Selecting your A level subjects can be one of the most important decisions in your life. When you are choosing you A-levels you don’t want to make your college experience miserable by choosing challenging and difficult subjects.
The difficulty you experience when doing a subject depends on your interest in that subject, your natural ability in that discipline and your prior experience with the subject matter.
The difficulty students experience in various disciplines is subjective, however, there is a general consensus that certain subjects are easier than others. This article is a guide in helping you choose the easiest subjects so you can spend your free time pursuing your interests and hobbies and make your overall A level experience memorable and enjoyable.
Here is the list of the Easiest A-level Subjects:
- A-level Film Studies
- A-level Sociology
- A-level Food Studies
- A-level Archaeology
- A-level Drama
- A-level Psychology
- A-level Geography
- A-level Media Studies
- A-level Law
- A-level Art
1. A-level Film Studies
A-level Film Studies is the easiest A level subject. A level Film Studies has a pass rate of over 99%. This subject focusses on analysing and deconstructing several films over an extensive historical time period. This is a really easy subject if you like watching movies and analysing them.
A-level film studies is a really enjoyable and effortless subject. Most exams boards give you a list of films to watch and fully understand. Then the exams ask you to analyse films and present your viewpoint about the films.
Since it is an essay based subject there is no right or wrong answer. If you can successfully convince the examiner about your viewpoint on the film and provide sufficient evidence there stands no reason for you to miss a really good grade in A level film studies.
Film studies is a very interesting subject, has moderate coursework and an incredibly high pass rate. You should definitely select it if you want to have a great A level experience.
2. A-level Sociology
A level Sociology is one of the easiest subjects in A-level. Most students do not take sociology seriously despite this, the pass rate in sociology is about 98%.
The concepts in A-level sociology are mostly common sense. It focusses on social relationships and social interactions. Most students are largely familiar with the topics in sociology which include education, race, religion, gender, and social influences.
The exams are quite straightforward and simple; most students refer to sociology as an “easy A subject”. If you are looking to make your A-level experience painless and uncomplicated then Sociology is the subject you should go with.
3. A-level Food Studies
With an extremely high pass rate of 98.5% most students breeze through A-level Food Studies.
A-level Food Studies is a comparatively new A level and its focal point is the practical and theoretical aspects of food and nutrition. Most students end up with really good grades in this subject with minimal effort.
A-level Food Studies is an excellent subject if taken along with biology. It will introduce and help you learn about the nutrition side of Biology. Overall it is one of the easiest A level Subject and there should be no trouble for anyone planning to study it.
4. A-level Archaeology
A-level archelogy is not a well-liked subject due to its monotonous nature, however, it is a piece of cake. The pass rate for A-level Archaeology is nearly 98%; many students claim to do very well without any serious effort.
Much of the content topics are similar to GCSE Archaeology, only more in-depth. A level Archaeology is a very versatile subject which is broader than just learning about the history of Humans. You will also get the chance to analyse and discuss aspects of geology, biology, chemistry, and geography of humans in the past.
If you are committed to doing the independent research and keeping up with the coursework A-level Archaeology is going to be a breeze for you. The only caveat is that many schools do not offer it, so you might have to do it yourself as a private subject.
5. A-level Drama
A-level Drama is perhaps the most delightful and entertaining A-level course. If you are tired of the lifeless textbooks and want to pursue something that sparks your interest then you should definitely go for A-level Drama.
A pass rate of over 99% speaks for itself. This subject is literally as easy as winking and you should have a whale of a time studying it.
A-level Drama is both theoretical and practical. You get the best of both worlds. The practical side focusses on live theatre and teamwork by working on collaborative projects. The theoretical part includes writing essays and doing lots of reading, however, the in-class discussions will definitely prevent you from finding the subject boring.
Furthermore, your exams will be worth less than 50% of your total grade. So messing up your exams will not really affect your overall grade by much. But how in the world could you mess up open book exams. They are not an entirely open book exam but a large fraction of it is. In conclusion, A level Drama is easy peasy.
