The Hardest A-Levels: A Ranked Look (And Why It Doesn't Matter as Much as You Think)

"Which A-Levels are the hardest?" is one of the most common questions students ask before choosing their subjects. It's a reasonable question — but the answer is more nuanced than a ranked list suggests.

The standard ranking

Based on national A* attainment rates and surveys of teachers and students:

1. Further Mathematics — most cited as the hardest A-Level. Around 30% achieve A*, but only ~12,000 students nationally take it; the cohort is unusually self-selected and strong, and grade boundaries are unforgiving.
2. Physics — significant mathematical content layered on conceptual physics. ~9% achieve A*.
3. Chemistry — broad syllabus across organic, inorganic, and physical chemistry, with substantial calculation. ~10% achieve A*.
4. Biology — content-heavy with high recall demand. ~9% achieve A*.
5. Mathematics — fundamental for STEM applications, and not optional for most strong universities. ~22% achieve A*.
6. Modern Foreign Languages (French, German, Spanish) — the consistent issue is grade boundary severity, especially for native speakers prevented from taking their first language.
7. English Literature — interpretive and critical, with high writing demand under exam conditions.
8. History — essay-based with substantial content load.
9. Economics — increasingly mathematical at the top universities; the syllabus is broad.
10. Computer Science — mixed difficulty: easier than Further Maths or Physics for most students, harder than humanities subjects.

Why "hardest" depends on the student

The list above is meaningful nationally but only weakly predictive for individual students.

The actual variables:

1. Aptitude. Students who take to mathematics will find Further Maths fluent; students who don't will find it punishing.
2. GCSE foundation. A grade 9 GCSE in Mathematics is a foundation for A-Level Mathematics; a grade 7 is a starting point that requires more catch-up.
3. Teaching quality. A subject is harder when taught poorly. A student with a brilliant Chemistry teacher will outperform a student with a poor one even if both have similar aptitude.
4. Workload at school. A student doing four A-Levels alongside the EPQ has less time per subject than a student doing three.

"Hard" vs "rewarding"

A-Level difficulty matters less than A-Level fit for the student's intended degree. A student who scrapes a C in Further Maths but loves it is a worse Mathematics applicant than a student who comfortably gets A in regular Maths and adds an A in something they engage with.

Universities aren't impressed by self-flagellation. They're impressed by strong performance in subjects that demonstrate intellectual seriousness for the degree subject.

What about "easy" A-Levels?

A-Levels with the highest A and A* attainment rates:

| Subject | A or A* attainment | | --- | --- | | Further Mathematics | ~58% | | Mathematics | ~46% | | Music | ~39% | | Latin | ~52% | | Classical Greek | ~58% |

The highest-attainment subjects (Further Maths, Latin, Greek) aren't easier — they're taken by smaller, more selective cohorts. Subjects with broader cohorts (English Lit, History) tend to have lower A* rates because the spread of student ability is wider.

Subjects that genuinely have lower content density and easier grade boundaries: General Studies, Critical Thinking, and Citizenship Studies. None of these are taken seriously by competitive universities — taking them as a third A-Level can hurt an application.

Strategy: how to choose

The right approach for an A&J student:

1. Identify the universities and courses you're targeting. This determines required subjects.
2. Of the required subjects, choose the ones you're strongest in. Don't take "harder" alternatives for prestige.
3. For your remaining subject (after required ones), choose something you'll enjoy and excel at. A strong mark in something you love is better than a mediocre mark in something you don't.
4. Avoid the universally-discounted subjects (General Studies, Critical Thinking) for application purposes.

What predicts strong A-Level performance regardless of subject

1. Sustained work across two years. A student working steadily through Year 12 outperforms a student trying to catch up in Year 13.
2. Past paper practice in the final months. Single highest-value activity for top grades.
3. Strong teaching. Teaching quality matters more than students realise.
4. Subject choice that fits the student. Aptitude matters; ignore it at your peril.
5. Sleep and health in exam periods. Performance falls off rapidly with sleep debt.

The honest summary

The "hardest A-Levels" list is a useful approximation but a bad guide for individual students. The right A-Levels are the ones required for your target universities, that you can do well in, taught by competent teachers, that you find engaging enough to work hard at for two years.

If you'd like guidance on subject choice given your student's strengths and university targets, book a consultation.