Is Philosophy A Level Hard?

Philosophy is a fascinating subject that can change your outlook on life. But is Philosophy A Level hard?

Well, yes. It is a challenging subject. But if you’re good at critical thinking and essay writing, and you’re interested in philosophical concepts, it’s nothing you won’t be able to handle.

Here’s the lowdown.

Psst! Finding a Philosophy A Level tutor is a great way to help you handle the jump up from GCSE to A level and reach your full potential in the exams.

What is Philosophy A Level?

Philosophy A Level is a fantastic introduction to philosophical thinking.

You’ll look at important philosophical questions and consider the various answers there may be to them.

This includes learning about the theories and arguments of various European philosophers such as René Descartes, David Hume and John Locke, and examining them critically.

AQA is the only exam board that offers a straight Philosophy A Level.

However, if your school or college doesn’t offer this option, you may still be able to study philosophy as part of a religious studies course.

AQA, OCR, Edexcel and Eduqas all offer a Religious Studies A Level which covers three components: philosophy, ethics and the study of one religion – usually, Christianity.

Like the straight philosophy course, you’ll study various philosophical and ethical issues – but through the lens of the study of religion.

For instance, you’ll look at the issues that arise from religion, as well as the development of religious beliefs and their impact on modern society.

Is A Level Philosophy hard?

Yes! A Level Philosophy is a challenging subject that will require you to develop strong skills in critical thinking and analysis – as well as the ability to wrap your head around complex concepts.

It has a decent pass rate, with 97.2% of A Level Philosophy students achieving at least a grade E (according to AQA).

However, students tend to find it a little harder to reach the top grades, with just 4.7% achieving an A* compared to 9.3% across all subjects (based on figures from FFT Education Datalab)

This suggests that it can be challenging to unlock the deeper levels of understanding and analysis required to reach the very top grades.

Here’s how grades were distributed in 2024.

	Grade E or above	Grade C or above	Grade A or above	Grade A*
Philosophy	96.3%	72.8%	21.6%	4.7%
All subjects	97.2%	76.4%	27.8%	9.3%

How hard is Philosophy A Level?

It’s impossible to say for sure exactly how hard you’d find Philosophy A Level.

Rather, it will all depend on your strengths, interests, work ethic and learning style. After all, every student is different!

That said, there are a few aspects that Philosophy A Level students tend to find particularly challenging.

Memorisation

A Level Philosophy is a fast-paced course that requires students to memorise and understand lots of complex concepts and information.

Abstract thinking

Students need to be able to wrap their heads around abstract philosophical concepts and issues – as well as being creative with their own abstract thinking and responses.

Analytical skills

Instead of taking information at face value, you’ll need to be able to think critically – analysing and evaluating texts, concepts and the views of key thinkers and philosophers.

Essay writing

Essay writing skills are crucial, as you’ll need to construct robust arguments in writing, supporting your ideas with theories and examples.

What is A Level Philosophy like?

A Level Philosophy is a two-year course that involves a lot of reading, writing and discussion.

It’s fast-paced and will see you covering a lot of different content, as well as developing your own views on the various issues covered.

At the end of the course, you’ll be assessed via two written exams.

Philosophy A Level specification

Philosophy A Level covers four main areas:

Epistemology
Moral philosophy
Metaphysics of God
Metaphysics of mind

Epistemology and moral philosophy are assessed in Paper 1, where you’ll answer five questions on epistemology (Section A) and five questions on moral philosophy (Section B).

Meanwhile, Paper 2 will cover the metaphysics of God and the metaphysics of mind. Again, you’ll answer five questions on the metaphysics of God (Section A) and five questions on the metaphysics of mind (Section B).

Both papers will last for three hours and will form 50% of your overall grade.

A Level Philosophy syllabus

The Philosophy A Level syllabus covers a wide range of content within those four main areas.

1. Epistemology

Epistemology is the study of knowledge and is usually covered in your first year of studies.

You’ll learn about various different types of knowledge, as well as the nature of knowledge and how it can be analysed.

Here are the topics you’ll study:

What is knowledge?
Perception as a source of knowledge
Reason as a source of knowledge
The limits of knowledge

2. Moral philosophy

Moral philosophy is the study of ethics and is also usually covered in your first year.

Here, you’ll delve into the nature of what is considered good and bad, right and wrong.

You’ll explore the following topics.

Normative ethical theories
Applied ethics
Meta-ethics

3. Metaphysics of God

Metaphysics is the study of what exists and will usually be covered in your second year.

Metaphysics of God specifically looks at ontological and teleological arguments for and against the Judeo-Christian depiction of God. Plus, you’ll look at the problem of evil and the use of religious language.

Here are the topics you’ll cover:

The concept and nature of ‘God’
Arguments relating to the existence of God
Religious language

4. Metaphysics of mind

Metaphysics of mind considers dualist and physicalist theories of mindfulness, as well as functionalism, to answer what we mean by the ‘mind.’

You’ll cover these topics.

