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Secondary education

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Original poster

What is the point of AS Levels?

30 replies

Jewel1968 · 21/08/2022 18:23

DD got her AS levels results which were very good but all feels a bit anticlimactic for her. Lots of work and stress and not sure if there is any benefit to her having done them.

I have done research but can't see any logical reason to do AS levels. Thought I would ask mn in case there is a benefit I am missing.

OP posts:
daisychain01 · 21/08/2022 18:36

Instead of studying (the old style) A Levels for 2 years and then failing or not doing well in the exam, the AS Level gives the student Year 1 of the subject, with an attainable exam/coursework at end of Year 1.

All being well, the student enjoys Year 1 and decides to take it all the way through A2 for the full A Level. If not they have AS in a subject rather than nothing. They are a good intro to a subject to try it out.

catndogslife · 21/08/2022 18:53

Given that there were no GCSE exams in 2021 and grades were teacher assessed, I think that it's valuable experience for your dd to have taken external exams for the first time. It will also help her teachers with their grade predictions for 2023.
In a normal year there is minimal advantage if pupils do well, except for grade predictions.
However there are 3 years of funding for pupils post 16. So pupils who don't do very well on their chosen subjects can change direction and do something different and still have their level 3 courses funded.

redskyatnight · 21/08/2022 19:00

DS's school offer some subjects to AS that they can't offer until A Level. So it 's a chance to take a subject that you don't otherwise have (unless you go somewhere else, clearly).

poorbuthappy · 21/08/2022 19:02

My dd1 has gained valuable experience taking her AS levels this year's after gaining her teacher assessed GCSEs. I know this isnt the same for every year but we are grateful for them.

Original poster
Jewel1968 · 21/08/2022 19:06

Yes, I can see the practical formal exam experience given the last 3 years. That is a good point!
Do they count towards UCAS in any way other than helping with predicted grades. Do universities look at them at all?

OP posts:
bricken · 22/08/2022 11:38

They enable students to study a year of something they're interested in - education for the sake of broadening the mind, whether or not the qualification is considered "useful" for progression to HE.

Original poster
Jewel1968 · 23/08/2022 09:06

@bricken I would agree with you if it weren't for the exam and added stress. I am all for learning just to learn but exams are something else.

OP posts:
goldensky99 · 23/08/2022 09:07

Personally the AS results were a kick up the backside to study that bit harder for the following year

Superfrog3 · 23/08/2022 09:12

Jewel1968 · 21/08/2022 19:06

Yes, I can see the practical formal exam experience given the last 3 years. That is a good point!
Do they count towards UCAS in any way other than helping with predicted grades. Do universities look at them at all?

When I did my a levels just under 15 years ago, it was normal to do 4 AS's and then drop the subject you didn't like and do 3 a levels. You're AS result still gave you ucas points so contributed to you going to uni. Don't know if it's changed or not 😊

MatildaJayne · 23/08/2022 09:15

daisychain01 · 21/08/2022 18:36

Instead of studying (the old style) A Levels for 2 years and then failing or not doing well in the exam, the AS Level gives the student Year 1 of the subject, with an attainable exam/coursework at end of Year 1.

All being well, the student enjoys Year 1 and decides to take it all the way through A2 for the full A Level. If not they have AS in a subject rather than nothing. They are a good intro to a subject to try it out.

AS levels no longer count towards your A level. A2 is no longer a thing. It’s back to everything being examined at the end of Y13. AS is now a stand alone qualification.

Every school in my town has dropped them and just does internal end of Y12 exams now. Universities don’t care about them if you are continuing with the subject at A level. If you are dropping a subject, you do at least get a qualification for it. That’s the only benefit I can see in normal times. I suppose for the covid generation, at least it’s a formal exam they’ve done.

superram · 23/08/2022 09:15

In the olden days )before that fickhead Michael gove) they were essentially half an a level, now your as doesn’t count towards your a level which is why so few places do them-they are expensive and only count if you don’t go onto a level. I think their time is numbered as I can’t see how exam boards can continue to fund them.

superram · 23/08/2022 09:17

*dickhead!
** as don’t count towards a level
apologies for my fat fingers!

