The Cambridge curriculum pioneers a gold standard in education worldwide. Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE) certificates and degrees are widely recognised by universities. Sought after by employers, O Level in Pakistan is in the middle of a Cambridge pathway. 

Are you planning to appear for O Level and trying to figure out which O Level subject combination is best for you? This article will introduce you to O Level and also help you understand several choices of subject combinations. So you can add a valuable asset to your future career. 

O Level subject combinations will decide how well you grade in your papers. Therefore, students are encouraged to spend some time to brainstorm their O Level subject choices, interests, and career pathways with their school counselor, teachers, and parents. 

O Level subjects in Pakistan: 

Students can understand the possibilities of combinations by choosing subjects from these subject groups. O Level subjects in Pakistan are: 

English language and literature: 

• English Language – 1123
• Literature in English – 2010

Creative and professional

• Accounting – 7707 
• Art & Design – 6090
• Business Studies – 7115
• Commerce – 7100 
• Computer Science – 2210
• Design & Technology – 6043
• Fashion & Textiles – 6130 
• Food & Nutrition – 6065
• Statistics – 4040

Humanities and social sciences 

• Geography – 2217 
• Global Perspectives – 2069
• History – 2147
• Sociology – 2251
• Pakistan Studies – 2059
• Islamic Studies – 2068 
• Islamiyat – 2058 

Languges 

• Urdu – First Language – 3247 
• Urdu – Second Language – 3248

Mathematics 

Syllabus D – 4024

Additional – 4037

Science 

• Biology – 5090
• Physics – 5054
• Chemistry – 5070
• Environmental Management – 5014

O Level compulsory subjects in Pakistan 

It is mandatory for each candidate in Pakistan to appear in these subjects:

1. Pakistan studies
2. Islamiyat 
3. English
4. Math syllabus D
5. Urdu

Does your school offer a subject that you want to study?

Not all schools offer all the subjects. Therefore, you have to check with your school office whether a specific subject is offered or not. Many times, students choose to seek help outside school to appear for a subject that interests them. However, the above mentioned subjects are usually the ones mostly opted by students in pakistan. 

You can check the CAIE website to look at the complete list of subjects. 

Brainstorm: How to choose O level subjects? 

You can use the O level subject list to find your subjects. You can make combinations by considering the following preliminary questions:

Which career do you want to be in? 

O Level students may not have a clear idea about career choices because they have just started to explore a more complex way of studying subjects. Therefore, clarity is not expected at this stage. To help you brainstorm, take a look at all different types of careers that people take up around you. 

What are your interests?

Do you enjoy science or math or creative writing inspires you more? This is simply a question of your personal choice and can help you figure out how to choose O level subjects. Students tend to like a subject because they are naturally curious about that subject or the teacher is so inspiring that he or she brings life to a subject students  wouldn’t be interested in. 

What are you good at? 

It is likely that your interests lie somewhere else but you are good at another subject. Students are good at a subject because they have had a good base in previous grades and they naturally spend more time on a particular subject. 

The bigger picture: What are your long-term goals?

As noted above, it is not always clear as to what students want to be as professionals. However, a bigger picture at this stage is important to avoid unnecessary gaps of information. 

Once you have brainstormed, it is time to take a closer look at different university pathways. 

Group 1: Science and maths

University degrees in sciences, technology, engineering and maths are referred to as STEM degrees. If you see yourself in one of the STEM programs, you are often expected to have studies a specific combination of subjects. 

The sciences – chemistry, biology/computer science, physics + add maths/humanities/environmental science, are considered a good combination for further STEM programs in AS/A Level and universities. 

Many STEM fields fall into one of three disciplines: 

• Biological and life sciences
  • Biochemistry 
  • Biomedical sciences
  • Environmental sciences
  • Physical geography 
  • Pharmacology
• Physical sciences including 
  • Engineering
  • Materials science
  • Forensics
  • Archaeological sciences
  • Computer science
  • Geology 
• Medicine, dentistry and veterinary sciences

Group 2: Business studies, economics, accounting 

Choose business studies, economics, and accounting plus add math or humanities. 