What do we mean by ‘mind’?
Dualist theories
Physicalist theories
Functionalism

Is philosophy a good A Level?

Yes, philosophy can be a fantastic A Level for the right student.

As well as being an engaging subject that can change your perception of the world around you, it will also help you to develop valuable skills – including critical thinking, abstract thinking and communication.

These skills will stand you in good stead throughout your further studies and career.

As an academically rigorous course, A Level Philosophy is also well respected by universities – although it isn’t usually a requirement for studying philosophy at university.

Plus, it pairs nicely with a range of other A Level options – across both arts and science subjects.

After all, the ethics side of this A Level will be hugely beneficial to scientifically-minded students who will learn how to question their actions. And the logical nature of philosophy could even enhance your understanding of subjects like maths.

Ultimately, if you love interrogating complex moral and ethical questions – as well as writing, thinking and debating – philosophy could be a fantastic A Level for you.

It certainly isn’t the only route to get you where you want to be but it’s a fascinating course that will give you a chance to put your passion for the subject to the test.

How to revise Philosophy A Level

Philosophy is a challenging subject, but with the right approach to revision, there’s no reason why you can’t pass this course with flying colours.

Here are our top tips for philosophy revision at A Level.

1. Know what to expect

First things first, it’s important to know exactly what to expect in your Philosophy 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.

Remember, there’s only one exam board that offers a straight Philosophy A Level – AQA. If you go down this route, you won’t have any coursework to complete.

Instead, your understanding of philosophical concepts, theories and methods will be tested through two exam papers, which you’ll sit at the end of the two-year course. Each paper consists of ten questions that require you to write short essay answers.

2. Start revision early

It can be tempting to leave your Philosophy 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 since there’s no coursework, you’ll need to consolidate everything you’ve learned across two years of study, ready for your exams.

We always recommend you start your Philosophy A Level revision at the start of your second year of study. This way, you can spread out your learning across the year instead of panicking when your exams are around the corner.

Taking 10 minutes to review what you’ve learned after each lesson can also help to keep everything at the front of your mind and save you a lot of formal revision time!

3. Ask for help

Although your college or sixth form will prepare you for the Philosophy A Level exams, nothing beats one-to-one attention.

A Philosophy 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.

4. Make the most of Philosophy A Level past papers

Past papers are an invaluable tool to help you prepare for your Philosophy A Level 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 essay-style 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.

5. Manage your time

Effective time management is key when it comes to succeeding in this course – both during your revision and in the exam room.

Firstly, take time to create an effective revision timetable that gives a fair weighting to all the different topics you’ll need to learn.

And secondly, remember to keep your eye on the clock in the exam room, as time can be tight.

In particular, each exam paper will require you to answer 10 questions, with short essay answers. You’ll need to divide your time up properly so that you’re not rushing the last few – or even failing to complete the paper.

6. Don’t panic!

Last but not least, don’t panic.

Work through both of the Philosophy A Level papers 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 help you ace philosophy at A Level

Like any A Level subject, philosophy requires hard work, dedication and perseverance if you’re going to access the top grades.

But with the right support behind you, it’s nothing you can’t handle!

To make sure you can keep up with the demands of this course, why not find an A Level tutor who’ll have your back every step of the way?

Our Philosophy A Level tutors are experts at bringing the subject to life.

From week-by-week plans to practice exams, they’ll give you the one-on-one attention you won’t get at college and tailor their teaching to suit your strengths, weaknesses and learning style – helping you to reach your full potential every time.

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FAQs

Is philosophy a difficult subject?

Yes, philosophy is a difficult subject. Although Philosophy A Level pass rates are decent, fewer students than average tend to reach the top grades.

Why is Philosophy A Level so hard?

Philosophy A Level is hard because it requires strong critical thinking and analytical skills, as well as the ability to develop strong, logical arguments in writing. Plus, there’s a lot of content to learn!

Is Philosophy A Level a soft subject?

No, Philosophy A Level isn’t generally seen as a soft subject. It’s an academically rigorous course that tends to be highly-regarded by universities.

Which A levels are the easiest?

It’s impossible to say for certain which A Levels are the easiest, as no two students are the same. However, subjects like business, film studies and media studies are less academically rigorous.

Why not see how different subjects compare for difficulty? Check out more of our A Level difficulty guides:

What A Levels go well with philosophy?

Philosophy pairs nicely with a range of other A Level subjects, so it all depends on what path you’d like to follow. Common pairings include maths, English literature, history and psychology.

How to get an A* in A Level Philosophy?

The best way to get an A* in A Level Philosophy is to start revision early and focus on developing a thorough understanding of the material covered rather than just learning it by rote.

We’d also recommend completing lots of practice papers so that you can identify your strengths and weaknesses and target those weaker areas.
Remember, a Philosophy A Level tutor can help you to reach your full potential – in fact, 90% of Tutorful students improve by at least one grade.

Browse our handpicked A Level tutors

Browse expert, vetted tutors, message for free, and book instantly.