The hardest A-Levels, ranked

There is no objective way to rank A-Levels by difficulty. Every subject has students who find it easy and students who find it brutal, and the experience depends heavily on which GCSEs you took, which teachers you had, and what your strengths are.

What you can measure is attainment. The Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) publishes the percentage of students achieving each grade in every A-Level subject every summer. The subjects with the lowest A* and A rates are the ones where the cohort, on average, struggles to reach the top band. That is the closest thing to an objective signal of difficulty, but it has to be read carefully because the cohort taking each subject is different.

This is an opinion-driven ranking that combines JCQ attainment data with the consensus view from teachers, examiners, and university admissions tutors. It is meant to help you make an informed choice, not to scare you off the harder subjects. Hard A-Levels often look stronger to top universities, but a low grade in a hard subject usually loses out to a high grade in an easier one. Read the caveats.

This ranking combines three signals. First, the JCQ A* attainment rate. Subjects where a small percentage of students reach the top grade tend to be harder in absolute terms, even if the cohort is academically strong. Second, the consensus view from teachers, examiners, and university admissions tutors about which subjects make the biggest step up from GCSE. Third, the volume of content and the level of independent thinking the specification expects.

The big caveat is selection bias. Subjects like Further Maths have a higher A* rate than most other A-Levels not because the content is easy but because only the strongest mathematicians take it. Looking at raw A* rates without context will mislead you. We have tried to adjust for cohort strength where the evidence supports it.

The ranking is opinionated. Use it as a starting point for your own research, not as a definitive ordering. Talk to teachers, sit in on lessons, and look at past papers before committing to your A-Level choices.

Further Maths covers everything in A-Level Maths plus a substantial extension. Additional Pure topics include complex numbers, matrices, polar coordinates, hyperbolic functions, and differential equations. Proof by induction is added. Most boards also offer further options in Mechanics, Statistics, or Decision Maths.

The A* rate in Further Maths is high in percentage terms, but the cohort is heavily self-selecting. The students taking it are typically the strongest mathematicians in their year, and they have usually decided by the start of Year 12 that they intend to study Maths, Physics, or Engineering at a top university. Treating the raw A* rate as evidence of an easy subject would be a mistake.

The content is objectively harder than A-Level Maths. Complex numbers and matrices have no equivalent at GCSE, and differential equations require fluency with calculus that takes months to build. If you are considering Further Maths, take A-Level Maths first and see how you handle the Year 12 content. If Year 12 Maths feels comfortable, Further Maths is a strong option. If it feels like a stretch, do not add a second Maths.

A-Level Physics A* and A rates sit below Maths and Further Maths and have been broadly comparable to Chemistry in recent JCQ data. The reason it feels hard is the combination of mathematical demand, conceptual abstraction, and the wide gap between GCSE and A-Level Physics. Students who took GCSE Combined Science rather than Triple Science can find the step up especially steep.

The maths content alone makes Physics harder than most subjects. Confident algebra, trigonometry, and basic calculus are all required, and many topics rely on Maths techniques that have not yet been taught in A-Level Maths if you are taking it alongside. Students who take Physics without A-Level Maths can succeed, but they put in extra hours on the mathematical sections.

The specification also demands conceptual fluency on counter-intuitive topics like quantum physics, fields, and special relativity (in some specs). Students who relied on physical intuition at GCSE start to struggle when the topics move beyond what you can see and touch.

A-Level French, German, and Spanish have generally been seen as more demanding under the reformed specifications. The reformed specifications include literary texts, films, and complex grammar that goes well beyond conversational fluency. The grading has also been a source of complaint, with Ofqual and the boards repeatedly defending grade boundaries that many teachers feel are too tough.

The A* rate in modern languages is lower than for many subjects with comparable cohorts. Native speakers can score well but they are a small minority of entries. For non-native speakers, achieving an A* requires near-fluent written and spoken language, plus the ability to write essays in the target language on literary texts and films.

The oral exam is its own challenge. You have to discuss a research project on a topic of your choice for around five minutes, then respond to follow-up questions. Building genuine speaking fluency requires hours of practice that most students underestimate. If you are considering a modern language at A-Level, plan for regular spoken practice with a native speaker from Year 12 onwards.

