GCSE season is wrapping up and you’ve probably already decided on your subjects for next year. However, it’s not too late to change. Maybe you want a challenge, something a bit simpler, or just want the general opinion on the courses you’ve chosen. Here’s the answer to what are the hardest A levels, as well as the ones deemed the easiest.
Whether you still need to decide on what to take or want to brag to your friends that you ‘unintentionally’ picked the hardest ones, we have the rankings on A-level subjects in the UK. Perhaps after taking your exams, you decide that maybe a subject isn’t for you. Luckily, we can tell you the easiest and hardest courses for when you go to college.
The Hardest A Levels In The UK
Though whether you find something difficult is subjective, many sources agree that the following are regarded as the hardest. We’ve put them in no particular order, as this often changes, but these subjects appear in many lists.
Both Maths Make It On The List
- Further Maths: The fact it’s recommended that you get an A/A* or 8/9 at GCSE Maths to take Further Maths says everything you need to know. You should definitely be a confident mathematician if you’re thinking of taking this A-level.
- Maths: Different to its Further Maths counterpart, you could always take both if it’s a subject you really enjoy. This looks at mechanics, statistics and pure, getting more challenging in the second year. However, it does look particularly good on a CV.
All The Sciences Are Considered Difficult
- Psychology: Its inclusion in the ranking may be surprising, but there is a lot to learn in Psychology. There’s a lot of writing and a huge amount of theory to remember, plus it has one of the highest dropout rates.
- Biology: Describes as 2-3 times harder than GCSE, you’re left to your own devices on the A-level Biology course with a lot more independence. Depending on the university degree you’re after, we suggest only taking this if you really love it or need it for higher education.
- Computer Science: Though it’s becoming more popular, it also has a fail rate of almost 5 per cent, which is pretty high. This is made up of theory and programming, so you’ll need to be super smart and determined to do well in Computer Science.
- Physics: This is the science you should take if you also love/ are really good at maths. A huge 40 per cent of Physics is made up of maths, so the two go hand in hand pretty well, but it’s definitely one of the hardest A levels to take.
- Chemistry: It’s no surprise that all the sciences made it onto this list. In fact, Chemistry is often regarded as the hardest of the sciences at A level. It’s quite disconnected from the GCSE course, so prepare to be learning something new.
And The Rest Of The Hardest A Levels
- Modern Foreign Languages: This is Spanish, Germany and French. Learning any beyond GCSE is a huge achievement and particularly difficult.
- History: This is a subject for those who can remember a lot of dates and names. Similar to the GCSE course, just with more required of you, History is for those who are passionate about the subject.
- English Literature: Though this one is very common, that doesn’t make it easy. There’s a lot to remember— quotes, pages and referencing can be hard to retain. It also involves creativity to apply context and develop your own ideas.
The Easiest A Levels To Take
Those these are deemed ‘easier’, many people will still find them difficult and there’s nothing wrong with that. This is just the general opinion and the subjects on this list are here for a bunch of different reasons. The following source looks at the pass rate as a measure of how easy it is.
However, consider that those taking these A-level subjects will have a passion for it and have experience with it at GCSE.
- Drama: Pass rate of 99.3 per cent.
- Film Studies: Pass rate of 99.2 per cent.
- Geography: Pass rate of 98.7 per cent.
- Art: Pass rate of 98.8 per cent.
- Sociology: Pass rate of 97.9 per cent.
- Food Studies: Pass rate of 98.5 per cent.
- IT: Unknown
- Textiles: Unknown
- Religious Studies: 99 per cent.
- Media Studies: Previously, a pass rate of 100 per cent.
Deciding what you take is a very personal decision and depends on a lot of factors. However, knowing whether something is regarded as hard or easy may help you if you’re really stuck.