If like us you’re starting to consider your child’s A-level options then you may well want them to avoid A-levels that many of the top universities consider “soft” by which they mean unacceptable for entrance. The trouble is there’s little help from the Universities.

Only two top universities publish a list of “non-preferred” subjects, a Policy Exchange report claims.

In January, the Russell Group of top research institutions warned that state pupils especially could be hampered by choosing “soft subjects” at A-level.

The report says universities and schools must make things clearer.

It says that only Cambridge University and the London School of Economics publish lists of less-preferred subjects, while other universities offer no clear advice about subjects that could count against students.

Cambridge’s list has 20 A-levels which could be considered “less effective” in applications – including accounting, business, dance, ICT, media studies, sports studies and travel and tourism. Source: The BBC.

Cambridge and LSE publish lists of non-preferred subjects. Both universities list the following as less effective preparation for university: Accounting, Art and Design, Business Studies, Communication Studies, Design and Technology, Drama and Theatre Studies, Home Economics, Information and Communication Technology, Media Studies, Music Technology, Sports Studies and Travel and Tourism. In addition LSE singles out Law (but Cambridge does not) and Cambridge lists: Dance, Film Studies, Health and Social Care, Leisure Studies, Performance Studies, Performing Arts, Photography and Physical Education.

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Without clear advice from universities pupils and parents are left to play a guessing game about which subjects might give an advantage when it comes to applying to a leading university. It has long been accepted that General Studies is often not preferred by universities and should be regarded as more of an “add-on” to other A-levels. Some of the “softer” arts A-levels, such as Media Studies and Music Technology, may be easy to pinpoint as less traditional. However, the new “professional” A-levels are more confusing. It seems particularly unfair to expect pupils or parents to instinctively know that Law, Accounting and Business Studies may be considered “soft” or less desirable by many top universities. Source: The Policy Exchange.

Still I can’t help thinking students from Public Schools will know exactly what subjects to avoid.