A-Level Chemistry tends to have one of the lower A* rates among major sciences. The content volume is large, the level of detail in extended-response answers is high, and the questions combine memorised facts, calculation, mechanism drawing, and applied reasoning, often in a single question.

Organic mechanisms are the most common source of lost marks. Curly arrow placement has to be precise, and the mark schemes are unforgiving about exactly where each arrow starts and ends. Students who learn the products of each reaction without drilling the mechanisms struggle on the higher-mark questions.

pH calculations, Born-Haber cycles, and electrochemistry add another layer because they require careful sign conventions and unit work alongside the chemistry. Students who breeze through GCSE Chemistry often have to work hard for an A at A-Level. If you are aiming for medicine or a chemistry-related degree, the work is worth it. If not, consider whether Chemistry is the right fit for your other choices.

A-Level History is often viewed as one of the more demanding major essay subjects. The content volume is substantial, the breadth and depth of historical knowledge required is high, and the assessment includes a coursework essay that has to be planned and researched over months.

What makes History hard at A-Level is the standard of argument required. Essay questions ask you to evaluate competing interpretations, weigh evidence from multiple sources, and reach a substantiated judgement. Students who write narrative essays describing what happened, rather than analytical essays evaluating why or how significant something was, cap their marks well below the A grade.

Source analysis is another technical challenge. You have to evaluate the provenance, content, and context of historical sources, and use them as evidence for or against a specific argument. The technique is taught but takes time to master. Students who do not practise source analysis under timed conditions consistently underperform on the source paper.

Economics combines essay writing with mathematical reasoning and graphical analysis. The content spans microeconomics (the behaviour of individual markets) and macroeconomics (the behaviour of the economy as a whole). Both halves are examined and both require fluency with diagrams.

The maths is not as demanding as A-Level Maths, but it is more demanding than most students expect. You have to calculate elasticities, manipulate equilibrium prices and quantities, and interpret real-world economic data. Students who chose Economics expecting an essay subject without maths are often surprised.

The other challenge is evaluation. Essay questions in Economics typically ask you to analyse the impact of a policy or event, then evaluate that analysis. The evaluation has to weigh costs against benefits, consider time scales, identify assumptions, and reach a substantiated judgement. Students who write strong analytical essays without evaluation cap their marks below the A grade.

English Literature at A-Level is a significant step up from GCSE. The texts are longer and more complex, the essay structure is more demanding, and the assessment expects you to engage with critical theory and contextual analysis alongside close reading of the text.

What catches students out is the standard of writing required. A-Level Literature essays have to weave together close textual analysis, contextual reference, critical perspectives, and a coherent personal argument. Students who can analyse a passage well but struggle to integrate context or critical theory often plateau at a B or low A.

The coursework component adds another layer of difficulty for many students. You usually have to write an extended essay (around 2,500 words) comparing two texts on a theme of your choice. Picking a strong thesis, sustaining a comparison, and integrating critical material across that length is harder than most students expect. Plan early and work with your teacher on the thesis before you start drafting.

The honest answer is: It depends. Hard A-Levels carry real risks. The A* rate is lower, the content volume is larger, and the workload is heavier. If you are not genuinely interested in the subject, the hours required to push for a top grade will feel unbearable by April of Year 13.

That said, hard A-Levels carry real benefits too. Universities know which subjects are harder, and a strong grade in a hard subject opens doors that a strong grade in an easier subject does not. Medicine, Engineering, Maths, and the natural sciences at top universities specifically require the harder subjects. Some courses (Maths and Engineering at Oxbridge, for example) effectively require Further Maths.

The right framework is your target degree and your strengths. If you know what you want to study and the harder A-Levels are required or strongly preferred, take them and put in the work. If you do not know yet, pick the A-Levels you are most confident in alongside one subject that stretches you. Universities want to see strong grades and a credible academic profile, not a list of hard subjects with mediocre results.

Finally, do not chase prestige at the cost of your mental health. A-Levels are intense for everyone, and adding two or three brutally hard subjects can tip the balance into burnout. Talk to teachers, current Year 13 students, and your sixth form before committing to a set of choices that will dominate the next two years of your life.