Law impacts every aspect of our lives. So, studying it at A Level can be fascinating. But before making your choice, you might be wondering… is Law A Level hard?
Well, it’s not exactly easy (no A Level is meant to be!). But it’s generally considered to be one of the more manageable A Level options compared to others. Here’s the lowdown.
Psst! Finding a Law A Level tutor is a great way to make sure you can keep up with your class and reach your full potential in the exams.
What’s the Law A Level course like?
The Law A Level course is designed to give you a thorough understanding of law and its wide-ranging role in society.
Contrary to popular belief, it’s not all centred around court proceedings.
Rather, you’ll explore legal systems, regulations and their impact on society in a range of different forms – largely split into two areas:
- Criminal law
- Civil law
Criminal law involves studying offences against people and property – such as murder, grievous bodily harm and theft.
Meanwhile, your studies of civil law will see you exploring tort law and other areas such as contracts or human rights law.
As an example, tort law looks at disputes between individuals or companies rather than against the state – like negligence, nuisance and occupier’s liability.
In this way, studying law at A Level will give you a comprehensive overview of legal frameworks, and will help you to develop and defend your own views on how legal principles apply to certain situations.
Is A Level Law hard?
A Level Law has its challenges and it’s certainly not easy (although of course, A Levels aren’t meant to be!).
However, it’s generally viewed as one of the more manageable A Level options.
This is largely because it offers a blend of both theoretical knowledge and practical application – which can make it appealing to learners who prefer putting their knowledge into practice.
It’s also worth noting that you don’t need any prior knowledge of law in order to succeed in this subject at A Level.
That said, Law A Level has a slightly lower-than-average pass rate.
In 2024, 95.8% of students got a grade E or above in law (according to FFT Education Datalab) – compared to 97.2% across all subjects.
It was also the subject with the lowest proportion of C grades and above – just 63.7% compared to 76.4% across all subjects.
This might give some students pause for thought.
But these lower grades are more likely to do with the reputation that law has for being an ‘easy option’ – rather than to do with the difficulty of the subject itself. Meaning students might not realise that, like any subject, law requires hard work, perseverance and dedication.
However, with the right attitude and support, there’s no reason why you can’t ace it!
How hard is Law A Level?
It’s impossible to say for sure exactly how hard you would find A Level Law.
After all, every learner is different. So, it will depend on your skill set, learning style, interests and work ethic.
That said, here are some aspects of the course that learners tend to find challenging.
Memorisation
Often, learners find that the content itself isn’t overly difficult – but that the quantity of content can be overwhelming.
You’ll cover a wide range of legal principles. Plus, you’ll need to be able to remember key case studies, including details like names and events.
This will certainly put your memory skills to the test!
Analytical skills
It’s not enough just to rote learn the Law A Level syllabus.
Instead, you’ll need to wrap your head around intricate legal concepts and understand the material covered in-depth, so that you can think critically about it and apply it in various settings.
This includes developing your own views on how legal principles apply to specific situations – and having the skills and knowledge needed to defend your arguments. Which brings us onto…
Writing skills
You’ll need strong writing skills to succeed in this A Level course.
Don’t get us wrong, this isn’t English Literature – and not every question in the exams will require an essay answer.
However, there will be extended writing questions that require you to walk the examiner through your thought process, demonstrate your understanding of multiple perspectives on an issue and defend your viewpoint.
Time management
With so many different legal subjects to wrap your head around, law at A Level can feel like a juggling act.
You’ll need to plan your time so that you give each topic the attention it deserves, as well as giving a fair weighting to case studies, statutes and theories.
Starting your revision early is key!
What’s on the Law A Level syllabus?
Exactly what you’ll cover on the Law A Level syllabus will vary depending on your exam board and sixth form or college.
However, you’ll generally cover a range of topics across both criminal and civil law, to give you a thorough understanding of how legal frameworks affect the world we live in.
To give you an idea, here are the topics covered by the exam board AQA (the specifications for other exam boards will be similar):
- The nature of law and the English legal system
- Criminal law
- Tort
- Law of contract
- Human Rights
Just bear in mind that students only have to study one of the final two topics.
Is it worth studying law at A Level?
Yes! For the right student, studying law at A Level can be extremely rewarding.
Not only will it give you a thorough understanding of legal frameworks that are all around us – but it will also help you to develop valuable skills such as writing, debating, critical thinking and time management.
There’s a common misconception that law isn’t a subject that’s well-regarded by universities.
However, most universities have clarified that, in their opinion, A Level Law is just as valuable as other subjects.
Some universities have even put it on their ‘preferred subjects’ lists.
That said, it’s worth noting that you don’t need to take law at A Level in order to study a Law degree at university.
Rather, universities won’t expect you to have any prior experience in the subject beforehand. So, A Level Law isn’t any more (or less) valuable than other relevant subjects if further study is your goal.
Regardless though, if you enjoy writing, thinking and debating – or you’re toying with the idea of a career in law in the future – law could be a fantastic A Level option for you.
It’s certainly not the only route to get you where you want to be – and it isn’t a subject that’s typically required by universities – but it’s a fascinating course that will help you to develop valuable skills and could give you a chance to put your passion for the subject to the test.
Law A Level revision tips
Like any A Level subject, law has its challenges. But there’s no reason why you can’t succeed in this subject with hard work and the right approach to revision.
Here are our tips for how to revise Law A Level, to give yourself the best chance of passing with flying colours.
1. Know what to expect
First things first, it’s important to know exactly what to expect in your Law A Level exams.
