
KittyMcKitty · 22/07/2023 10:00

My dd has just taken A level Chemistry and Biology (and Psychology) and has applied to Uni for a subject (sociology) which does not require these A levels. All the courses she applied to stated that students who took science A levels needed to have passed the practical component. The core practicals were a massive part of the course. The need to pass this component was suspended for a couple of years during Covid - I think this year is the first it returned.

Maybe the best idea would be to look at entry requirements for courses / unis she’s interested in.

KittyMcKitty · 22/07/2023 10:02

Just seen she needs Biology for her course - in that case I’m sure she will need to pass the practical component - it will say in the course entry requirements.

PrivateSchoolTeacherParent · 22/07/2023 10:11

Yep, as the site OP linked to says;
"If you are unsure whether you need A-level Practical Endorsement, then please check with your university choice as to what entry requirements they have or get in touch with our learning advisers, who will be happy to provide more information."

If Biology is required for the uni course, I would bet pounds to pennies that a pass in the practical is required. OP, what's the course?

Dotcheck · 22/07/2023 10:15

The UCAS application asks whether the practical element was passed.
Entry criteria for science based courses usually stipulate that the practical part is passed.
Why doesn’t she do an Access course instead?

Original poster
Hoppinggreen · 22/07/2023 10:24

It’s Zoology she wants to do.
@Dotcheck she hadn’t decided 100% which Uni she wants to go to buy when we spoke to her favourite at their open day last year doing the A level remotely was the best option
We think that she should do the Practicals because no Uni will penalise her for NOT dong them

OP posts:
twelly · 22/07/2023 10:38

Not all universities require the practical section - every year students are admitted without it as they were either a private candidate or perhaps ill over the course of the two years. In addition many students from abroad studying international A levels do not have to pass this element. It really depends - the admissions tutor will be the best one to advise.

RampantIvy · 23/07/2023 07:54

twelly · 22/07/2023 10:38

Not all universities require the practical section - every year students are admitted without it as they were either a private candidate or perhaps ill over the course of the two years. In addition many students from abroad studying international A levels do not have to pass this element. It really depends - the admissions tutor will be the best one to advise.

I believe that most do. Daughter did biomedical sciences and needed to have passed the practical element in biology and chemistry.

I very much doubt that a university that asks for biology A level as an entry requirement would not want a pass in the practical element.

twelly · 23/07/2023 11:13

@RampantIvy it depends on the university and course, you need to contact the admissions tutor as each student is different.

orangeleavesinautumn · 23/07/2023 11:16

She will be seriously disadvantaged without the practical element. Most A levels require a pass in the practical element as a precondition for sitting the theory paper - and most universities expect it. There needs to be a VERY good reason not to do it, ie, sat the exam in prison, etc.

ErrolTheDragon · 23/07/2023 11:22

Is her chosen course one which will require practical skills at all?

I'd be on the page of her doing the A level practicals anyway, but if her uni course has a practical element it'd be foolish not to have some experience beyond gcse. She might decide she doesn't like lab work.

Anyway - as others have said it'd be a good idea for her to contact the admissions tutors for the course at whichever unis she's thinking of applying to and ask them. Their contact details should be easy to find on the uni websites and it's their job. (My dd contacted a few about a level choices and got some very helpful and friendly responses).

PrivateSchoolTeacherParent · 23/07/2023 11:23

@orangeleavesinautumn "Most A levels require a pass in the practical element as a precondition for sitting the theory paper"

Which ones...?

cocunut · 23/07/2023 11:58

If I were you OP I'd consider sending DD back to sixth form, doing this online sounds like a minefield...

orangeleavesinautumn · 23/07/2023 11:58

PrivateSchoolTeacherParent · 23/07/2023 11:23

@orangeleavesinautumn "Most A levels require a pass in the practical element as a precondition for sitting the theory paper"

Which ones...?

science ones, that is what we are discussing, isn't it.

orangeleavesinautumn · 23/07/2023 12:00

orangeleavesinautumn · 23/07/2023 11:58

science ones, that is what we are discussing, isn't it.

Show quote history

Same as GCSE. The practical isn't assessed, as such, but by entering the exam you are guaranteeing the student is familiar with the practical, ie, has done it, unless there is a very good, predeclared, reason why not. The exam board chooses random centres each year and interviews the candidates to quality assess this. NOt to be familiar with the prac would be fraud

PrivateSchoolTeacherParent · 23/07/2023 12:15

orangeleavesinautumn · 23/07/2023 11:58

science ones, that is what we are discussing, isn't it.

Show quote history

@orangeleavesinautumn I meant, which exam boards? None of the science A-levels I've taught have worked like this, ever. Once upon a time there used to be a Practical Exam, and now there is teacher assessment of certain skills, recorded in an "endorsement" separate from the grade. Getting a practical pass isn't a condition of sitting the papers in AQA, Edexcel, or OCR boards, so I was wondering which papers you were thinking of.

GCSE assessment is different, but also not as you describe.

Not helpful to provide the OP with incorrect information!

PrivateSchoolTeacherParent · 23/07/2023 12:24

@orangeleavesinautumn I've just checked. Eduqas (Wales) uses the same system as England. However, CCEA (NI) uses a different system... which is still not what you describe. The practicals are marked by the teachers as coursework and they count towards overall grade.

PrivateSchoolTeacherParent · 23/07/2023 12:36

And CIE ("International A level") still has a practical exam. Can't think of any other boards off the top of my head. (Yes, slow day here in the Photo household...)

Original poster
Hoppinggreen · 23/07/2023 14:03

cocunut · 23/07/2023 11:58

If I were you OP I'd consider sending DD back to sixth form, doing this online sounds like a minefield...

Not sure how we could do that

OP posts:
Original poster
Hoppinggreen · 23/07/2023 14:04

Thanks to everyone who replied, she is doing the Practical element.
An additional £1000 but never mind

OP posts:
Sycasmores · 23/07/2023 15:21

She will be at a disadvantage if she's never done practicals and launches into a science degree. So I think you're asking the wrong question.

Original poster
Hoppinggreen · 23/07/2023 16:07

Sycasmores · 23/07/2023 15:21

She will be at a disadvantage if she's never done practicals and launches into a science degree. So I think you're asking the wrong question.

Thank you but if you read the thread you will see that the question has been answered and she is doing the practicals

OP posts:
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