If the O-levels are putting skates on, know that A-levels are like trying to stand up and move. Yes, you’re reading it right.
You need to put twice as much effort as you did in your O Levels over a much shorter period of time.
However, The phase is difficult but not impossible and it is possible to survive the transition. So here’s a blog with collections of tips and advice.
What are O’Levels and A Levels ? How much time does it take to complete ?
A level and O level are two different levels of educational qualifications.
A-level (Advanced level) : A level is a secondary school leaving qualification that is usually taken by students in the UK and from different countries at the age of 16-18.
It is typically studied over two years and is equivalent to the final two years of high school.
O-level (Ordinary level) : O level is a secondary school leaving qualification.
The O level was typically studied by students in the UK at the age of 16 and was equivalent to the first two years of high school.
Having a Clear Mindset.
First, keep this in mind that this is not O-Levels and A-levels are 10 times harder than O-levels.
O level mostly involves brushing the surface of a topic while A level tends to be more focused with conceptual and critical thinking.
You might be thinking, that “I passed O’Levels with 8 subjects so it will be easier for me and A Levels generally only have 3 to 4 subjects, right? Why would it be hard?”
That’s because every subject goes into much deeper and complex chapters, the number of subjects is reduced to suit the more complex content.
However, the syllabus content is simply too large, and the time period is too intensive for it to not feel much harder.
Some DO’s and DON’Ts —
- Don’t procrastinate :
You can cover the O Levels syllabus in half a year but even the entire chapter of one subject in A Levels might not be enough.
A lot of people make the mistake of thinking that piling up all your work four months before your exams might work out in A levels like it did in O levels but you really do have to start preparing for your exams from the day you start classes.
The sooner you start preparing the better it will be for you to grasp the contents.
A level content is a lot harder to comprehend, and a lot of your ability to score marks can come from how well-organised you’re with the markscheme points and the format.
- Say no to memorising :
Simply memorising notes cannot be your strategy to ace exams.
Solving as many past papers as possible, learning information from those papers about patterns of answering and utilising that information to enhance your own answers is the only sure way to score marks.
A lot of the questions you’ll face in exams are also highly analytical and case-based so a clear concept of your subject content is important..
- Time management :
Your time management strategy needs to be tight.The first few months should be spent tackling your subject content and solving papers topic wise to get the hang of it.
After finishing your syllabus, as the mock time period rolls around, you should be in a state of mind with constant revision and solving yearly papers.
- Tips for excelling exams :
Looking up further information on topics online. Making your own notes, since they’ll allow you to grasp the topic better and help retain more of it in your mind.
Taking notes and advice from A Level seniors. Practice papers with a time limit.
Check them by yourself using the mark scheme, and check the examiner’s report to better understand common mistakes in questions and how your answers could be more organised and structured. Reading through your subject specification.
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Writer
Marzia Noor
Intern at content writing department
YSSE