When A-levels in the UK were reformed, the popularity of people opting to study AS Levels dropped. Unlike before where students could study an A-Level course and then either stop at attaining the AS Level or continue on to complete the A2 part in the second year. Now students have to actively decide whether they are going to study a full A-Level or just an AS Level from the start.
AS Levels are essentially the first year (or first half) of an A-Level course, so they aren’t worth as many UCAS points as a full A-Level, but still can be used to attain additional UCAS points. In schools and colleges, it’s not unusual for students to pick four A-Level courses and then at the end of their first year of study, opt to stop the study of the AS Level that they don’t want to continue with.
Why do People Study AS Levels?
If a person has completed their A-Levels and unfortunately didn’t get the grades they needed for university, then opting to study an AS Level is a great way to top up their UCAS points quickly. So instead of having to redo an entire A-Level and all the examinations, they can instead do half a course and get the few extra points they need to get into university.
How many UCAS Points is an AS Level worth?
Depending on the grade that you achieve, you can receive up to 20 UCAS points for one AS Level. Below you can see the points per grade you can achieve:
- A grade is worth 20 points.
- B grade is worth 16 points.
- C grade is worth 12 points.
- D grade is worth 10 points.
- E grade is worth 6 points.