Do you think universities would be impressed by 4 A levels, or should a student concentrate on 3 good exam results?

3 A grades are going to be seen as better than 4 Bs I would have thought

university places are getting more and more competitive – if you can do the 4th but get as good grades in them go for it, if it will effect the first three then concentrate on getting good solid grades in those.

unless it is general studies? 😉

Depends on the course – if it's a popular choice some relevant experience that demonstratets a commitment to learning AND the subject area are as useful as A grades.

Is it not a points system?

I did 4, it wasn't so bad, though 2 were maths which doesn't require the same amount of study as others (well it didn't for me).

Im same as Al – kind of, notionally I did "5" A-levels, but General Studies doesnt count and Maths was done a year early so that Further maths coul dbe taken in the U6th year along with the other two (Chem & Geog) Back then my offer was for me to get As in the Chemistry and Geography only (as I already had the A in Maths) the university didnt care about my General Studies or Further Maths grades.

If you happen to be good at Mathematics, you can do Maths, Furhter maths and physics which all require a similar way of thinking and not much remembering of stuff. I took chemistry as well and that requiered a ridiculous amount of revising compared to the others.

It didn't help with uni, but its still on my CV 10 years later.

a 2i from cambridge for instance isn't equal to 2i from derby, but a-levels are more standardised so its the only time you are directly compared to your peers. Mine still get picked up on by recruiters, especially in the city.

"A level in general studies" – is that the same as the 11+?

I was lazy, so only did three (and gen studies, but that doesn't count). But that was 15 years ago, so the whole system has changed since then – does the offers system still assume 3 A levels? If so, choose wisely and do three well, rather than four badly. Of course, if you can do four well, then do those….

Reminds me of a friend who, when deciding to go back and give university another crack, was asked how many points he had. "40," was his reply. "40? But we require at least 240 points."

Perplexed, he asked them how it was possible to have a business studies degree that required 24 A grades. "Ah," they said, "You've got four old style A grades, haven't you?"

"Yes," he replied. "Maths, physiscs, chemistry and biology. The first time I went to university was to study medicine."

"Welcome to the course!"

"A level in general studies" – is that the same as the 11+

It's funny, General Studies is often knocked (and was often knocked back when I was doing A-Levels) for being easy, yet loads of people did terribly at it and few did well.

Personally I think it's a good marker that you know about stuff that you haven't been specifically taught to pass an exam.

Surely it depends on which Uni you want to go to, which course you want to study and what the normal entry grades are. If you only need 3 A-levels to do the course you want at your first choice Uni, just do 3, but aim to do them well.

Always better to overachieve in 3 than underachieve in 4. Unless you're really brainy and think you can get 4 A's at A-level, in which case, go for it.

Unless you're really brainy and think you can get 4 A's at A-level, in which case, go for it.

do you need to be really brainy to get 4 'A's at A-level these days? Looks like they give'em away now! 😉

i started doing 4 (with GS coming in the second year to make 5), dropped one in the first week as it was balls, stuck at the rest. Messed up one of them and did well in the other 2. Dropped the messed up third, took up another to do in one year, got 2 x As, 2 x Bs in the end.

Having fecked about in my first year, universities were wary but through tenacity in applying i got through.

I think better to do three you know you'll enjoy than four (unless your fourth is GS)

It's funny, General Studies is often knocked (and was often knocked back when I was doing A-Levels) for being easy, yet loads of people did terribly at it and few did well

it is a joke – the colleges (schools) only do it to get the funding. our college did provide lectures (at lunch time) i went to the first one; it was about the sex industry in 18th century venice – given by a creepy guy who was obviously quite into the vices of historic venice!! weirdest lecture i've ever been to!!

Anything to stop you taking four, with the express intention of dropping the one you do the worst at after the first year?

The knock on effect for the other three? Doing four you could be ok at all four, but worse at one.
Do three, you could be excellent at all of them.

when i was a kid you had to have a letter from the queen to be allowed to do four

Don't the grades in general studies reflect which section of the Mirror the students read?

If there are universities you are interested in, ask them directly … IIRC, some will make a purely points based offer, but others (more likely to be Red Bricks / Russell group ones) will specify which grades they want and in which subjects. Sometimes you will also get "you need X number of points from A and B and then another X from either C and D." Most universities base their offers on 3 A Levels though.

BTW, in terms of grade inflation over the years … yes, it's true in a way, but it's also true that A Levels are aimed at over 50% of the population now, as opposed to the 10-15% in the late 80s when I took mine, so they aren't really comparable. I spent years (while a teacher) trying to reassure hard-working 6th formers that their A Levels weren't devalued, just a different system from in the past. Teaching is generally more effective these days too, although not always. The problem is that this difference has been gradual and no one in government ever bothers to tell the public this. I looked at my old A Level papers a while ago – the French I took was more like an Advanced Extention Paper these days, and the level of grammar and manipulation of language was far greater. That said, I knew little of French society and culture at the time – modern A Levels include that … same name, different exam.

It may impress them a tiny bit more but the reality of the situation is that most universities (apart from some Oxbridge courses) give three-grade offers e.g. AAB. It doesn't matter how many you have above and beyond that because 3 is all you need for that kind of offer. I did 4 A-levels in total (but something like 5 or 6 for AS – big mistake as I was spreading myself too thin) though one of those A levels was a language which is my first language (not English) so it really was a piece of pi*s.

Have a look at what your chosen universities require for your chosen course, chances are they will be three-grade offers (AAB/ABB etc.). Then, if you REALLY think you will comfortably manage doing a fourth and that it will improve your chances/help you get in then go for it – but only if you're certain you can cope, worst thing would be to do 4 and do average in all of them, as opposed to focusing on 3 and doing well. Speak to your teachers/head of year to get their opinion too.

Do 3 and have a bit more time to go riding 😀

I did four, increased this to five, by adding double Maths. I do not count General Studies as a subject. 🙄

Four distinct subjects e.g., two science and two arts subjects would look very rounded. If you are good at Maths, then Double Maths is a BOGOF; choose two more you like.

If you just like different subjects, then take four, you may get an AS halfway and drop one later.

unless you are likely to get all a's anyway you may be better off looking at some sort of extended project that counts towards UCAS points and can be targetted at something closely related to the course you want to do, can also help you "lead" any interviews too.

extended project info

If you are good at Maths, then Double Maths is a BOGOF; choose two more you like.

IMO Maths and futher maths were two totally distinct subjects and being good at one didn't mean being good at the other. I walked Maths without trying but just didn't get the content of Further Maths – it was too abstract, unapplied and boring to me. Maths for the sake of maths. It also did nothing for the degree I wanted. I picked my A levels by looking what the entry grades for the course I wanted to do were and adding a bit. I got a D in Gen Stud, because I never went to a single lecture and only turned up for the required testing, it posed no interest to me other than additional points for in case I cocked something up badly and needed every point I could get, which half-way through I realised I'd have no problems with fortunately.