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Transition from GCSE to A-level: This is a classic, much talked about topic. There seems to be a lot of enigma surrounding the move up from GCSEs to A levels. I want to untangle this topic and clarify once and for all the misconceptions about A levels. I will also go through some tangible, step by step tips and advice on how to approach A levels in order to ensure a smooth and cushioned two years. Primarily, A levels can […]

A Level results have been on a steady ascent over the last decade. Not a single year has passed without results increasingly improving, and pass rates have most recently peaked at a jaw-dropping 97%. With the high levels of stress we hear A Level burdened 17-year-olds bemoaning, it begs the question of what really is going on with A Level standards. Could it be that the younger generations have become progressively more intelligent and academic, with the current exam system […]

Russell Group universities are a cluster of twenty-four select, elite institutions established in 1994 with the aim of expressing and protecting common interests. Since its founding nineteen years ago, the Russell Group has grown and expanded with vigour and now includes some of the most prestigious “big brand” establishments in the game – including the matchless Oxford and Cambridge. However, this esteemed reputation has not come without cost – the Russell Group concept has been at the centre of debate […]

Written by Esma Akkilic How many youngsters do you know who would gush excitedly over a recent book they’ve read? Struggling? Or how about this – how many do you know that would giggle elatedly over an incoming text, a facebook post or perhaps a funny tweet? Doubtlessly a handful. Reading and a love of the habit is in enormous decline amongst the younger generation. The majority of children are put off by the misperceived laboriousness of the hobby and […]

The IB – or International Baccalaureate – is a qualification available as a two year course, much like the A Level. However, it is widely distinguished for its academic breadth and complexity and is often said to be more revered than A Levels. I am going to look at the key differences between these two systems of pre-university study and highlight some increasingly popular arguments in favour of the IB. As A Levels receive mounting flack over issues ranging from […]

It is the case that employers value a degree obtained from some universities more than they do others. For most organisations, Russell Group Universities are right at the top, followed by the so-called Red-Brick universities. Sadly, at the bottom of the pile with regards to how they value universities are the old polytechnics, which were converted into universities in early 1990s.  High examination grades in certain highly regarded subjects are the main factor that determines which university a student gains […]

It feels like only yesterday when I had sat my fraught GCSE exams (twenty-four in total, I cannot forget that figure) and was waiting patiently, anxiously for that fateful day in August where all would be revealed. In the mean-time however, something else was occupying my mind. As all students who have just completed their GCSEs will know, it doesn’t quite end there. The next chapter is literally around the corner and making a thought-through, informed decision about which subjects […]

How to prepare for A-level subjects: We wanted to look at the differences between further education, sixth form and school-sixth form colleges. Further education colleges tend to be larger institutions with wider-ranging variety when it comes to qualifications and courses. It is likely that you will find people of different ages, social and educational backgrounds at these colleges. The array of qualifications on offer may include BTECs, NVQs as well as A Levels. Therefore, it spans anything from post compulsory […]

There has been an ever-growing discussion in the national media about the use of contextual information at the point of applications to universities in order to weigh the balance more strongly in favour of the poorest students. Those attending Russell Group universities are in the minority and many have called for that balance to be redressed. But is there a knee-jerk reaction and could other important factors come into play? The truth of the current status quo is that socio-economic […]

At Excel in Key Subjects we are delighted to be able to offer a range of revision courses, each designed to suit a student’s situation and particular academic ambitions. There is no such thing as ‘one size fits all’ with us! This certainly applies to our outstanding Bootcamp series, which offers three full days of study, of up to seven hours per day, with courses spread over two to six weeks. Bootcamp can provide a host of benefits for students […]