Grade 5+ GCSE English, Grade 4+ GCSE History is helpful not essential

The Edexcel A Level in Politics has three components:

Politics A Level is never dull or predictable because politics is not predictable. The course could hardly be more relevant as you discover what political parties in the UK and USA stand for, whether protest is effective and what your rights are in our democracy. You will learn to identify political arguments and come to understand how your life is affected by political activity. You will explore topics such as why people vote for particular parties – is it the media, the appeal of leaders or are there longer-term factors such as age or class? You will explore the impact of BREXIT, devolution and human rights legislation on the way the UK is governed. 

In Year One you will study UK Politics and UK Government, split into two sides of the course. In UK Politics you will study how people get involved in politics, for example, through parties and pressure groups; while in the UK Government you will explore how winning parties run the country, and the role of Parliament and the Judiciary in this. You will also study the Core Political Ideas -Liberalism, Conservatism and Socialism; and the non-core Political Idea, Nationalism.

In Year Two you will study the USA as a comparative unit, looking at similar topics from Year One, such as political participation, the role of Congress and the US Supreme Court, and comparing these to the UK.

100% examination

Politics provides you with a wide array of skills that are highly valued by universities and employers alike, such as critical thinking and the ability to communicate an argument effectively both verbally and through written work. This A Level is suited to anyone who is interested in current affairs, enjoys debating or just wants to better understand the choices made by our governments today.

Students who study Politics A Level can go on to university to study International Relations, Politics, Philosophy, History, Economics or Law, and other humanities and social sciences. 

Politics graduates can go on to work in politics, either as a politician or for an MP as a researcher, local or devolved government, the Civil Service, journalism, research and education, charities and development, law & legal activities. 

1. How is the course assessed? There are three exams at the end of the course, there is no coursework.
2. What are the exams like? All the exams are 2 hours long and are mainly made up of essays questions, some source based. The USA paper has some shorter questions.
3. What knowledge should I already have? This will be the first time most people have studied politics, but it is helpful if you already have an interest in current affairs. The development of your understanding will require you to read about politics daily, and apply what you have learnt to the curriculum.