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Tips to get A* in A'levels

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Amir Tosson

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Does anyone know why the grade threshold for Thinking Skills says that the total number of marks for the AS level is 100 marks?
Isn't it 30 (paper 1) + 45 (paper 2) = 75 marks?
 
Noshhcx

Noshhcx

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Amir Tosson said:
Does anyone know why the grade threshold for Thinking Skills says that the total number of marks for the AS level is 100 marks?
Isn't it 30 (paper 1) + 45 (paper 2) = 75 marks?
Click to expand...

Haha it's because that's how they are graded in the UK.
My teacher once told me that grade boundaries depend on the highest scorer in your region. If the highest achieved in my zone is 48 / 50, then 100% would be a 48, and then GT's would be set from there, but that's wrong.
CIE has it's own special marking system, called the Uniform Mark Scale. It's different for every paper.
The UMS GT boundaries never change, and to compensate for it they change the paper boundaries compared to the UMS.
Say my paper is actually 50 marks, but in UMS is actually 75. If an A in UMS is 60 / 75, they will find the equivalence grade in your paper, but that depends on a. how the paper was and b. the response by the candidates.
The same is for AS Chemistry - it's 140 marks but UMS makes it 130. :)
 
Talha Farooqui BSS

Talha Farooqui BSS

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XPFMember said:
AsSalamoAlaikum Wr Wb!

After completing my A’levels, I am well aware how everyone says and feels that getting A* is a very difficult job. Alhumdulilah, I was able to achieve a very good result because of Allah’s mercy, prayers from everyone and encouragement & help by my parents and teachers.

Of course, everyone desires to get A*s, but it’s not everyone who understands how to carry on or someone who gets guidance and help on time. Insha’Allah, I’d try to share my experience which might be of help to others.

Now, to start with, I’d like to mention it’s not only studying all the time which would help you move on. There are a couple of other things which we tend to ignore. Firstly, understand the purpose of life. Allah has created us, and we must follow Our Creator. [Nothing is possible but by Allah’s will.] So make sure you are regular in your prayers [Salah]. I’ve seen many people, who leave their Salah for the sole reason that they’re too busy with their studies that they think, if they get up for Salah, their time would be wasted. No, definitely not. If your Lord, your Creator is not happy with you, what’s the purpose of living and how can ‘YOU’ feel happy then? “Which of the favours of your Lord shall you deny?” (Al-Quran) Allah has gifted us with so many blessings, and can’t we just do these little things for Him? Think again. Wake up early in the morning, at the time of Fajr and then recite a small portion of the Quran. And then start with your work.


<So we now know, the first important thing is the Salah.>​


Now, the next thing is your character and behaviour towards others. You might think this, in no way, plays a role in your success. Trust me, it does. Respect your parents and teachers. It seems very easy, but if we analyze ourselves, we might find we don’t really do this. Mimicking teachers, talking ill about others, not obeying your parents or even teachers, and the list goes on. We should really try avoiding these things. In the beginning, it might be difficult, but Insha’Allah with time you won’t find it hard at all. No matter how bad the teacher is, respect him/ her. Based on my personal experience, I’m saying this. You respect the teacher and you’ll see how Allah helps you. Another thing, don’t feel bad doing some work for your parents, teachers or siblings. Do it, if they ask you for help, for the sake of Allah, surely Allah will reward you for that, in this world as well as the next. Insha’Allah.


<So the next important thing, respect others.>​


Now, you are regular in your Salah (Alhumdulilah) and you are trying to respect others. After discussing these small things which we all think of as unimportant, I’ll move on and discuss how to study and manage your work. The first thing is, be regular to school. Please do not miss any class whatsoever. I’ve been very regular to school, and except when it was completely impossible for me to attend school, I never took a single day off. Even if the whole class plans to take off but the teachers said they’re going to take the class, I’d be there for the class. Try to prepare for all the tests taken in your school/tuitions/academies. Even if I say, study on daily basis like revise what’s done in school, only a few would be able to do so. It’s good if you can do so.

Do your homeworks regularly and avoid copying from friends. If you do so, you’ll risk your own grades, not the teacher’s! And divide days for each subject, and try doing what has been done in it since you last revised that. On weekends, you can do two subjects per day (or even more if you can), and review all what was done throughout the week.

Once you’re done with the full chapter, try solving questions from the past papers. After trying them yourself, refer mark schemes and examiner reports. Furthermore, make short notes, chapter-wise, based on the past paper questions. I’d show you a few I made (though, due to shortage of time, I couldn’t do much). This really helps a lot for last-minute revision. In these short notes, you may even add those points which you think you might forget.
[Here's the link to the ones I made: My notes for Biology and Physics A2]

For maths, regular practice is needed. As for me, after the chapter has been explained, I’d do all the questions in the past papers from that chapter. Again, for this do it yourself, rather than looking up the mark schemes. Solve question from other sources. That helped me a lot. Once I was done with all the chapters, I solved all the papers yearly.

