Choosing A Level Subjects

Choosing your A Levels is a big decision and one that can shape your long-term future. Hopefully, this guide will help you with your decision on which A Levels to take. As a teacher and mother of four (now grown-up) children, I am experienced in guiding young people in their future choices. Going through the experience with my own children helped me understand the pressures that you are going through. This gives me a unique perspective, as I can see the challenges of the transition from GCSE to A Level from all sides: as a teacher wanting a student to succeed, as a mother wanting the best for her children, and as a student overwhelmed with questions and “what if”s. This article should provide some real answers to all three groups of people when deciding which A Levels to take.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Think about the subjects you enjoy studying and have succeeded in at school. Consider the topics that genuinely interest you and motivate you to learn. Think about your strengths and natural aptitudes. Do you prefer analytical subjects like Mathematics and Sciences, or do you have a flair for creative and expressive subjects like English Literature or Art? 

Matching your A Level choices with your passions and talents not only increases your enjoyment of the subjects but can also lead to better academic performance (that’s grades for you and me).

Keep your options open

While focusing on your interests is essential, it's also helpful to choose a combination of subjects that can provide you with flexibility. This is particularly helpful if you are unsure about your specific career path or want to explore various options. After all, it is normal to change your mind or find that your first choice isn’t quite what you thought it was going to be. 

How many subjects are there at A Level?

Currently, across the whole of the UK, there are roughly 100 A Level subjects that can be studied. However, most schools offer far fewer than this: you need to check if your school or college offers that particular subject or subjects. It isn’t possible for schools to offer every subject as the cost of teaching would be too much, plus the fact that not everyone wants to study, say, Latin or Politics!

What can I do if the A Level I want to do is not available?

You can still study that A Level, but you will need to do it independently and enter the exam as a private candidate. There are a number of online schools that offer different subjects that are taught live, as though you were in a classroom. Some online schools also have exam centres, making it easier for you to sit your exams without worrying about finding an exam centre that will accept private candidates. You can also study for A Levels in an evening class at your local college as an extra option alongside your other studies in school. 

If you really need to study a particular subject, you can always engage a private tutor. Finally, distance learning could be an option. This is where course material is available to you, along with a supporting tutor, for a fixed time (usually 18 months to 2 years) while you study the course at your own pace. 

I always remind my students that there are costs attached to these methods. Not only do you have to pay for the private tuition, but you also need to find an exam centre and pay the exam board entrance fee. 

Is independent study easy?

Studying for an A Level isn’t easy regardless, and self-study is even harder. You have to be well organised and motivated to study. Time management is essential; a typical A Level is anything between 300 and 500 hours of study (50:50 split between AS and A2). Remember, there is a cost involved, and you need to be sure that you can cope with the work. Some subjects are harder to study at home, particularly the sciences, where you need to conduct experiments, so you have to consider the equipment and space needed to perform the experiments. If there is coursework to be submitted, who will mark it? On the plus side, it shows any university that you can work independently and that you have a level of maturity that sets you apart from the usual applicant.

How many A Levels can I take?

You can take as many A Levels as you want. But be realistic; could you really cope with the same number of subjects that you took at GCSE? There is a lot of work that needs to be done; remember, it is a big step from GCSE to A Level and many students forget this. Most students study between three and five subjects, with the average number being three. 

What A Levels should I take? 

Simply put, your choice of A Levels comes down to what you want to study at university or what your future career might be. 

Some degree courses used to have a list of “facilitating subjects.” These were the subjects most commonly required or requested by universities to get on a particular degree course. They usually included subjects such as the sciences, Mathematics, English Literature, Geography, etc.

The list was designed to help you decide which subjects to take, but was seen by many as the only list of subjects to choose from, leading to students taking subjects that didn’t reflect their interests and narrowing the choice of subjects offered in schools and colleges. To overcome this, the Russell Group has launched an interactive website called Informed Choices. The website is designed to guide you in choosing subjects better suited to your future degree course. 

Remember, this is not the only or definitive website, but it is a useful tool to help inform your choice of A Levels.

The degree course I want to study doesn't list my A Level as their preferred subject. Why?

Not every university wants you to have studied your chosen subject at A Level. There are plenty of subjects that are good at preparing you for university but are not actually needed to get onto that course. Economics and Psychology A Levels are not actually required to study for those particular degrees. Many subjects form part of a wider degree, such as Mathematics and Physics for Engineering or English and Geography for Architecture. 

What universities really want you to have are the skills to write and study at the next level, to be a critical thinker, and to work independently while showing passion and perseverance.

Which are the best A Levels?

That is a tough question. As a Geography teacher, I would say Geography is the best; after all, one of our Prime Ministers here in the UK was a Geographer! Every subject has its merit, and it does depend on what you want to do as a career. My advice would be to study the subjects you have a passion for, because typically you will perform better in any subject that you really enjoy studying.

Which are the most popular A Level subjects?

Whether you hate it or love it, Mathematics is the most popular subject. It is followed, according to FFT Education Datalab, in descending order by: Psychology, Biology, Chemistry, English, Sociology, History, Art and Design, Business Studies, with Physics in tenth place.

Which are the most respected A Levels?

This is very subjective and, again, will depend on what you want to do as a career. People working in different sectors or in different occupations will prize completely different subjects. So while a medical school might prefer you to have studied Maths over Art and Design, the opposite would be true of a fashion house. However, even this is subjective: in my experience, I have heard of medical schools preferring students taking a language, or even English Literature A Level, over the typical third option of Maths!

What are the most useful A Levels?

Every subject is useful, but will it get you the job you want in the future? Perhaps a different approach is to think about a combination of subjects. It’s sometimes a great idea if your subjects complement each other. The most popular combinations that my (A Level Geography) students take are Physics, Maths and Geography, or Business, Economics and Geography. These are great combinations because a student will be able to “borrow” knowledge and skills from each of their A Levels to benefit another. Evidently, if you are going into medicine, then you will need to study sciences such as Chemistry and Biology, while Maths and Physics are also very often useful.

What are the easy A Level subjects?

As I tell my students, there is no such thing as an easy A Level. They all demand work from you, and you still have to sit for an exam at the end of two years. Many people think that Geography is easy; well, students do until they join my class! Then they discover how complicated the world is and how much work there is to be done. The best advice I can give you is to ask students who are already studying those subjects what is involved and how difficult they think it is. Remember that there is a big jump between GCSE and A Level, not just in the knowledge needed but also in the amount of work that has to be done. 

I am an international student; what are my choices?

As an international student, you study IALs in school, abroad or online. IALs cannot be studied by students in UK schools. You will study both AS and A Levels separately, so instead of doing one big exam at the end of the second year, as the UK A Levels currently work, you are examined on smaller, separate units throughout the two years. You have multiple opportunities to take exams: usually in January, June, and October. This means that you have fewer exams all at once, you have the opportunity to resit individual modules, and you also receive ongoing feedback. However, there are limited choices of subjects, and only a few awarding bodies offer IALs. A list of subjects can be found::

Edexcel offer 21 subjects  

Cambridge International Education (CIE)

What are my choices in the UK, then?

As of 2023, the choice of A Levels available in the UK (England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland) is detailed below. This list has been taken from each of the UK’s awarding bodies websites.