Is A level maths really hard?
If you’re interested in doing A level maths, you might be concerned about how difficult it is. Maths and the three sciences are in particularly notorious for being difficult. If you’re worried that this subject might be too hard to tackle, read on to get a better understanding.
It depends on the individual
As with any subject at GCSE or A level, the difficulty of maths depends on the individual student. Some students may take on A level maths with ease if they are naturally gifted at this subject. The most academic and hardworking students usually find A level maths doable. However, the majority of students will find this subject quite challenging, especially as many find it hard at GCSE. Some students are simply just naturally better at some subjects than others, depending on how their brain approaches questions. Whilst some students are more science-based, other students excel at essay-based subjects.
The specification
The specification for maths might vary depending on your exam board. However, the concepts and theories you’ll have to learn will be similar. A level maths will demand you to learn a wide range of things. This can include algebra, vectors, and statistics, amongst a long list of other things! With an increasing number of things on the specification, you can expect a heavier workload. Bigger workloads do require more revision, arguably making A level maths fairly difficult. With many difficult concepts to get your head around, you must be prepared to put effort in to understand everything.
Compared to other subjects
As a respectable subject, maths can be considered hard compared to many of the other A level subjects. The sciences are commonly considered more difficult than maths due to the demand for scientific application in exam questions. However, with a need for understanding complex theories, students across the country still commonly struggle with this subject. Further still, A level maths is a huge step up in difficulty from GCSE. Even students who find GCSE maths fairly easy might be shocked by how challenging this subject can be. The workload from GCSE is increased heavily as well as the complexity of content. Additionally, more skill is required at A level Maths. These skills can include problem-solving, data analysis, and the ability to work exceptionally well with numbers. Whilst you’ll need these skills to do very well at GCSE maths, you’ll require these even more at A level. This arguably makes it a much harder subject when comparing it to other subjects and levels.
In conclusion, if you’re worried about whether A level maths is hard or not, there are things to consider. Firstly, your individual student performance is important. If you’re willing to put the work in, you’ll find maths easier than you would do otherwise. Also, your academic intelligence needs to be taken into account. If you’re unsure about this, it can easily be evaluated by GCSE grades and online a level maths tutor reports. Overall, it can be deemed as a fairly difficult A level but still possible to succeed at.
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