The Toughest A Level Subjects And How To Study For Them

Ask five different students, and you will probably get five different answers to the question: Which is the hardest A Level subject? While the difficulty of A Level subjects is, well, subjective, we can observe which ones students tend to struggle with the most based on how many seek help for that subject.

At Future Academy tuition centres in Singapore, we see high demand for A Level tuition for subjects like Math, Chemistry, Physics, and General Paper. Here’s what our tutors think about these subjects and what they would give as advice to students taking those subjects.

Chemistry

A Level Chemistry is, without doubt, one of the most demanding subjects in JC. Each year, we see a strong demand for JC Chemistry tuition, largely because the jump from secondary school Chemistry to A Levels is steep. Students often need to unlearn simplified secondary school concepts before rebuilding their understanding at a much deeper level.

Chemistry is also uniquely demanding because it requires both strong memory work and precise application skills. Students must recall reactions, conditions, and trends, and then apply them accurately in unfamiliar contexts. On top of that, Chemistry is the de facto science subject for science stream JC students, leading many students to take Chemistry without actually being interested in it.

To do well in A Level Chemistry, consistent hard work is crucial. Here’s what our tutors advise:

• Start early and revise regularly. Use spaced repetition to memorise reactions, mechanisms, and periodic trends.
• Understand how topics connect. Many misconceptions arise when students fail to see links between chapters. Summary notes and mind maps can help consolidate understanding.
• Allocate extra time to high-weightage topics, especially Organic Chemistry, which requires both memorisation and logical application.

Math

Math is an A Level subject that so many students struggle with. While most topics were already introduced in Sec 1 to 4, A Level math goes much more in-depth – especially with topics like differentiation, integration, and trigonometry. Most students struggle because math becomes more abstract and complicated – and test questions are no longer as straightforward as before. If you are not careful, the misconceptions can quickly snowball and make it very difficult to catch up.

In many JCs, math is also treated like a compulsory subject – whether you are in the science or arts stream (unless you have a special subject combination). So, most students have to take it, whether they like it or not. And for arts students, that usually means a subject that they struggle a lot with.

If you find A Level Math tough, here’s what our JC Math tutors suggest:

• Master one technique at a time before attempting mixed questions.
• Train yourself to identify the underlying concept, even when questions are phrased differently or information is presented in reverse.
• Practise under timed conditions to build speed, accuracy, and exam confidence.

General Paper

General Paper might be a H1 subject, but it is important because it is one of the compulsory subjects that will be counted into students’ rank points. Adding to that, General Paper is very much a skills-based exam with no fixed content to learn. Students often find it difficult to study because they can’t just rely on a set of notes. They need to understand how to use skills like summarising, evaluation, argumentation, and persuasion.

Arts students may find General Paper a little more manageable as they are used to writing essays, but Science students tend to have more trouble with it as they are used to short and fixed answers.

As many students don’t know how to study for General Paper, they seek help from our tutors. Having a tutor is great as they can provide feedback from an expert’s point of view, catching issues that you otherwise wouldn’t catch from marking your own work. Through tuition or in your own study, here’s what our tutors recommend you do to study for GP:

• Building a bank of current affairs and general topics, complete with statistics, examples, and multiple perspectives.
• Practising writing regularly. Writing is a skill that improves with use — and weakens without it.
• Learning how to approach different comprehension question types, rather than answering them instinctively.

Conclusion

The A Level examinations are arguably the most demanding academic challenge most students will face. Compressing a large volume of content into just about 1.5 years — while juggling CCAs, leadership roles, and personal commitments — is no easy feat.

That’s why having a strong support system and a well-structured study routine is essential for surviving and thriving in JC. At Future Academy, our experienced A Level tutors provide students with clear structure, targeted strategies, and consistent guidance. Through our small-group JC tuition classes, we’ve helped many students stabilise their grades, regain confidence, and move closer to their academic goals.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by A Levels, you don’t have to do it alone — the right support can make all the difference.

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