The reforms initiated by the Conservative government started
in September 2015. In simple terms A-Levels are moving from a modular to a
linear structure. In the modular A-Levels, half an A-Level (an AS Level) was
usually taken after one year and the marks were ‘banked’ in order to contribute
to the final A-Level grade awarded. This left the remaining A-Level modules to
be sat in the following year. A student could re-sit any of their AS modules in
the second year to improve their overall score and grade. The current
government has decided to make the system more rigorous and now all of the
assessment for linear A-Levels will take place at the end of two years of
study.
Confusingly, AS qualifications will still exist in the linear
structure (as terminal not interim qualifications) for students who wish to
stop studying a subject after one year; (all students are entitled to sit AS
qualifications but the scores achieved will not contribute to the overall
A-Level result if they continue to study the subject in their second year).
In order to make these changes manageable for schools and exam
boards, the government is introducing the linear A-Levels in a phased programme
according to the timetable below:
September 2015
Art, Biology, Business Studies, Chemistry, Economics, English
Literature, History, Photography, Physics, Psychology, Sociology, Textiles.
September 2016
Dance, Drama and Theatre Studies, French, Geography, Spanish.
September 2017
Accounting, Further Mathematics, Mathematics, Media Studies,
Music Technology.
As you can see from September 2015 some students will be
taking a programme of linear subjects, others will be taking a programme
consisting of modular subjects and others will have a mixed programme of some
linear and some modular subjects. Delightfully clear, is’nt it?
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