Choosing your A-levels (2026): facilitating subjects, course prerequisites, three vs four, and the EPQ

Choosing three or four A-levels at sixteen is one of the highest-leverage decisions in your education, because some university courses simply will not consider you without specific subjects, and some combinations quietly close doors you have not thought about yet. This guide cuts through the myths (especially the "facilitating subjects" one), shows you how to choose backwards from where you might want to end up, and explains the three-versus-four and EPQ questions honestly.

Start from the destination, not the subjects

The single biggest mistake is choosing A-levels you like and only later discovering a degree you want requires something you did not take. Some prerequisites are non-negotiable and cannot be fixed in Year 13:

• Medicine and dentistry: almost always require Chemistry, very often Biology, and frequently a third science or maths. Miss Chemistry and most medical schools are closed to you.
• Engineering: requires Maths, usually Physics, and Further Maths is preferred or required at the most selective universities.
• Physics, Maths, Computer Science, Economics degrees: require Maths A-level (Economics at top universities almost always; many reject applicants without it).
• Chemistry, Biochemistry, Pharmacy, Veterinary: require Chemistry and usually Biology.
• Modern languages: usually require the A-level in that language (you generally cannot start most languages from scratch at a top university).
• Architecture: many courses want a portfolio and value an art or design subject alongside academic ones.

If you have no idea what you want to study (which is completely normal), the answer is not to guess; it is to choose subjects that keep the most doors open, which is what the next section is really about.

"Facilitating subjects": the myth, and what replaced it

For years, students were told to pick from a Russell Group list of facilitating subjects: the subjects said to be most often required for degree courses. The historic list was Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths, Further Maths, English Literature, Geography, History, and modern and classical languages.

Two things you must know in 2026:

1. The Russell Group dropped the "facilitating subjects" label in 2019. It was widely misread as "these are the only subjects top universities accept", which was never true and was putting students off perfectly good subjects.
2. It was replaced by the Informed Choices tool, an online resource (run by the Russell Group) that lets you check how particular A-level combinations keep different degree options open, rather than ranking subjects into a good/bad list.

The underlying truth that survived the relabelling: a clutch of traditional, essay-or-maths-heavy academic subjects does keep the widest range of degrees available. So the sensible modern version of the advice is:

• If you know your direction, take the subjects that direction requires.
• If you do not, include at least one or two of those traditional academic subjects (a science or maths, plus an essay subject) so you are not accidentally locked out of broad swathes of degrees.

How to read a course's entry requirements

Every UK degree publishes its entry requirements on the university's own course page. Read them properly, because they contain four separate things:

• Grade or points requirement: e.g. "A*AA" or "120 points" (see our UCAS points guide for what those mean).
• Required subjects: specific A-levels you must have, e.g. "including A in Chemistry".
• GCSE requirements: many courses require GCSE English and maths at grade 4 (or higher), and some require more; a weak GCSE profile can block you even with strong A-levels.
• Excluded or "non-preferred" subjects: a handful of courses do not count certain subjects (sometimes General Studies, Critical Thinking, or a native-language A-level) towards the offer.

Three or four A-levels?

The honest answer for almost everyone is three.

• University offers are built on three A-levels. Even the most selective offers (A*AA, A*A*A) are three grades. A fourth A-level is rarely required; the main exception is that top universities often want Further Maths as a fourth for Maths-heavy degrees, and a few specific courses ask for it.
• A fourth A-level only helps if it does not drag down your main three. Universities make offers on three subjects, so four B grades is a worse outcome than three As. If the fourth subject risks pulling your core grades down, it is a net loss.
• Workload and wellbeing matter. Four linear A-levels is a heavy, sustained load over two years. Spreading yourself thin to add a fourth that no offer requires is usually a poor trade.

The sound version: take three subjects you can do well, and if you are a strong, well-organised student aiming at Maths-related degrees, consider Further Maths as the fourth. Otherwise, put the extra capacity into an EPQ.

Where the EPQ fits

The Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) is a standalone, independently researched project (a 5,000-word report, or an artefact plus a shorter report) graded A* to E and worth UCAS points (A* = 28, down to E = 8). It is usually a better use of your fourth slot than a fourth A-level, for three reasons:

• Many universities reduce their offer for a strong EPQ, for example "AAB, or ABB with grade A in the EPQ". A one-grade reduction in your A-level offer is worth far more than the EPQ's modest points.
• It builds exactly the skills universities want: independent research, long-form writing, referencing, time management, and a project you can talk about at interview and in your personal statement.
• It is lighter than a full A-level and is designed to sit alongside three A-levels rather than compete with them for time.

The EPQ is not free, though: it demands genuine self-direction, and a half-hearted EPQ that you abandon mid-way is worse than not starting one. Take it only if you will actually drive it.

A worked decision

A Year 11 student is interested in either economics or engineering but is not yet sure, and is choosing four options to narrow to three plus an EPQ.

• Maths: required for both economics (at selective universities) and engineering. Essential. Take it.
• Physics: required for engineering, useful generally. Take it.
• Further Maths: strongly preferred for engineering at top universities and helpful for economics. A strong candidate should take it as the demanding fourth.
• An essay subject (e.g. History or Economics A-level): keeps humanities-flavoured options open and supports an economics application.

The student cannot do all four well plus thrive, so the realistic plan is Maths, Physics, and either Further Maths or an essay subject, then an EPQ on a topic bridging both interests. If engineering firms up, Further Maths becomes the third; if economics firms up, the essay subject does. Either way, Maths and Physics are locked in early because both target degrees need them.

What this means for you

• Choose backwards from possible degrees. Check the required subjects for courses you might want before you pick.
• Keep options open if unsure by including a science or maths and an essay subject; do not fear non-traditional subjects, fear bad combinations.
• Use the Informed Choices tool rather than relying on the dropped "facilitating subjects" list.
• Default to three strong A-levels. Add Further Maths as a fourth only for Maths-heavy degrees, and otherwise put your extra effort into an EPQ that can earn you a reduced offer.

In summary

Pick A-levels by working backwards from where you might end up: required subjects rule degrees in or out, so check prerequisites first. The "facilitating subjects" label is gone (replaced by Informed Choices), but the spirit survives: keep traditional academic subjects in the mix to keep options open. Do three subjects well rather than four shakily, and use the EPQ as your fourth, because a strong project can lower your offer and sharpen exactly the skills university rewards.