is "A levels" easier than AAT >?

mark130273

any thought on todays "a level" results...


easier or kids are smarter ?:thumbup::thumbdown:

ambitious

I've got 3-A levels in Maths, physics, and Chemistry and they were hard. I ended up with a BCC at the time. But this was 10 years ago when I did them. Now they're just even easier becasue students are picking subjects like sociology and psychology. pick them just to get an easy grade and increase your chances of getting a girlfriend!

Gianni

I did A Levels about 5 years ago and found them fairly easy going. I'd compare them to the AAT. It does depend what subjects you do. I did subjects which kind of assist AAT such as Business Studies, ICT & Law which I did well in. But I guess I'm just that way minded others probably wouldn't find them as easy.

Ambitious... you certainly are ambitious going for them 3.. Maths is like 2 A Levels on its own!

speegs

I would say AAT is much harder than A Levels. After all, the AAT Technician level is equivalent to being one year short of a degree. It is NVQ level 4.

Speegs

Pacelli

Intermediate is supposed to be the equivalent of one A level.

I think the AAT can be harder as most people are in full time employment and devote their free time to study. Full time students may find their studies easier as they have more time. In general those who can manage their time productively whether full time student or not tend to acheive their targets with less difficulty.

ambitious

I'll be starting AAT techinician year (I Know I've passed intermediate, just a hunch!) and having completed foundation and intermedate I think my A-levels were harder but AAT is obviously far more useful as it provides a professional status (i.e AAT qualifed or part qualified Accountant ?).

Gianni, I don't know what I was thinking doing those 3 A-levels at the time! But I did to a maths degree straight after which beats the difficulty level on any qualification i've done to date.

Although having said that UCAS points from these A-levels was the most useful apsect and no matter if you had a good degree, I saw a lot of training vacancies on the ICAEW and GAAP website asking for on averge 22 UCAS points or above. I've only got 20 with my A-levels so thats why I'm doing AAT so I could become part-qualified. And it's not so bad for cost compared to jumping staight to CIMA or ACCA.

mark130273

well it seems like everyone is saying that AAT is harder once you get to the technician level......

mind you none of us have done it yet !!! we all will have to do it next year as WE have all passed hey...........WELL DAM HOPE SO !:laugh:

lessci

Personally I think it depends on the subject when it comes to A Levels, but saying that I did 3 languages (English, French& German of which I now can't string a sentence together) full time at 17 and just past them 10 years later I did one of the new types (A/s and A2) I one year whilst working in a full Time and a part time job, and running a house and got a C, was it the differnece in the subject or was is easier? the choice is up to you!!! But when I come to AAt I thought that intermediate was equivalent to 3 A levels not just one.

speegs

Hi

When I did my A Levels (Maths, Biology, Accountancy, Music, and Theatre Design), they were really easy. Then I did AAT, I am about to complete Technician, if I pass on Tuesday I will be qualified and believe me when I say Technician level (NVQ Level 4) is seriously harder than A Levels.

So please do not be fulled by how easy levels 2 and 3 are at AAT. It all changes at level 4.

Kris

A levels are harder than AAT.

A module of AAT seems to have much less content that an A Level exam, and the pass/fail structure means as long as you are a reasonably good candidate you'll be ok. There is little pressure to go for a really good score as actual scores aren't published. The AAT also goes into silly areas to make the qualification longer. Health & Safety + working with computers offer very little to any candidate. Also the stucture of the simulations make it really hard to fail.

Whilst A level results improve, this is very dependant on the school you go to and the teachers ability. AAT is generally taught by private companies such as Kaplan and therefore is of a much higher standard.