A-Levels: Electronics

PLEASE NOTE - THIS IS ANASCOURSE ONLY

Why study Electronics?
Well, it's fun for one thing! You get to build and test circuits almost from the first lesson and you will gain an insight into the workings of many electronic devices that we take for granted. You will also gain some valuable knowledge (e.g. how information is stored, processed and transmitted) and skills (e.g. how to find and fix a fault in a circuit). We live in an electronic age, so can you afford not to study Electronics?

What do I study?
Starting with basic stuff such as current, voltage, resistance and power, you will soon be using resistors, capacitors, light-emitting diodes and operational amplifiers to make simple sensors. You will learn how audio signals are amplified and how to make oscillators. You will also learn how to analyse and build logic (decision-making) circuits, counters and timers and how many of these circuits can be constructed from programmable integrated circuits.
Unit 1: Provides you with the basics resistors, capacitors, diodes, operational amplifiers, logic gates.
Unit 2: Deals with more complex systems such as amplifiers, counters and memory.
Unit 3: Assessed practical work. In order to gain full marks you will need to build, test and analyse circuits, and produce written reports on your work.
Units 1 and 2 are examined and are each worth 36.5% of the AS marks; the coursework accounts for the remaining 27%.

Where does Electronics take me?
It combines well with subjects such as Computing, Maths, Physics and Design Technology, providing excellent background knowledge for technical careers and degrees. While some students have taken up well-paid apprenticeships offering further training, others have progressed to University courses such as Electronic Engineering, Control Technology and Robotics.

What do I need?

You will need to be able to work independently (with guidance of course) and you will need to enjoy solving problems, because very few circuits work first time! You do not need to have studied Electronics before, but you do need grade B or above in Science or Physics, and grade B or above in Maths.