General Studies

• Course Information
• Student Resources

Course Information

Advanced Subsidiary	AS
Advanced Level	A2
Examination Board	Edexel

All Year 12 and 13 students at The Maelor School are entered into a General Studies programme with a view to them being entered for this flexible and highly regarded qualification.

"I have taken all knowledge to be my province."

Francis Bacon [1561 - 1626]

1. Why study General Studies?

In the academic world of school and university it is easy, perhaps is desirable, to be a subject specialist. But in the real world most people are required to be generalists as well as making the most of their specialist knowledge. General Studies is about learning skills that will enable you to analyse and utilise a wide variety of sources of information. Why shouldn't an historian be able to make an informed judgement about genetically modified food? Why shouldn't a physicist be able to appreciate Hamlet?

"For also knowledge itself is power."

Francis Bacon from his book,'Meditationes Sacrae'.

2. Content and Assessment

For the AS qualification:

• Paper 1: Culture, Morality, Arts and Humanities - comprehension with multiple choice questions and extended writing (1 hour 15 minutes).
• Paper 2: Science, Mathematics and Technology - comprehension with multiple choice questions and multiple choice mathematics questions (1 hour 15 minutes).
• Paper 3: Society, Politics and the Economy - documentary source analysis (1 hour 15 minutes)*
• *It is also possible to replace Paper 3 with Paper 4, a 1500 word coursework assignment set by the examination board.

For the A2 Qualification:

• Paper 5: Culture, Morality, Arts and Humanities - language comprehension with multiple-choice questions and an arts essay (1 hour 30 minutes).
• Paper 6: Science, Mathematics and Technology - spatial and mechanical relations comprehension with multiple choice questions and a science essay (1 hour 30 Minutes).
• Paper 7: Society, Politics and the Economy - case study questions on a variety of source materials (1 hour 30 minutes).

3. How will General Studies Help with Key Skills?

Because of the broad range covered by the General Studies course it should be possible to generate portfolio evidence for many of the Key Skills criteria. This will be particularly helpful in providing evidence of skills that may not be covered by your other AS and A2 courses (for example arts or language students may find it difficult to gather evidence for the Application of Number key skill in their other subjects).

4. How useful will this qualification be?

"The end of our foundation is the knowledge of causes, and the secret motion of things,' and the enlarging of the bounds of human empire, to the effecting of all things possible".

Francis Bacon - from his book 'New Atlantis'.

The General Studies qualification at AS or A2 will be very useful. In fact, it could have so many applications as it covers so many subjects and skills, that in some ways it could be the most flexible, the most useful qualification you could achieve. For those who wish to continue their education beyond school it can often supplement other qualifications when applying to university, it can even replace more mainstream qualifications if you do not quite get the grades you need to get into your first choice university.

TEACHER IN CHARGE: Mrs. S. England

Student Resources