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The Daily Insight

What are the entry requirements for A levels?

Author

Sarah Cherry

Updated on March 02, 2026

To study A Levels you need a minimum of five GCSEs at grade 4-9 or above including English Language. If you do not gain a grade 4 or higher in GCSE Maths you will have to study GCSE Maths alongside your A Levels.

Also to know is, can you do A levels in one year?

One-year A-level courses are highly intensive and effective courses offered mostly by independent sixth form colleges. They cover the entire A-level syllabus in about 30 weeks of teaching, between September and June.

Likewise, what subjects are compulsory for A levels? There are no compulsory subjects with A Levels. Instead, students are free to choose the subjects that interest them the most or they feel will be most beneficial to them for their future studies or career.

Considering this, what are the easiest A levels to do?

The 10 Easiest A-Level Subjects In 2020 (Ranked)

  • A-Level Law.
  • A-Level Drama.
  • A-Level Film Studies.
  • A-Level Geography.
  • A-Level Art.
  • A-Level Archaeology.
  • A-Level Sociology.
  • A-Level Food Studies.

Can I do 2 A levels in one year?

As long as you're willing to put in the work I see no reason why you can't pull this off specially as general studies is not really counted as an a level so you would actually be doing 2 a levels in 1 year which is achievable, good luck! Yes.

Related Question Answers

Can I do 3 A levels in one year?

TL,DR; DO NOT take 3 level subjects in just one year unless you are prepared to face lower grades AND enormous amounts of stress.

How many years does it take to do A levels?

Advanced level qualifications (known as A levels) are subject-based qualifications that can lead to university, further study, training, or work. You can normally study three or more A levels over two years. They're usually assessed by a series of examinations.

Do universities accept Fast Track A Levels?

On completion of your Fast Track A Level assessment you will receive a certificate awarded by a national awarding body such as Edexcel, AQA or OCR. Fast Track A Levels are eligible for UCAS points, for university entry.

Can you study for A levels at home?

A Levels online. You can choose from a variety of different subjects, including online A Level courses in forensic psychology, pure maths, history, biology and many more. The biggest benefits to distance learning A Levels or studying A Levels at home is that you can work at your own pace, and at times to suit you.

How many years is a levels in UK?

A Levels are usually studied by students in Sixth Form, which refers to the last two years of secondary education in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, taken at ages 16–18. Some secondary schools have their own Sixth Form, which admits students from lower year groups, but will often accept external applications.

Should I take 3 or 4 A levels?

One reason for taking four A levels is if there's more than one subject you're seriously considering studying at university but you'd need more than three A levels to cover all the entry requirements.

Can you drop an A Level in Year 13?

AS levels will still exist, and you can continue to take a separate AS level qualification at the end of Year 12 before dropping the subject or going on to take the full A level in Year 13 – but unlike before, your AS results won't count towards your A level grade.

What are the hardest A levels?

According to SnapRevise, the hardest A-Level subjects to study are:
  1. Modern foreign languages.
  2. Further maths.
  3. History.
  4. Physics.
  5. English literature.
  6. Chemistry.
  7. Maths.
  8. Psychology.

What are the most useful A levels?

These are the 10 most popular A-levels
  1. Mathematics. What could you study next?
  2. Biology. What could you study next?
  3. Chemistry. What could you study next?
  4. History. What could you study next?
  5. Psychology. What could you study next?
  6. English literature. What could you study next?
  7. Physics. What could you study next?
  8. General studies.

What are the most popular A levels?

The most popular vs the most useful A level subjects
  • Psychology: 7.4 per cent.
  • Chemistry: 6.7 per cent.
  • History: 6 per cent.
  • English Literature: 5.5 per cent.
  • Art and Design subjects: 5.3 per cent.
  • Physics: 4.7 per cent.
  • Sociology: 4.3 per cent.
  • Geography: 4.1 per cent.

HOW HARD ARE A levels?

A levels are made painfully harder if you choose subjects you feel obligated to do for certain career paths rather than subjects you enjoy. It is 2 years of hard slog and anyone who pretends A levels are not hard is either a genius or someone who does not care.

What is the hardest a level science?

However, the general consensus among students and teachers is that chemistry is the hardest A Level science. In some senses it combines the sheer amount of content in biology with the mathematical skills required for physics, which can often be seem daunting to some students.

When should you start revising for A levels?

You should start revising about 7 weeks before your first A-Level exam for best results. Any later than this and you face the risk of not being able to cover everything. Any earlier than this and you could end up forgetting what you revised at the beginning.

What is the easiest GCSE?

The Top 10 Easiest GCSEs
  1. Modern foreign languages - 63.9% of students achieving As or above.
  2. Classical subjects - 63.3% of students achieving As or above.
  3. Additional maths - 56.6% of students achieving As or above.
  4. Irish - 44.3% of students achieving As or above.
  5. Chemistry - 42.3% of students achieving As or above.

How do you pass a levels?

Revision Tips for A-levels
  1. Create a Revision Timetable.
  2. Practice Past Exam Papers.
  3. Collaborate with Classmates.
  4. Exercise Regularly.
  5. Figure Out Your Learning Style.
  6. Test Your Knowledge.
  7. Use Mind Maps to Connect Ideas.
  8. Day of Your A-level Exam.

Are A levels easy?

A Levels may be very easy and simple to some students, however extraordinarily difficult to others. This is due to factors such as differences in work ethic, IQ, determination, organisation, motivation, discipline, etc.

How many subjects are in a Levels?

Students typically study four subjects at AS Level and three subjects at A Level.

Is D an A level pass?

An E or D is still a pass at A-level, but it will result in lower Ucas points than a better grade. A pass is indicated by one of the five grades, A, B, C, D or E, where A (and A*) is the highest and E is the lowest.

Is a level maths hard?

So yes, in essence, A-Level Maths is more difficult than GCSE Maths. It's a step up in independency as you're expected to learn content on your own. It's also just generally harder content! The syllabus builds on and challenges GCSE Maths, and so you'll find that it ramps up in difficulty as you progress.

What is an A level equivalent to?

NVQ. What is it? An NVQ (National Vocational Qualification) is what's commonly referred to as a 'competence-based' qualification. A NVQ at Level 3 is the equivalent to doing A-levels and from there you can go on to study for a higher qualification, such as a foundation degree, HND, HNC or undergraduate degree.

Is Physics A level hard?

A-Level Physics is considered as one of the hardest courses due to the amount and complexity of material as well as the difficulty of exam questions. Even though, the subject is quite interesting and compelling for many of the students. There is no way one can memorise physical concepts and do well on the final exam.

Is a level history hard?

The difficulty of A-Level History is due in part to how much content you need to know. This A-Level is quite content heavy compared to other subjects, which can make it quite hard if that's not what you're used to. The reason more content makes an A-Level hard is because there's more to remember.

What does Level 1 course mean?

Level 1 – Basic or Foundation Level. Level 2 – equivalent to GCSEs or First Diploma Level. Level 3 – equivalent to A levels or Extended Diploma Level. Level 4 – equivalent to a Foundation Degree or Higher National Diploma.

Is computer science a level hard?

A-Level Computer Science is very difficult, with 4.9% of students failing the course (June 2018). This may not sound like a lot, but it is actually one of the highest failing rates of any A-Level. The work in Computer Science is split into two categories: programming, and theory.