This way, you can make sure to cover every element in your preparation.
Plus, you can lower your exam stress knowing that there won’t be any unexpected surprises on the big day.
Each exam board will work a bit differently. However, regardless of which exam board you’re with, you won’t usually have any coursework to complete.
Instead, you’ll have several exam papers to sit at the end of the course – with a variety of question formats including multiple-choice, short-answer, and extended writing questions.
In this way, the exams are designed to test your recall of factual information, as well as your understanding and ability to analyse, evaluate and apply your knowledge to real-world scenarios.
2. Start revision early
It can be tempting to leave your Law A Level revision until just a few months – or even weeks – before the exams.
But you’ll get the best results if you start early.
After all, there’s a lot to learn. And this way, you can spread out your learning across the year instead of panicking when your exams are around the corner.
Keeping up with the work you cover in class on a week-by-week basis will also help you to avoid getting overwhelmed and save you a lot of formal revision time down the line!
3. Master your Law A Level case studies
Case studies can be one of the most engaging parts of studying law at A Level.
After all, this is where legal principles meet real-life, human stories!
However, there are a lot of case studies to learn, and you’ll need to be able to recall details about each of them.
With that in mind, consider learning around eight new cases every week – even if it’s just the name of the case and a short point of law.
This will reduce your workload nearer to the exams and ensure you have the tools that you need to succeed under your belt.
4. Get the help of a tutor
Although your college or sixth form will prepare you for the Law A Level exams, nothing beats one-to-one attention.
A Law A Level tutor is an experienced professional who’ll know how to help you fulfil your potential. In fact, many are trained teachers and examiners too!
Your tutor will create tailored lesson plans that take into account your strengths, weaknesses and learning style.
In this way, they’ll help to prepare you fully for the exams and will be able to guide you to the best marks possible. In fact, 90% of Tutorful students improve by at least one grade!
Browse expert, vetted tutors, message free, and book instantly.
5. Make the most of Law A Level past papers
Past papers are an invaluable tool to help you prepare for your A Level Law exams.
Not only will they familiarise you with the types of questions you might come across in the real thing.
But when you answer them under timed conditions, they’re also an opportunity to practise managing your time and dealing with exam pressure – which can boost your confidence and reduce exam fear when the big day rolls around.
Just bear in mind that marking your own answers to extended writing questions can be a challenge.
That’s why we’d always recommend getting a teacher or tutor to mark your practice papers for you. This will give you a real understanding of the areas you need to work on most before the real thing.
6. Decide how you’ll use your time
Effective time management is key when it comes to succeeding in this course – both in the lead up to your exams and during the exams themselves.
Firstly, make sure to take the time to create an effective revision timetable that gives a fair weighting to all the different topics, statutes and case studies you’ll need to learn.
Plus, remember to keep your eye on the clock in the exam room, as time can be tight.
With such a big mix of question formats, it’s important to divide your time appropriately between them. As a general rule, you’ll want to spend the most time on the questions that are worth the most, and vice versa.
This will give you the best chance of unlocking all available marks and getting the highest grade possible.
7. Don’t panic!
Last but not least, don’t panic.
Work through the exam paper calmly and methodically, and read each question twice to be absolutely certain you’ve understood it properly. The last thing you need is to make any silly mistakes.
With hard work and the right support, we believe you can achieve anything!
Find a tutor to bring A Level Law to life
A Level Law might not be the most challenging of all the A Level subjects, but it still requires hard work, dedication and the right support if you’re going to be able to access the top grades.
To make sure you can keep up with the demands of this course, why not find an A Level tutor to support you every step of the way?
A Law A Level tutor will give you one-on-one attention you won’t get at college, to help you hone your skills and practise applying your knowledge in an exam situation.
From week-by-week plans to practice exams, they’ll tailor their teaching to suit your strengths, weaknesses and learning style, and help you reach your full potential.
Browse expert, vetted tutors, message free, and book instantly.
FAQs
Is Law A Level a soft subject?
That depends on who you talk to as many universities are now trying to move away from the concept of ‘soft’ and ‘hard’ (‘facilitating’) subjects.
Some still see Law A Level as a soft subject as it doesn’t fall into the category of a ‘facilitating’ subject like the more traditional courses (eg. maths, chemistry, English literature or history). However, it is still academically rigorous and respected by many universities.
Is law the hardest A Level?
No, law isn’t generally regarded as the hardest A Level, although it did have the lowest proportion of C grades and above in 2024 (according to data from FFT Education Datalab).
In fact, it’s generally seen as one of the more manageable A Level courses.
Wondering how it compares to other A Level options? Have a browse of more of our A Level difficulty guides:
- Business A Level
- Politics A Level
- Economics A Level
- History A Level
- Geography A Level
- English Literature A Level
- English Language A Level
- Psychology A Level
- Maths A Level
- Further Maths A Level
- Chemistry A Level
- Physics A Level
- Biology A Level
What are the easiest A-Levels?
No two learners are the same, so it’s impossible to say for sure which are the easiest A Levels.
However, subjects like business, film studies and media studies are generally considered to be less academically rigorous.
How to get an A* in A Level Law?
To get an A* in A Level Law, you’ll need to work hard, make sure you have a deep understanding of the intricacies of various legal concepts, develop your ability to think critically and work on your writing skills.
Perhaps most importantly, you’ll need to make sure you have the right support in place – so, don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it.
A Law A Level tutor will be able to give you the one-on-one attention you need to help you master your weaknesses and reach your full potential in the exams.
