If the time has come to start thinking about your A Level options, it can be difficult to know where to start.
What A Level subjects are there? How should you choose? And what happens if your sixth form or college doesn’t offer your preferred choices?
Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.
Here, we’ll share the complete list of A Level choices you can choose from, as well as offer some top tips on how to pick the best options for you.
Your complete list of A Level options
There are roughly 85 A Level subjects in total, although bear in mind that not every sixth form, college or even exam board will offer every subject.
After all, 85 subjects is a lot!
Here’s the complete list of A Level choices.
- Accounting
- Afrikaans
- Ancient History
- Applied ICT
- Arabic
- Art and Design
- Bengali
- Biblical Hebrew
- Biblical Studies
- Biology
- Built Environment
- Business Studies
- Chemistry
- Chinese
- Classical Civilisation
- Classical Greek
- Classical Studies
- Computer Science
- Dance
- D&T:
- Fashion and Textile
- Systems and Control
- Product Design
- Engineering Design
- Digital Media & Design
- Drama and Theatre Studies
- Economics
- Electronics
- English Language
- English Language and Literature
- English Literature
- Environmental Science
- Film Studies
- French
- Further and Additional Maths
- Geography
- Geology
- German
- Government and Politics
- Global Perspectives and Research
- Greek
- Gujarati
- Health and Social Care
- Hindi
- Hinduism
- History
- History of Art
- ICT/Digital Technology
- Irish
- Islamic Studies
- Italian
- Japanese
- Journalism in the Media and Communications Industry
- Latin
- Law
- Life and Health Sciences
- Mathematics
- Marine Science
- Media Studies
- Modern Hebrew
- Modern Languages
- Moving Image Arts
- Music
- Music Technology
- Nutrition and Food Science
- Panjabi
- Performing Arts
- Persian
- Philosophy
- Physical Education
- Physics
- Polish
- Politics
- Portuguese
- Professional Business Services
- Psychology
- Religious Studies
- Russian
- Sociology
- Software Systems Development
- Spanish
- Statistics
- Sports Science and the Active Leisure Industry
- Tamil
- Thinking Skills
- Travel and Tourism
- Turkish
- Urdu
- Welsh Language
- Welsh Second Language
How many A Level subjects can I take?
Most students take 3 A Level subjects.
This is how many is typically required by universities (although it’s always worth checking if you have a specific uni and course in mind!). Plus, it’s usually better to focus on quality and not quantity.
That said, there’s technically no maximum number of A Levels you can take. Some students choose to take 4 A Levels and a very small number even choose to take 5 or more.
Just bear in mind that your sixth form or college will likely have their own policies around how many A Levels you can study. After all, there’ll only be so much room on your timetable!
Head over to our dedicated blog about how many A Levels you can take for the full lowdown.
Which A Level choices should I select?
Making good A Level choices isn’t a science. Rather, it’ll be different for every learner, depending on factors like your skillset, interests and future aspirations.
Here are some things to consider when you’re selecting the best A Level choices for you.
What are you good at?
A Levels are a big step up from GCSE. So, you’ll need to be prepared for a heavier workload.
With that in mind, picking subjects that you’re good at can be a big help.
After all, if you’re already struggling with a subject at GCSE, it’s not going to get any easier when you reach A Level!
Most sixth forms and colleges will want to see that students have at least a grade 6 or 7 in GCSE for any subjects they’re hoping to take at A Level. This is to make sure that you’ll be able to keep up with your class.
That said, some A Level subjects aren’t widely offered by schools at GCSE – like law and psychology.
These A Level courses are designed to introduce learners to the subjects from scratch, so you won’t need to be proficient in them already. However, it can still be helpful to think about the skills they’ll require and to choose subjects that you think are a good fit for your skillset.
What do you enjoy?
Picking subjects that you enjoy is always a good place to start.
If you enjoy a subject, you’re more likely to do well in it, and you’ll be motivated to work harder.
Plus, it’s always nice to have a reason to look forward to going into your sixth form or college each morning!
Remember, whatever A Level subjects you choose, you’re going to be spending a lot of time studying them over the next two years.
So, it makes sense to choose subjects that aren’t going to leave you pulling your hair out!
What are your future plans?
Have a think about what you might like to do after you finish your A Level studies.
Universities will often want to see that you have A Levels in specific subjects when you apply for a course with them. So, if you already have an idea of what you’d like to study, check the entry requirements.
In the past, lots of universities had a list of facilitating subjects (also known as ‘hard’ subjects) that they preferred. These included subjects like maths, science and English literature.
However, the Russell Group universities have since moved away from the concept of hard and soft subjects, as it was leading students to choose from only a narrow selection.
