What Is Sociology A Level & Is It Hard?

Intrigued by society and social behaviour? Sociology A Level could be right up your street! But what exactly is Sociology A Level? And is it hard?

Don’t worry. Here, we’ll answer all your questions so you can choose your A Level options with confidence.

Psst! Finding an 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 Sociology A Level?

Sociology is the study of society in its many different forms.

This includes how society originates and develops, how people are organised into groups, and its various influences.

At A Level, the focus will largely be on contemporary society.

You’ll look at lots of different issues related to things like education, the media, religion, families, health, work, poverty and welfare, and global developments.

Topics can vary a little depending on your exam board and school or college. However, to give you an idea, the exam board OCR covers topics including:

Crime and deviance
The impact of globalisation
The nature of social relationships
Different forms of social inequality
The impact of new forms of social media
Social research in a range of social contexts

In this way, if you’re passionate about political and social issues happening all around you, this could be a fantastic subject for you to get involved in.

What is Sociology A Level like?

Sociology is an essay-based subject which involves reading, thinking, writing and debating.

You’ll learn about the various ideas and theories of sociology, engage with various contemporary social issues and delve into the research methods used to assess specific questions.

However, this is a subject where there often isn’t just one right answer.

Rather, you’ll need to be able to debate issues that have a number of different reasonable explanations – and think critically about various perspectives in order to form and support your own arguments.

There won’t be any coursework to complete for Sociology A Level. Instead, you’ll sit a range of exams at the end of the two-year course (usually, three papers), including a mix of short answer and longer essay questions.

Is Sociology A Level hard?

Some students find Sociology A Level easy, while others find it difficult – suggesting that it’s probably somewhere in the middle.

However, every learner is different.

Exactly how hard you’d find the course will depend on your interests, skill set, work ethic and learning style.

Here are some of the aspects that learners tend to find more challenging.

Memorisation

There won’t be as much content to learn as there will be studying some other sciences at A Level (yes, sociology is considered a social science!).

But you’ll still need to be able to recall specific terminology, as well as specific details from practical case studies.

This will certainly put your memory skills to the test!

Analytical skills

It’s not enough just to rote learn the Sociology A Level content.

Instead, you’ll have to think critically about differing perspectives on a single issue – analysing their strengths and limitations rather than simply accepting them at face value.

You’ll also need to be able to weigh up the evidence in order to form and defend your own arguments.

Self directed learning

Sociology is all around us, all the time.

As such, the most successful students will engage in contemporary social issues beyond their textbook.

This includes keeping up with the news and the latest updates on social research and policy.

Essay writing

Sociology A Level is an essay-based subject.

So, you’ll need to become confident developing and structuring your arguments on paper.

This includes walking the examiner through your thought process, showing your understanding of the different perspectives and using evidence to defend your viewpoint.

Is A Level Sociology hard compared to other subjects?

So, how does A Level Sociology compare to other subjects for difficulty?

Well, pass rates tend to be pretty average.

To give you an example, in 2024, 97.7% of students got a grade E or above in A Level Sociology (according to FFT Education Datalab) – compared to 97.2% across all subjects.

However, fewer sociology students tend to reach the top grades, suggesting that they find it harder to obtain the in-depth understanding they need to get a grade A or above.

Here’s how grades were distributed in 2024.

	E or above	C or above	A or above	A*
Sociology	97.7%	74.3%	18.3%	5.4%
All subjects	97.2%	76.4%	27.8%	9.3%

So, does this make Sociology A Level harder than average?

Well, not necessarily!

Although fewer students tend to reach the highest grades, this isn’t necessarily a reflection of the subject’s difficulty level.

Consider, for instance, that A Level Maths and Further Maths have some of the highest grades out of all the most popular subjects – despite the fact that they’re widely accepted to be amongst the hardest options.

With that in mind, we’d advise against looking at pass rates alone when picking your A Level options.

Instead, consider which subjects most closely match your skills, interests and future aspirations – and remember that any A Level requires hard work, dedication and perseverance if you’re hoping to access the top grades!

Is sociology a good A Level?

Yes, sociology can be a great A Level for the right student.

As well as giving you a strong understanding of the social world around you, the course will also help you to develop valuable skills – such as analysis, critical thinking and writing.

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

Sociology is also an A Level that’s come to be largely respected by universities – although it isn’t usually a requirement for studying sociology at university.

Plus, it pairs nicely with a range of other A Level options – whether that’s similar subjects like psychology, politics and economics or more traditional options like maths, biology, physics or even English literature.

Ultimately, if you love learning about the factors that shape the world you live in – as well as writing, thinking and debating – sociology 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 pass Sociology A Level

Like any A Level subject, sociology 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 passing Sociology A Level with flying colours.

1. Know what to expect

First things first, it’s important to know exactly what to expect in your Sociology 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 short answer and essay-style questions.

2. Start revision early

It can be tempting to leave your Sociology 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.

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 Sociology A Level help

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

A Sociology 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. Get hold of previous Sociology A Level papers

Past papers are an invaluable tool to help you prepare for your Sociology 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, make sure to take the time to create an effective revision timetable that gives a fair weighting to all the different topics and case studies 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, it’s important to divide your time appropriately between the short answer and longer essay questions to maximise the marks available to you.

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.

6. Don’t panic!

Last but not least, don’t panic.

Work through each of the Sociology 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 Sociology A Level tutor to bring the subject to life

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

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

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 Sociology A Level tutors are experts in 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.

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

FAQs

How respected is Sociology A Level?

Sociology A Level is becoming increasingly respected. However, it isn’t generally a subject that’s required by universities to get onto a specific course.

Do universities like A Level Sociology?

Universities don’t generally require A Level Sociology but it’s a subject that tends to be well-regarded all the same. Although it isn’t seen as a ‘facilitating’ subject, many universities are now trying to move away from this term and embrace a greater range of subjects.

Is the A Level of sociology easy?

Some students find A Level Sociology easy, while others find it difficult – suggesting that it’s probably somewhere in the middle. But remember, no A Level is supposed be easy. After all, ‘A Level’ stands for ‘Advanced Level’!

Wondering how sociology compares to other A Level options? Have a browse of more of our A Level difficulty guides:

Is it hard to get an A in Sociology A Level?

Yes, it’s relatively difficult to get an A in Sociology A Level. Just 18.3% of sociology students got a grade A or above in 2024 – compared to 27.8% across all subjects (according to FFT Education Datalab).

Which is the hardest subject in A Level?

Further Maths is widely considered to be the hardest subject in A Level, as it’s designed to be even harder than maths. However, the hardest subject for you will depend on lots of different factors, including your skill set, work ethic and learning style.

Browse our handpicked A Level tutors

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

What Is Sociology A Level and Is It Hard?