Revised A levels

Revised A levels will reduce the assessment burden for candidates and present more opportunities for higher achievers to demonstrate their abilities.

Key features:

• Increased stretch and challenge at A2.
• An A* grade to identify and reward high achievers in the new A2 units.
• Most A levels reduced from six to four units, except for:
  • science and music (six units)
  • recently changed subjects, such as mathematics and applied A levels (six units)
  • the less common modern languages (two units).
• A single unit of assessment will typically be worth 100 uniform mark scheme (UMS) marks, making a four-unit A level equal to 400 UMS marks and a six-unit A level equal to 600

What's happening and when

• September 2007: New specifications available to centres.
• September 2008: First teaching of revised AS units - first awards August 2009.
• September 2009: First teaching of revised A2 units - first awards August 2010.
  All students should now be working to the new specifications.
• January 2010: Last retakes of the previous A2 specifications.

Changes to look out for

• Students sitting a mix of papers from both the previous and new specifications between 2008 and 2010.

What you should do now

• Work with subject leaders or heads of department to find out when new specifications will be chosen.
• Identify who will be responsible for keeping the exams office informed about the new A level specifications.