To conclude, keep making dua’a and salah. Studying only, is just not enough. Make sure that your Lord is happy with you!

Pray for me and others. And another thing, I forgot to mention, be helpful to your friends. I’ve seen people who don’t like to help others just because they don’t want them to get better grades than him/her. Don’t do this. Based on my personal experience, I’ve seen the topics which I explained to my friends are the ones which I best understand. That’s the best way to get things to your head.
Ya Allah help us all and grant us success in this world as well as the HereAfter. Aameen.
Click to expand...

Jazakallah
 
K

kanchan dhiman

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AnujaK said:
Hi everyone:)
I've started a site which will provide you with solved papers showing all the steps in the working and with useful tips on the side. The best part is that when you look at a solved paper, you can look at commonly made mistakes and learn from them.Please do check it out!
https://sites.google.com/site/fromatoscom/home
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Its nice that u re helping AS level students.But i would feel very glad if u can help me out with A2 level physics both the papers .plz help
and if u can solve english language past paper of AS level then it will be very helpful for me.plz help
 
AnujaK

AnujaK

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I'm solving these papers while studying for my own exams so I'll put up the A2 papers later this year as I start preparing for my own A2 exam. As for your English request, I'll try and put up some solved papers.
kanchan dhiman said:
Its nice that u re helping AS level students.But i would feel very glad if u can help me out with A2 level physics both the papers .plz help
and if u can solve english language past paper of AS level then it will be very helpful for me.plz help
Click to expand...
 
K

kanchan dhiman

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AnujaK said:
I'm solving these papers while studying for my own exams so I'll put up the A2 papers later this year as I start preparing for my own A2 exam. As for your English request, I'll try and put up some solved papers.
Click to expand...
ohk means u re in AS level
and plz give some advice in english language
becoz i am very in bad in that ...............and upload english language solved papers
thank u for
ur help ....................and is there anyone who can help me in A2 phy both papers
 
Ionisation

Ionisation

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I've just started AS level.
Can anyone give me good advice about how i should move forward in order to get A* in Chem Phy and Math
 
Thought blocker

Thought blocker

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Ionisation said:
I've just started AS level.
Can anyone give me good advice about how i should move forward in order to get A* in Chem Phy and Math
Click to expand...
Go to first page, there XPF member had given a great advice. :)
Summary :¬
Chemistry, just go through book, clear all concepts of organic, inorganic, physical chemistry, solve the chapter wise questions in papers, dont go on extra resource if you find the chemistry hard, coz you'll get confused, and if you are master in chemistry, go to other boards questions like IB and any other, as question helps to test our knowledge, if you find that something is missing, open ur book and clear that concept again.

Physics, I gave 2 months for physics, I have very less time for it, but though I'll get B grade or A. So physics is not hard if you go through the concepts very thoroughly. The key for physics is, create your own diagram notes, that will be very easy for formulas and concepts to get cleared, you can also use this for chemistry as well. Dont take physics lightly, they twist a lot. But as I said, clear all of your concepts, go through online materials, and cover all the major part, try to derive formulas and learn the estimates.

Math, it requires a daily practice of 30 - 45 minutes, not more than that per day. Here also the key to success is to clear all the major concepts, and take a piece of a paper and write down all the formula you need to use in exams, trust me I used examsolution site, which helped me alot for exams. GO FOR IT HERE --- > EXAMSOLUTIONS.

To conclude the main thing is to clear concept, solve papers, solve a lot.. make ur mind a puzzle, and solve it :) It is fun studying :)

All the best, brother. :)
 
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zaidali

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I got unexpectedly 3C's in AS maths,phy nd chem :cry::(,is there any chance I can make em 3 A's overall by performing well in A2 or will I b stuck wid C's or even lower :(. I hav lost hope now(n) ,I was an A* student till O'levs only :cry:
 
princess Anu

princess Anu

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zaidali said:
I got unexpectedly 3C's in AS maths,phy nd chem :cry::(,is there any chance I can make em 3 A's overall by performing well in A2 or will I b stuck wid C's or even lower :(. I hav lost hope now(n) ,I was an A* student till O'levs only :cry:
Click to expand...
A friend of mine was in the same situation a year before. Even then she got A B B this year, so I think it is possible.
 
RubayatXtreme

RubayatXtreme

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zaidali said:
I got unexpectedly 3C's in AS maths,phy nd chem :cry::(,is there any chance I can make em 3 A's overall by performing well in A2 or will I b stuck wid C's or even lower :(. I hav lost hope now(n) ,I was an A* student till O'levs only :cry:
Click to expand...

Dont lose heart. Keep on trying and never give up. Even though A2 Level is harder, but its not impossible. Make sure u study regular and u will be good for the upcoming examinations.....

NEVER NEVER GIVE UP!!!!;)
 
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