A Level Exams
A Level Exams
The A-Level exams can be a daunting prospect for any young adult. With the right preparation and practise these A-Level exams provide you with ample opportunity to showcase all of the skills and knowledge which you have been developing throughout the course.
The A-Level exams generally take place from May to June in the final term of school. Humanities subjects and English tend to begin in late May. Whilst Maths, Scientific subjects like Biology and Chemistry and Languages like French and Spanish, begin in June.
Each subject will require you to sit more than one paper. These papers will be sat on different dates over the course of May and June. There is no subject that does not require you to sit A-Level exams. Therefore, preparation and practice are key.
The A-Level exams are testing primarily your knowledge of the content you have learnt throughout the course. However, there are other key skills which the examiner is looking for. These skills depend upon the subject. For example, in Maths the exam will be testing your numeracy, data analysis, logical thinking and problem-solving. Whereas in a humanities subject such as History or social science, such as Economics, you will be tested on your knowledge, application, analysis and evaluation.
A Level Exams: The Results
A level results are given in August. This year the date for examination results is the 18th August.
Students are expected to collect their A-level results from schools and colleges early in the morning. Results will inform students whether or not they have been able to meet the required grades for any conditional offers made by their preferable choice at university. If these conditional offers have been fulfilled, then the student will receive an update from ucas. This will confirm their place at the preferred university. If the student does not gain the required grades the student has the opportunity to call the university to see if there are any spaces available.
The university is under no obligation to accept the student if he or she has not fulfilled the terms of the offer. In which case, the student may be better placed to attend the insurance choice. But if you do not fulfil the offers of both your first and insurance university, then you may need to go through clearance.
You may also be tempted to appeal you’re A Level grade. Students are able to ask for additional moderation of the A Level exams through the exam board. Though this may not necessarily guarantee an upgrade in the results. It is technically possible for the exam grade to also be marked down. An upgrade in the A Level exams grade may not necessarily guarantee a place at your first-choice university. This is because there is a set number of places each course has.
It is highly likely that each university will fulfil their quota for each course by the end of results day. Especially for the more competitive courses. Therefore, if you miss out on an offer at your first-choice university, it is perhaps more prudent to consider alternative options.
Preparation for the A-Levels
There used to be two types of A-Level exams: modular and linear. Modular exams entailed two exam windows each year: with one being in January and the other in summer around May/June. However, all exams are now linear. This means that all exams are completed at the end of your second year. The results of any A Level exams completed at the end of your first year holding no weight in your final result.
In preparation for your A-Level exams, it is important that you have sufficient notes. Ideally, these notes should cover the entire scope of the syllabus. This is because any topic can appear in the exam, and it is likely that each topic will appear at least once over the course of your different A Level exams.
Once these notes have been fully compiled, it is important to continue reviewing them until the subject knowledge is more or less embedded in your memory. It is at this stage that you should feel confident to complete as many past papers as possible. Ideally, your teacher will finish the content by April. This will give you at least a month to revise before you begin your A Level exams.
However, if you have complete notes and you review them regularly, lets say at the end of each week, then you should not need to write to many revision cards once you have finished the syllabus. This is because you would have memorised most of the information already!
Reading your notes
If you have been revising the content – by reading your notes regularly – throughout the year, then this will give you more time to focus on examination technique once your teacher has finished to content. At this stage, you can put all your energy into completing as many past papers as possible. Generally, the more past papers you complete, the more likely you are to do well. This is because when you practise past papers you will be able to quickly identify your weaknesses and strengths.
How a tutor can help prepare you for A Level exams
A tutor can really help to make sure you are prepared to sit your A Level Exams. Your tutor will make sure you are confident and well prepared for you’re A Level exams, this is so important for achieving higher grades.
Our tutors are up to date with the national curriculum and what is being taught across all A Level exam boards. This means they will equip you with all the knowledge you need to impress examiners and how to answer exam questions in order to school top marks.