Group 3: Economics, computer sciences, accounting 

Choose economics, computer sciences and accounting plus add math or humanities. 

Group 4: Economics, business studies and humanities/maths

Choose economics, business studies and one subject from math and humanities each.

Group 5: Economics, computer sciences, and arts 

 Choose economics, computer science, arts and add maths or humanities. 

Groups 2-5 usually open up a wide range of specialities depending on the choices you make. Usually the fields that will open up for further study are:

• Accountancy
• Actuarial sciences
• Applied maths or statistics
• Economics 
• Management studies 
• Social policy
• Computers and IT
• Politics 
• Sociology and more. 

An overview of subject combinations:

Let’s take a quick look at the subject combinations usually picked in Pakistan:

Note that Cambridge does not limit you to take a maximum number of courses. However, students do tend to balance their workload of classes by taking 3-4 elective courses, in addition to the 5 compulsory courses. 

Want to see what the future may look like? 

Some students want to foresee AS/Level choices leading to universities and professional careers also. It may help students build more information. 

Russell group of universities in the U.K has made an interactive tool for you to map out the subjects and careers. Informed Choices is aimed at students 14 years and above who would like to see what the future may look like. 

Any combination is worth taking

Now that you have an idea of subject choices and possible career pathways, you can consider yourself a part of the Cambridge learning framework. Your O Level hard work will be highly valued by your future university and employer. 

Any combination you pick is part of the Cambridge approach that emphasizes on:

• confidence
• responsibility
• reflection 
• innovation
• engagement 

How will you be assessed in O Level?

Cambridge O Level assessments are taken end-of-programme and give students a chance to stay focused and motivated. O Level students are tested on subject knowledge, conceptual understanding, and higher order thinking skills. 

Assessment is in English language and is accessible to students in Pakistan as English as a second language. Past papers, examiner notes, marking schemes, and sample papers are made available to the students through local schools or at Cambridge website. 

What are the percentages for each grade?

Cumulative world grade totals

Cambridge releases cumulative grade totals after each O Level exam in June/November. These grades inform you about how students performed in specific subjects. Note that the grade awarding standard may change each year. 

Take a look at the cumulative grade totals of June 2022. 

Grade threshold tables

Cambridge gives you a complete look at grade thresholds in every subject after results have been released. These tables inform of you raw grades for each component and also the minimum raw mark required for each grade. 

Now that you have learned about subject combinations and how you will be graded in O Level, let’s take a look at some tips that you can use to become the best at the subjects of your choice. 

Create your best routine: 

It was Ben Franklin, America’s foremost pioneer, scientist, and inventor, who shared his wisdom on managing sleep and wakeful timings. Once that is established, create your own best routine that contains time for family, friends, studies, and sports and join a league of achievers who attribute their success to a balanced routine. 

Is clutter good or bad?

Many of us struggle with this question, especially because we know that Einstein supported a cluttered desk when he said, “If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk?”  

What is clutter and how does it directly affect how we process information around us? Clutter for many of us is a relevant and sensitive topic, says a study by Princeton University Neuroscience Institute, in How less clutter can reduce stress: 

It claims that your ability to focus is restricted by a cluttered environment, and “clutter also limits your brain’s ability to process information”. On the flip side, “an uncluttered, organized, and serene environment” allows you to process information in a much better way. 

Still, scientists have been split on this for a long time. What’s your take on this?

Study with no fixed style

This one may play down to one’s personality and how one likes to learn. There aren’t any fixed approaches to learning, as has been established by latest research in cognitive psychology of how we learn. Stay fluid and explore your unique learning capabilities with no fixed picks of visual, auditory, kinesthetic learning. 

Find your inspiration 

It is a great idea to find inspirations around you among your teachers, scientists, Olympic athletes and chess grand masters. You will be amazed at the variety of techniques that work for everyone. 

You will also discover that there are no shortcuts to success in any field and that anyone can achieve mastery when we begin with fundamentals and find intuition. 

If this article has motivated you, you are invited to explore more resources on Cambridge studies and how to get help for better grades at the social learning platform, Noon Academy. 

Download the Noon App today and start learning!