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 23/08/2022 09:18

The system when it worked properly was good, it was designed to encourage breadth of studies. So a student could swap between subjects and take say 8 AS. Which would be the equivalent to 4 A levels.

But it didn’t work because RG wanted to see depth of study. Then some exam boards stopped running them, as when the wonderful Gove changed everything, there wasn’t enough time for all the content.

Fifthtimelucky · 23/08/2022 09:21

I agree with the benefits others have mentioned. The other one is that where students take 4 subjects in the lower sixth and then drop one, it might help children to decide which subject to drop.

My daughter changed her mind about which subject to drop following her AS results. She did better than expected in the subject she had planned to drop and worse than expected in one of the subjects she had planned to continue.

She enjoyed both equally, and neither was relevant to her university plans, so it made sense to do the subject that was likely to give her a better grade.

bricken · 23/08/2022 09:24

Jewel1968 · 23/08/2022 09:06

@bricken I would agree with you if it weren't for the exam and added stress. I am all for learning just to learn but exams are something else.

Not all A level students get stressed about exams. Some actually enjoy them and/or see them as a challenge. And if the results don't influence progression, there is less pressure.

bricken · 23/08/2022 09:28

The reason a lot of people favour the iBacc over A Levels is the ability to cover a wider range of subjects. Three subjects at A Level is really only appropriate for students who know exactly what they want to do next and are ready to focus, and I'd argue they are the minority - most 16 year olds would benefit from a wider curriculum.

LaMadameCholet · 23/08/2022 09:33

No point to them at all. They don’t count towards your A Level any more, most universities don’t care about them, most state schools can’t staff a timetable that enables children to do 4 ASs and drop the one they like least. The vast majority of schools no longer run AS courses.

Dido2010 · 23/08/2022 15:59

Hi @Jewel1968!

AS Levels are popular with University Admissions Officers. The actual scores give a good indicator of the academic trajectory of an Applicant. They are a stronger test than GCSEs and are close enough in time to University applications.

So well worth doing them if they are readily available.

Original poster
Jewel1968 · 23/08/2022 16:34

@Dido2010 that is interesting to know.

OP posts:
Pottedpalm · 23/08/2022 19:14

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 23/08/2022 09:18

The system when it worked properly was good, it was designed to encourage breadth of studies. So a student could swap between subjects and take say 8 AS. Which would be the equivalent to 4 A levels.

But it didn’t work because RG wanted to see depth of study. Then some exam boards stopped running them, as when the wonderful Gove changed everything, there wasn’t enough time for all the content.

8 AS levels would not equate to 4 A levels; you had to be examined on the A2 content to get an A level

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 23/08/2022 19:17

Ds's school didn't do them at all, I can't see the point at all.

PhotoDad · 23/08/2022 19:17

redskyatnight · 21/08/2022 19:00

DS's school offer some subjects to AS that they can't offer until A Level. So it 's a chance to take a subject that you don't otherwise have (unless you go somewhere else, clearly).

That's the same at my DCs' school. It's something they can choose to do instead of EQP. The school doesn't offer AS in subjects that are on the main A Level timetable.

NotRainingToday · 23/08/2022 23:38

I didn't realise that AS level were still an option.
My DC didn't get offered them....eldest now 21, so 5 years ago they weren't an option in my area (Cambridge)
And definitely not an option if entering 6th form now.

sally2808 · 23/08/2022 23:48

LaMadameCholet · 23/08/2022 09:33

No point to them at all. They don’t count towards your A Level any more, most universities don’t care about them, most state schools can’t staff a timetable that enables children to do 4 ASs and drop the one they like least. The vast majority of schools no longer run AS courses.

In Wales, AS levels are still standard. A grade is awarded for the A1 paper. This contributes a maximum of 40% of the final grade and is then traded in with the A2 60% to get an overall A Level score/grade.

Dido2010 · 24/08/2022 09:39

In England, AS Levels were phased out from Summer 2016.

Some schools in England still offer 'stand alone' AS Levels in Year 12. But they do not count towards the full A Level in Year 13. The two may not go together seamlessly and it can be a lot of extra work for pupils and staff alike.