6. A-level Psychology
A level Psychology is considered one of the less challenging and complicated A level subjects. A-level psychology has very little mathematical or traditional science content.
It does require a fair amount of memorizing, particularly several case studies. But it is not too difficult as the content is pretty self-explanatory and builds on the concepts of GCSE. It is largely an essay based question; allowing students to express their thoughts and validating them through relevant case studies.
The general opinion of students is that A-level Psychology has been one of their easiest A-level subject choices. Most students do pretty well. If you have a decent memory, are interested in the human brain, thoughts, and emotions and enjoy writing essays then this is the perfect subject for you.
7. A-level Geography
Anybody who wants to explore the world through reading, is good with maps, and has a fairly good memory will find A-level Geography a cruise. A-level Geography is one of the most engaging and fascinating subjects you can take.
Geography is split between physical and human. Physical Geography is mostly about land, rivers, forests, distribution of plant and anumal life, oceans, atmosphere and climates. It has to do more with the natural world.
Human Geography is about humans and related activities which include the economy, trade, culture, politics and socialization.
A-level Geography is very multifaceted and explores a wide range of topics. However, the content is pretty basic and self-evident and the past rate of over 98% proves practically anybody can do well in this subject.
8. A-level Media Studies
With the ever-increasing social media addiction in our lives; most people feel they could literally do Media Studies with their eyes shut. Let me assure you there is more than just social media involved in media studies.
This subject includes the study of various forms of media across several decades. A level media studies give you a chance to question the authenticity of the information you receive on a daily basis and see the media bias for yourself.
In A level Media Studies, you will explore various different forms of media which include Advertising and Marketing, Newspapers, Film industry, Radio, and Online Magazines, You will also get a chance of analysing, debating, constructing and deconstructing media reports.
It has a pass rate of over 99% and most students should be able to ace this exam with flying colours with just a bit of revision and practice.
9. A-level Law
A pass rate of a little over 96% shows pretty much anybody can do well in A-level Law if they put in the effort. Most students claim the subject content is pretty straightforward and it requires minimal independent study.
If you plan on becoming a lawyer or want exposure to a Law course this subject will be perfect for you. A-level law is mostly focussed on debating, presenting, and convincing people of your view with relevant evidence and applying laws to various situations.
The major problem is that many A-level colleges do not offer this subject to prospective students. Hence many of the students studying it are doing it independently which considerably increases the difficulty of the subject.
10. A-level Art
Although A-level Art is probably the most difficult in this list, overall it is still a pretty straightforward subject. A-level Art is a highly practical subject that focusses strongly on developing diverse skills that will enable you to become more artistically adept and aware.
You will get a chance to experiment with various techniques and processes such as drawing, digital work, sculpture, collage, photography, painting, printmaking, film and performance.
The other section of A-level Art is based on contextual studies. A-level art requires you to explore the influences that have inspired you to create that piece of art. You are also expected to explain how your work has evolved over time. Reading about art in books, magazines, and on the web is essential in developing your artistic skills.
To do well in art, you must have good writing skills, know how to manage your time well and have the ability to work independently. As you can see for yourself, Art is definitely not the easiest subject on this list but it is definitely less challenging than the traditional Sciences and Mathematics.
Conclusion
There is really no such thing as an easy A-level.
A-levels by nature are challenging courses that prepare students for University. This list is a general consensus of the sentiments of students doing A-levels and what subjects they have found relatively easier than others.
Someone who is mathematically gifted might find further mathematics simple and art challenging. The difficulty a student experiences in a particular subject depends on the student’s interest, natural ability and prior knowledge of that subject. For example you a person who reads a lot of novels and books will probably find English easier than people who do not read.
In conclusion, you need to assess your own situation and decide your subjects accordingly. You might want to consider this article here to see which A-level subjects are the most respected.