A Level Tutors – Advanced Level Examinations
Why should you take the A Levels?
The A Levels is the most popular qualification in the UK, with most pre-university schools offering it as a main option. It is world renowned due to its ubiquity and high standard of education, being recognised and favourably looked upon by all the top universities in the UK and beyond during the admissions process. The A Levels impart critical thinking skills and prepare candidates for the real world by challenging them to move beyond simple memorising of content and apply what they have learnt in innovative ways. Our experienced A Level tutors can guide you through your revision and exam consolidation as well as help with the EPQ.
How challenging will the A Levels be?
Taking the A Levels is perceived as one of the most significant milestones for a pre-university student, with most finding it significantly more challenging than the GCSEs. The A Levels mark an end-point for life in school but also a turning point for young adults to transition into the next phase of their life. This can lead to a variety of trajectories, and is often what helps one determine the most appropriate specialisation and career path for them. It is important to work hard for the A Levels and set goals for yourself as you start thinking about grade requirements for your top university choices or the vocational tracks that best suit you. Further careers planning and university applications can be worked through with the A Level tutors as part of the tuition programme we offer.
However, this does not need to be a stressful journey if you start preparing yourself for the examinations ahead of time. Ultimately, the A Levels are not only an opportunity for you to do your best and strive for excellence, but also to learn about yourself, what you are passionate about and what your skills are. It is all about the long game, and A Level tuition helps you stay on track with whichever subjects you find especially overwhelming to grapple with on your own. It will provide you with a sound support system when you face challenges, allowing you to grow in confidence and tackle the A Levels with ease when the time comes.
A Level Examination Boards
The A Levels in the UK are administered by five main examination boards: AQA, CCEA, Edexcel, OCR and WJEC. Each of these boards provide useful resources for students on their web pages that lead to content you should familiarise yourself with over the course of your time in school preparing for the A Levels.
For example, reviewing the syllabus and learning objectives of each subject you are sitting for can be supplemented with practising sample questions in past year papers. We can also assist with EPQ preparation with experienced EPQ tutors.
Choice of subjects
There are about 80 subjects offered in the A Levels. The following are some common A Level subjects offered in most schools:
- Biology
- Business
- Chemistry
- Chinese (Mandarin)
- Economics
- English
- Environmental Science
- French
- Geography
- History
- Mathematics
- Music
- Physics
- Psychology
- Spanish
- Statistics
- EPQ
Selecting which subjects to take is an important decision. You will be able to choose a maximum of five subjects. Most students choose to take three to four subjects, studying them over a period of two years or dropping their extra subject(s) in their second year.
The majority of university admission requirements consider three A Level subject grades. This will be aligned with their future degree plans; for example, a strong candidate applying to study medicine in a competitive university would score well in Biology and Chemistry A Levels subjects, successfully fulfilling admission requirements.
You can convert your A Level grades to the UCAS points scale, which is often used by universities to standardise requirements.
How to revise for the A Levels, EPQ & can A Level tutors help?
I highly recommend being proactive in class, completing your assignments in advance, reading beyond the required textbooks, taking extensive notes, making your own study guides, downloading mark schemes, practising exam-taking skills like time management, timing yourself when going through these sets of questions and practising in the same quiet conditions of an examination hall to grow accustomed to the experience so you don’t feel as daunted during the real thing. Simulating these conditions during sessions to memorise content and practice questions has been psychologically proven to be effective in preparing students for taking the A Levels.
A Level tutors will be able to guide you on how to best learn content, retain knowledge, and apply it in different scenarios that could come up in the A Level papers. Taking A Level tuition is a tailor-made experience that keeps you on track over the course of your higher education and accounts for your unique learning needs. Whether you are an auditory, visual or kinaesthetic learner, A Level tutors can help you find how you can reach your full potential.
Checklist: Have you looked over the following in your respective board website?
- Specific subject and topic syllabi
- Subject grade boundaries
- Recommended subject textbooks and other reading material
- Past examination papers
- Past examination mark schemes
- Supplementary digital learning resources
- A Level schedule for your academic year
- Grade and subject requirements for university applications
A Level & EPQ tutoring
Mayfair Consultants offers at-home, one-on-one private tuition in a wide variety of A Level subjects to clients living across the London area, preparing students for the pre-university track. We will help with understanding content outlined in syllabi, gaining specific skills required to effectively tackle the A Levels and how to score on the examinations. Our fully-qualified A Levels tutors are highly skilled specialists, with many holding postgraduate degrees (Master’s and PhD) in specific subjects you want to focus on. They offer clear, concise explanations and stimulating approaches, helping to support the needs of every client.
If you’d like to arrange private lessons or have any questions about our tuition services, please call us on Tel: +44 (0) 207 665 6606 or you can send us an email via our contact form.
Useful A Level & EPQ Tutors resources
https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/about-us/qualification-brands/edexcel.html
https://www.ucas.com/further-education/post-16-qualifications/qualifications-you-can-take/levels
https://www.ucas.com/connect/blogs/how-do-well-your-levels
https://www.theuniguide.co.uk/advice/ucas-application/revision-exams-making-the-grade
https://www.theuniguide.co.uk/advice/a-level-choices/how-are-my-as-and-a-level-studies-structured
https://www.careerpilot.org.uk/information/a-levels/choosing-your-a-levels-what-you-need-to-consider