Applying for maths at Cambridge

[Laurensorrenson]

Hello, my son is in his first year of A levels, he's taking 4 subjects , including maths and further maths. He was given the option to sit his maths A level a year early, this year.
He is applying for Cambridge to study maths, should he take his A level in maths early or should he sit all 4 next year. If he takes an early A level does it affect his application for Cambridge?

My DS was an unsuccessful applicant for economics many years ago. We watched the admissions session together where they said yes they don't like it if someone does an A-level a year early.

Something about "we want to see you can handle the workload at Cambridge. 4 subjects is what's expected"

Sit all 4 in the same year. They will want to see if he can manage the workload. Maths at Cambridge is not for the faint hearted. He will need to get in the top 50% of those offered a place in the Step exams. So just getting an offer doesn't mean you have a place. Cambridge set the pass mark for Step - it's brutal.

My son applied for a different subject and the entrance exam and interview was bad enough. He was rejected/redirected.

Good luck

My advice is exactly what PP quoted just said

Hi, OP -

With respect, the best answer to this question will come from Cambridge. DS (himself) should pose this question to the admissions teams at a couple of his favourite Colleges. It doesn’t matter who he contacts because they will route the message to an appropriate person. Email is best.

Is DS doing A level Maths this year and FM next year? If so and if he is acing his mocks I think this is a very reasonable thing to do, but contacting C is best.

I am a former admissions tutor in a strong Russell Group STEM School. Most admissions tutors are happy to help and this is definitely amongst the more pleasant of the many questions we get. Best wishes to DS

I too would say sit all 4 together.
By the time the exams come round the Maths should seem super easy having done the FM.
Sitting it early runs the risk of not getting an A-star .

That said, of my friends who did Maths at Cambridge 40 or so years ago, I think we almost all say now that with hindsight we would have done a different degree! (I'd have switched to CompSci).

If someone is up to Cambridge maths, then they should sail through the single maths A-level with no revision needed in year 13, so there's no real advantage to "getting it out of the way". Whether they are able to sail through it in year 12 is basically down to the order in which they are taught the material for the two A-levels. Cambridge aren't going to think he's cleverer because he's done it early; others may be just as clever but in a school where they aren't able to teach the further mathematicians in that order.

(Isn't it a bit late to be asking this now?)

They’ve got a FAQs section which covers this and other questions which may be relevant to your DC.
If in doubt he can contact the admissions tutor at colleges he might want to apply to as they can vary in details.
https://www.maths.cam.ac.uk/undergrad/admissions/faq

At my DC’s school, anyone taking FM does Maths in year 12. There’s no disadvantage. But also no particular advantage either way. My DC got into Cambridge engineering with A in maths taken in year 12, plus 3 A in year 13.

Good point!

If the situation is that he has already been entered and readied to take it this year, then he might as well carry on, and I don't think it will be any disadvantage. I don't think the "coping with sitting all four at once" is really an issue - if he were required to sit the single maths papers again next year, it would make little difference to his workload. It's different when there are four completely different subjects to be on top of.

Given many schools structure their M/FM timetable in the way OP’s dc’s college has, they can’t discriminate. Their FAQ page linked to above clearly sets out the expectation where applicants have sat M in year 12 and FM in year 13.

So no, won’t be an issue either way.

The random bold above means I was saying DC got A star in year 12 and 3 A stars in year 13.
whoops

Yes! I know.
He is already down to do his A level this year.
But if it will be detrimental to his chances surely he can wait till next year.
I dunno 😱

Note that in the FAQs the ‘workload’ issue in relation to having sat maths in yr 12 is if they’re doing 3 A levels in total ie it would be only 2 in yr 12.

I think it is clear from the FAQ it would be OK though?
I wouldn't disrupt things at this stage.

it can do actually

my DS took his maths A Level a year early as did all of those in FM

those that applied to Cambridge were told to retake that A Level

its a very easy A level for those going to the top unis for Maths ie COWI so it’s not an issue at all for them to retake.

FYI, the FAQ referred to by @ErrolTheDragon states that an A star in Y12 A level Maths is generally acceptable. This can be true at some Colleges even when only two additional A levels are taken in Y13 and grades of A star and A are earned. Demonstrating ability to manage the Cambridge workload can be shown (for those Colleges) by meeting the STEP II and
STEP III requirements with the Y13 A levels.

Cambridge themselves suggest contacting College admissions tutors with any questions, and there is no implication that the statement above is true across all Colleges.

The thing is to take it when everyone else is after one year and if they request him to retake then he just retakes

if he doesn’t get an A + both times then he’s not good enough for Oxbridge anyway

It’s not detrimental to his chances at all

you need to stop interfering OP

if he needs to take it twice then so be it

A Level maths for those that are good at maths like my DS find it super easy.

Yes, I'll stop interfering in my 17 year old education. Wtf.
He'll get an A star if he takes it this year or next. That is not my question.

Where else is he applying? I do not know what Imperial and Warwick think about doing an A-level early.

@Laurensorrenson

urm ok then

Well OP

why don’t you just call Cambridge to ask 🙄 directly

I agree with your sentiment, but emailing is better. It’s more convenient for the admissions team and, importantly, gives the candidate a written record.

Also, the candidate should do this for themselves, absent special needs. No one I know of has ever kept records but it is always noted mentally when parents take on DCs’ responsibilities in these matters