This September’s sixth-form students are the first to start courses involving the new A-levels. New A-levels are not ‘modular’. Each involves taking several exam papers, but they must be done all together, at the end of the course. New A-levels have same A*–E pass marks, but exams will include a wider range of question types, and course work will be examined only if it is essential. Another major change is that AS exams will continue as a stand-alone qualification, but will not count towards new A-level marks.
New A-levels are arriving in stages — this September for English, economics, biology, chemistry, physics, psychology, art and design, history, sociology, business and computer science, then 2016 for subjects including geography, maths, and languages, with the final ones in 2017. Here are some of the implications for students and teachers:
• It won’t be possible to do some A-level papers at the end of lower sixth and then focus on the rest in the second year: students will need to know everything in depth for their final exams.
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