Instead, they’ve released a useful tool called Informed Choices, which is designed to help you decide which subjects will best suit your interests and future degree course.
But what happens if you’re not sure what you want to study in the future?
In this case, it’s a good idea to take a broad mix of A Levels that will help you to keep as many options open as possible.
What if my sixth form or college doesn’t offer my favourite A Level options?
With so many A Level options available, it’s natural that your sixth form or college won’t offer all of them.
You should still have a broad range of subjects to choose from, with most settings offering around 40. But if your sixth form or college doesn’t offer your preferred subjects, it can be challenging to know what to do.
Here are a few options:
Pick different subjects that use similar skills
Most of the subjects that aren’t taught at every sixth form or college are those that aren’t widely offered at GCSE – like law or economics.
If you’re hoping to study these kinds of subjects at uni but your college or sixth form doesn’t offer them for A Level, this isn’t usually the end of the world.
Rather, unis understand that these subjects aren’t widely offered and will usually be happy to accept students who haven’t studied them previously.
Instead, look for subjects that will give you the chance to build similar skills. For instance, A Level History and A Level English Literature can be good choices for budding law students as they rely heavily on critical thinking, writing and forming robust arguments.
Consider alternative sixth forms or colleges
If there’s a subject you really want to take that isn’t offered by your first-choice sixth form or college, it may be worth exploring other settings.
Every sixth form and college will offer different A Level subjects, work with different exam boards, and even have different policies around what A Levels you can take.
It may be that, by travelling an extra 10 minutes from home, you’re able to access all of your preferred A Level options. It’s always worth checking!
Enter as a private candidate
Lastly, if you really want to take an A Level subject that isn’t offered by your sixth form or college, there’s nothing to stop you from studying for it independently and entering for the exams as a private candidate.
At Tutorful, our handpicked tutors aren’t just able to support you with subjects you’re studying elsewhere. They can also teach you whole new subjects from scratch, and support you through every step of preparing for your A Level exams.
Of course, you’ll need to make sure you leave enough time to study for an extra subject – especially if it’s in addition to studying 3 (or more) A Level subjects at college!
So, be realistic, but know that the support is here if you need it!
What are the most popular A Level subject choices?
Every student is different, so there’s no benefit in choosing subjects that your friends or family have chosen.
However, it’s interesting to see what the trends are when it comes to popular A Level subject choices.
Here are the top 10 most popular A Levels, as of 2023 (according to the Joint Council for Qualifications).
- Mathematics
- Psychology
- Biology
- Chemistry
- History
- Sociology
- Business Studies
- Art and Design Subjects
- Economics
- Physics
Interestingly, English was consistently amongst the most popular subjects between 2001 and 2021 (according to FFT Education Datalab) but saw a sharp decrease in entries between 2015 and 2019, in favour of STEM subjects.
Which A Level subjects have the highest pass rates?
In 2024, the A Level subjects with the most E grades and above were:
- Drama
- German
- English Literature
- Art & Design Subjects
- Media/Film/TV Studies
Meanwhile, those with the most C grades and above were:
- Other Modern Languages (eg. Arabic, Chinese, Dutch, Italian and Russian)
- Further Mathematics
- German
- French
- Drama
Just bear in mind that a subject’s A Level pass rate isn’t necessarily an accurate indication of its difficulty level.
After all, Further Maths is widely regarded as one of the hardest A Level subjects as it’s designed to be even harder than A Level Maths – yet it’s amongst the subjects with the highest proportion of C grades and above.
This is likely due to the types of students who tend to pick these subjects, as only someone with a real aptitude for maths is likely to choose Further Maths A Level.
With that in mind, we always recommend considering your skillset and interests above a subject’s pass rate, as this will likely give you a clearer indication of your likelihood of success.
Find a tutor to help you make the best A Level choices for you
If you’re struggling to think of the best A Level choices for you, you don’t have to struggle alone.
A handpicked tutor can give you expert guidance on the right A Level subject combinations for your needs, as well as how to prepare for your A Levels after GCSE.
Then, once you start your A Level studies, they’ll be right there to support you every step of the way.
With one-to-one attention and tailored lesson plans that take into account your strengths, weaknesses and learning style, they can help to boost your confidence and grades with every session.
FAQs
What is the best A Level to take?
There’s no one best A Level to take. Rather, it’ll all depend on your skillset, interests and future plans.
Check the entry requirements for any university courses you’re interested in applying for to find out which subjects are likely to best suit your needs.
How do I choose my A Level subjects?
- Consider what you’re good at
- Think of subjects that you enjoy
- Check entry requirements for uni courses you’re interested in
- Choose subjects that keep your options open if you’re not sure of your future plans
- Ask for expert guidance from a teacher, career adviser or tutor
