Top 10 Easiest A Levels to Study in 2026

Choosing the right A Levels can be tough. Whether you're looking for a slightly lighter workload or a less stressful student experience, this guide breaks down the A Levels that students may find the most manageable. 

While the difficulty of an A Level subject shouldn’t be the only factor influencing your decision, it’s always a good idea to be prepared and gain an understanding of the level of work that may be required.

Key Takeaways

• "Easy" is personal. A subject that feels effortless for one student may feel overwhelming for another.

• High pass rates don't always mean high grades. A subject might have a 99% pass rate but still be difficult to score an A* in. 

• Suitability beats reputation. Choosing a subject because it's "known to be easy" is rarely the best strategy. The easiest A-level for you is the one that best fits your skills, interests and career direction.

What Are The Easiest A-Levels?

To figure out some of the easiest A Levels to study in 2026, we analysed Ofqual’s 2025 A Level results data (opens in a new tab) for England. This shows which subjects had the highest pass rates last year. Pass rate is the percentage of students achieving a grade E or above.

Check out the table below for the results, which we’ve ranked in order of pass rate percentage: 

Top 5 Easiest A-Level Subjects

All data below is taken from Ofqual’s 2025 A Level results data (opens in a new tab) for England.

1. Drama 

Pass rate: 99.5% 

Drama may be considered one of the less challenging A Levels you can study. However, something important to note is that just because it may be easier to pass than other A Levels, it still isn’t easy to achieve a high grade. 

In 2025, just 22.7% of students achieved a grade A or above in Drama, while 32.6% achieved a grade A or above in Chemistry – an A Level traditionally considered to be quite challenging. 

With that being said, you should choose Drama if:

• You enjoy subjects that combine both practical and theoretical study (e.g. acting and analysing plays)

• You’re passionate about acting, directing or costume/set designing 

• You love collaborating with other students 

• You’re creative and enjoy expressing yourself

2. German

Pass rate: 99.5% 

Some students may find A Level German relatively easy because they already have a strong foundation in the language, having achieved a grade 6 or higher in GCSE German.

You should choose to study German at A Level if:

• You want to continue studying one of the most widely spoken native languages in Europe

• You love the idea of working or studying abroad 

• You’re great at learning languages and thrive in speaking exams

3. Art and Design

Pass rate: 99.4%

If you are creative and love working with mixed media, Art and Design could be a solid choice. If you are passionate about art, and would like to work in the creative arts in the future, a solid A Level foundation could be a stepping stone to competitive art courses at university.

Choose Art and Design if you:

• Have a talent for drawing, painting, photography, collage, or mixed media

• Want to forge a career in the arts 

• Would like a third A Level to balance out more essay-based/science subjects for a good all-round A Level combination

4. English Language and Literature

Pass rate: 99.4% 

With a high pass rate and a whopping 46.9% of students achieving a grade B or above in 2025, English Language and Literature is another A Level that may be deemed less challenging than others. 

You should choose to study English Literature and Language at A Level if: 

• You love studying texts across a range of genres and time periods, from Shakespeare to Margaret Atwood 

• You’re keen to develop transferable skills such as analytical skills, critical thinking skills and communication skills 

• You like words and the rules of the English language.

Despite English Language and Literature having an impressive pass rate, it’s worth noting that this A Level can be quite content-heavy with a high workload – you’ll be studying a range of different literary works across different time periods and genres including prose, poetry and drama.

4. English Literature

Pass rate: 99.3% 

English Literature is for those students less concerned by the nuances of words, grammar, and syntax. It’s for students who love having their head stuck in a good book, heading to the theatre, and listening to poetry.

You should choose to study English Literature and Language at A Level if: 

• You want to analyse the choices authors, playwrights, and poets make

• You’re keen to develop your critical thinking and essay writing skills

• You have a creative streak that needs an outlet

What Does "Easy" Mean When Choosing A-Levels?

The word "easy" can be misleading when it comes to A-levels. No A-level subject is straightforward and all of them require two years of dedicated study.

What varies is the type of challenge. 

• Some subjects demand heavy mathematical thinking. 

• Others require extensive reading and independent research. 

• Some are assessed entirely through final exams.

• Others reward ongoing coursework.

When students search for the "easiest A-levels", what they're really asking is: which subjects are most likely to suit me? That's a much better question.

Personal Interests & Strengths

Your personal interests and skills should be at the forefront of your decision-making when it comes to choosing which A Levels you’d like to study. It goes without saying that choosing a subject you enjoy and have a genuine interest in will be far easier to study than a subject you have to force yourself to engage with. 

Not only this, you should take your individual skill set into consideration, too. If you know you perform better in subjects that are coursework-led as opposed to exam-based, you may want to consider A Levels with higher coursework components. Ask yourself these questions to get an idea of your own skills and academic strengths:

• Which subjects do I enjoy the most, and which subjects am I the best at?

• Do I prefer being tested via exams, coursework or practical work? 

• Does this subject suit my learning style?

