CIE A level is not as difficult as some students think. I have prepared students for this examination and seen some of my students with A*A*A*, A*A*A, A*AA, AAA. I want to start by highlighting seven traits of A* students against those that fail CIE A Level.
- They are goal-setters.
- They are self-motivated.
- They work hard.
- They are constantly getting better.
- They are imaginative.
- They push themselves out of their comfort zones.
- They are strategic.
All of the above traits are present in all of them. Knowing why some students fail will make you better equipped to achieve A*A*A*. There are some courses in Nigeria or abroad that you cannot study without getting a good grade on your CIE A level. The competition is high, so you must be on your game.
Recommended: Reasons you aren’t offered admission
Below are the reasons why students fail CIE A Level:
- Poor academic background
- Inadequate motivation
- Lack of self-confidence
- Bad lifestyle
- They are not smart enough
Poor academic background: Some students found this examination difficult because they didn’t have a foundational understanding of the subjects they would write. Some students were padded to pass their senior secondary school leaving examination without having a solid root. Cambridge A level usually tests whether students understand the concept behind a subject. If you have a poor understanding of foundational topics in mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, and any other subjects you will be writing, it is high time you revisit them. When the foundation is shaky, the building is bound to collapse.
Inadequate motivation: I have discovered that most students get discouraged at a certain junction in the program. The discouragement may result from the syllabus’s enormous task and the diligent study they need to do. Your inner drive most not fail at any time, it must keep burning throughout your program and the exams. This is where teachers must come in; there must be constant encouragement and support from them to the students.
Lack of self-confidence: Some students fear Cambridge more than their parents; at the sound of Cambridge, they tremble. Sometimes, it baffles me when I see academically sound students not performing to expectations. Some of my students say that the exam’s fear has made them lose their confidence. This fear is unnecessary because this is not your first exam and won’t be the last. You don’t have to lose your confidence at this stage; look at it as one of the exams you have passed. See it as a battle that you have won.
Bad lifestyle: Some students have a bad lifestyle; they are too lazy to read and don’t take responsibility for their lives. They don’t care whether they fail or succeed. You have to change your lifestyle to a winning lifestyle: you can’t continue to approach life with such an attitude.
Not smart enough: Being smart in this context means you are wise enough to study the pattern and manner in which they ask questions and how you are expected to answer them.
Students who fail the exam are a bit lazy: this examination body has provided you with past questions and mark schemes. You already know how the questions and the marking will be by studying the past questions and mark schemes. To a greater extent, you don’t have any excuse to fail.
All you need to do is study the mannerisms of the exam by diligently studying the past questions and mark schemes.
