Am I going mad or was it like this for everyone at A Level?

[LuckyNumberFive]

I'm early-mid 30s and when I was choosing A Levels it was expected that those with good GCSE results would do 4 A Levels, but there was no expectation that you'd drop 1 in the second year.

This was back when it was an AS Level in one year and the second year counted as your full A Level. If you did well at GCSEs but not amazingly well you did 3 A Levels.

It seems now (and I agree with this approach) that you start with 3 or 4 but if the latter you'd usually drop one at the end of the first year?

Further maths at the time (whether a widespread view or just my school) wasn't classed as a full subject, you'd do 3 A Levels plus further maths, rather than 3 including FM which seems to be an accepted option now.

3 was standard when I took them, and I’m about 10 years older than you. Some people did take 4, particularly if they wanted to do sciences or add a language but it wasn’t that common.

Further Maths was always taken as a 4th subject, though, not one of the standard 3.

General studies was an AS

I chose to do four (1990s), but it was definitely not usual at all at the time, very much the reverse, and I’m pretty sure I was one of only two in my school year to do it out of around 60 per year group. It was the norm to take 3 unless you were doing further maths effectively as a +0.5 A-level together with maths (that’s what the other girl who did four was doing — Maths, Further Maths, Biology and Physics IIRC.

It’s also true that during the 2000s to around 2015, when the AS/A2 system was in force, it was normal to take 4 or even 5 AS levels, and then drop down to 3 or 4 subjects at A2 level (I know because I was doing university admissions in my subject during that time).

I actually think it’s a shame that the now Michael Gove-designed Reformed A Level replaced the AS/A2 system, which was more like the International Baccalaureate in that it gave candidates the opportunity to diversity more at AS and mix arts and sciences more, add a language, etc.

I think the current A-level is boring and restrictive in terms of reduced syllabus and breadth, and I haven’t noticed that being replaced by any increase in rigour or depth, either.

Oh and this post reminded me that I did in fact do A-level General Studies as well, as a fifth A-level but I had forgotten about that one! It was sat in Y12 and yes some universities, mainly those in the North, would take the JMB/NEAB version of GS as meeting one of your A-level grades — I remember York made me a 2-subject offer on that basis as I had already taken GS.

Yes I took two of those as well — at the time you could take either the S-level or the Cambridge STEP as qualifications beyond the A-level. S-level tended to be more humanities and STEP more sciences and maths. It wasn’t generally expected that you’d take more than 1/2 S-levels if any at all, but the exams for them took place a few weeks after the main A-levels which I remember being pissed off by: everyone else had finished and was enjoying themselves and I still had more exams to go!

Yes I did 5 until I dropped maths. But the 4th was general studies. When did that stop being offered?

Same here; 3'A's plus General Studies on the same no lessons basis, but I also did one of the old AS levels, which was 3/5 study for half a grade. Graduated '92

AFAIK the last remaining GS course was run by NEAB (the successor board to JMB). Lots of the exam boards merged and many disappeared around 2000, and the NEAB was absorbed into what became AQA.

Almost all A-levels became modular in England and Wales in the early 2000s, and I’m pretty sure the old GS A-level largely disappeared after that as a result. I haven’t seen it in the wild for a long time!

Thank you. I realised that my place hasn’t offered it all
the while I’ve been there.

Late 90s here and everyone took 3 only. The new thing about 4 or more is crazy to me. Why?? Like what even is the point? All the people that did 3 are now successfully working and doing fine. Who decided 4 was a good idea and why?

When the old 2-year A-level was replaced by the AS/A2 modular system in the early 2000s the idea was that the A-level would become more like the IB, with candidates encouraged to take 4-5 ASes in Yr 12, “certificate” these as AS qualifications, then choose 3/4 subjects to continue at A2. The idea was that the modular system would allow students to take a broader range of subjects, and they were encouraged to take a mix of arts, sciences and languages at AS, and then specialise down a bit at A2.

Michael Gove then decided, all Daily Telegraph-like, that old fashioned was better; and replaced that system with a revived 2-year A-level format where students’ final grade is only on the second year exams. ASes have almost disappeared; and students are encouraged to specialise early and only do 3 subjects from the start unless they’re doing Further Maths. It’s a much narrower curriculum than the AS/A2 system was, and these days kids never seem to mix unusual subjects — either they do all STEM A-levels or just three humanities only.

It’s become quite boring for them and not as good a preparation for university courses IMHO. The idea was to introduce more old-fashioned “rigour” but in practice it’s just quite dry and narrow, and not actually some kind of glorious return to the A-level of the 60s-90s or whatever Gove envisaged. Subjects like Eng lit and languages have plummeted as a result.

I did 3 A levels plus General Studies A level as a 4th but no work was done for that and was very easy and STEP Economics. Most people at my school did 3 A levels, some 2 and a few 4, often FM for 4th which at the time was sometimes counted more like 3.5 than 4. The people who did 4 didn't get better offers than those doing 3. State. Cambridge could see everything you had written in the STEP Economics. No preparation for that either but higher than A level. Not part of the Cambridge offer but if you went down in A levels could save you.

True, I dropped a grade in one A-level (missed a paper because I was throwing up with a migraine!) but my S-level meant they pulled me back.

I am older than you and it was standard for my generation to take 3. I think what happened was a few years later, when they went from being 100% exam based to partly work-in-progress based, the number of A grades went up quite a bit. So having an edge meant people took on a 4th A level and then of course, the A stars were introduced.

Kids went to a local 6th form college. In DSs year, they could opt for 4 and drop one. He did, very quickly actually. DD is the year below, and wanted to do 4 subjects (one was a BTec A level equivalent but part of their A level programme. When she went to enrolment, they made us go through another step to check it was OK as they no longer allowed this. They allowed her to enrol in all 4 and she completed all 4 courses, but two subjects had a significant coursework/pre exam work element), one of whip was Art where the exam is done before the others start.
i did 4 A levels at a grammar school but there was never any expectation you’d drop one. It was either 3 or 4.