Subject Content and Prior Knowledge

You might first encounter some subjects at A Level. Sociology and Psychology, for example, don't require a GCSE in those subjects, which lowers the barrier to entry considerably.

Other A-levels like Maths, Chemistry, and Physics assume strong GCSE foundations. Students who struggled with GCSE Maths are unlikely to find A-level Maths more comfortable.

Overlapping knowledge from other subjects can also help. A student taking both History and Sociology will find essay-writing skills transfer well across both. A student combining Biology and Geography will find physical processes feel familiar in both subjects.

Assessment Style

Understanding how a subject is assessed is just as important as understanding what it contains.

Exam-heavy subjects: (Psychology, Sociology, Religious Studies) require strong performance under timed conditions. Students need to recall and apply a large body of knowledge quickly and accurately.

Coursework-heavy subjects: (Art & Design, Drama, Film Studies, Geography, PE) allow students to build their marks gradually over time. This suits organised, self-motivated learners who manage their workload well.

Mixed assessment subjects spread the risk across different formats. This often involves a combination of written exams and a piece of independent work or practical project.

Neither approach is "easier". It comes down to which style plays to your strengths.

Workload and Time Commitment

A-level workload varies significantly between subjects (and between specifications within the same subject).

Essay-based humanities subjects often require a lot of independent reading, particularly in subjects like History or English Literature, where wider reading is rewarded in exams.

Science subjects tend to demand regular problem-solving practice and careful mastery of technical content. Falling behind is hard to reverse.

Creative subjects require sustained effort throughout the course. Portfolios and projects can't be rushed at the end.

Before choosing a subject, look at the specification outline from the exam board (AQA, Edexcel, OCR etc.) and ask yourself: Can I commit to this level and style of work for two years?

How to Choose the Right A-Levels for You

Choosing A-levels based on difficulty rankings alone is unlikely to get you the best results.

A better approach is to start with where you want to end up. Do you have a university or career in mind? If so, check entry requirements carefully, and choose your A Levels based on these.

Then think about your strengths. 

• Which GCSEs did you perform well in? 

• Which subjects did you find most engaging? 

• Which teachers have you worked best with?

And finally, consider balance. A combination of subjects that complement each other, in terms of skill set, workload type, and assessment style tends to work better than three subjects that all demand the same type of intensive study at the same time.

Next steps: For more detailed guidance, have a read of our articles on the A Levels section of our Learning Hub:

• How to Choose Your A-Levels 

• Hardest A-Levels Ranked 

• Most Common A Level Combinations

Frequently Asked Questions

What Are The Most Popular A-Levels?

According to (opens in a new tab)Ofqual's 2025 results data (opens in a new tab), the three most popular A-level subjects in England in 2025 were Maths, Psychology and Biology.

What Is the Easiest A-Level Subject to Get a High Grade In?

There's no single answer to this. Data only tells you so much. It doesn’t tell you the easiest subject for you to get a high grade in.

Further Maths saw the highest percentage of A/A* grades at 58.2% (opens in a new tab). But this high percentage reflects a group of highly able students who chose those subjects precisely because they excel at them.

The subject most likely to give you a high grade is the one that best aligns with your personal strengths, interests and way of thinking. 

Will Choosing Easier A-Levels Impact My University Application?

Some universities have lists of preferred A Level subjects for certain degrees, but this isn’t always the case. So-called ‘facilitating’ or ‘hard’ subjects such as Maths, English, Physics, Biology and Chemistry may be preferred by certain universities. 

However, many Russell Group universities welcome subjects across a range of disciplines, including those that may be considered ‘soft’ subjects. 

The important thing is to choose A Levels that are relevant to the degree you may be hoping to pursue, and that will give you a great foundation for studying at higher education.

Are Coursework-Based Subjects Easier Than Exams?

For some students, yes. For others, absolutely not.

Coursework-based A-levels like Art & Design, Drama, and Film Studies allow marks to be built up gradually over time, with teacher feedback along the way. Students who are organised, self-directed, and work well independently tend to perform strongly under this model.

Exam-based subjects demand a different kind of preparation: 

• Intensive revision

• Repeated practice under timed conditions

• The ability to perform on a specific day. 

Students who revise consistently and can write well under pressure often prefer this clear, structured endpoint.

Some specifications combine both, like Geography (fieldwork investigation and exams). Knowing your preferred working style before choosing your subjects will help you identify which format suits you best.

What are the Easiest A Levels For You?

There's no single list of "easy" A-levels that applies to everyone.

The subjects most likely to lead to strong results are those that match your skills, suit your preferred way of working, and interest you enough to study in depth over two years.

Pass rate data and grade distributions are useful starting points. They tell you where students as a whole tend to succeed. But they can't tell you which subject is right for you.

Use this guide to narrow down your options, before making your final A Level choices.

And when it comes to revising, no matter the subjects you choose, Save My Exams has all the A Level resources you need to help you nail your grades.

References

Ofqual’s 2025 A Level results data (opens in a new tab).

Ofqual - Level 3 results analysis 2025: Key trends and context for teachers (opens in a new tab)