Hi from mum in Scotland with 15yr old

I am wondering first of all why your son needs an A level pass in English for engineering, there may be an equivalent certificate gauged to engineering requirements. You do need to be able to read and write to communicate effectively in engineering, just not necessarily the sort of stuff covered in an A level.

Engineering is a boad discipline - hardware, software, systems, computing, environmental, electronic, precision, motorsports, marine, aeronautic, construction............ If Rolls Royce works for him maybe that's a way forward via apprenticeship, but it is also narrow in terms of openings.

I agree with dunk-in-biscuit about the appropriateness of AS to engineering, but with the caution that this has shifted away from providing much chance of being left alone in a backroom to plug on with your obsession. Nowadays it is intensively teamwork based and in the UK, sadly, overly dependent on noisy inter-team committees.

My first twelve years after postgraduate research were in systems and aeronautical - but I didn't have an engineering qualification, I was there very much against the closed-shop rules as a specialised in sensor/map and graphics displays and ergonomics, which in those days engineers wouldn't touch. But it was stimulating working with a diversity of engineering backgrounds, and it clearly was a good environment for someone with AS.

Exams are a difficult area and I do suffer extraordinarily, but perhaps for the same reason the committment has latterly made me do well in them (didn't happen that way at school). If you can see the reason for them it helps. I didn't find memorising helpful because nowadays "question-spotting" is discouraged - dunk-in-biscuit must have been ever so lucky to get the questions he learned up - nowadays they hit on relevance and load questions to stop people memorising set answers.

Grades are important, but check available courses for grade needs. Top grades don't necessarily make for a good practical person, and its no use sweating for top passes if the courses don't require this. Where there is competition to get on courses that's when grades count.

Some people seem to manage to get through without visible effort. If your son seems indifferent but gets through all the same, don't grumble.

Luluginger is right about structure. I'm certain this is the best way. You need to distribute the load so you don't overstudy something that might not turn up in the exam, and ensure you have a mix of general knowledge/easy waffle and specialised learning. Also a structure can be used to incorporate different angles on what you are studying that interest you.

Also ensure he has breaks. Solid slogging isn't productive. Remission allows the brain to inwardly digest and process.

I am wondering first of all why your son needs an A level pass in English for engineering, there may be an equivalent certificate gauged to engineering requirements. You do need to be able to read and write to communicate effectively in engineering, just not necessarily the sort of stuff covered in an A level.

Engineering is a boad discipline - hardware, software, systems, computing, environmental, electronic, precision, motorsports, marine, aeronautic, construction............ If Rolls Royce works for him maybe that's a way forward via apprenticeship, but it is also narrow in terms of openings.

I agree with dunk-in-biscuit about the appropriateness of AS to engineering, but with the caution that this has shifted away from providing much chance of being left alone in a backroom to plug on with your obsession. Nowadays it is intensively teamwork based and in the UK, sadly, overly dependent on noisy inter-team committees.

My first twelve years after postgraduate research were in systems and aeronautical - but I didn't have an engineering qualification, I was there very much against the closed-shop rules as a specialised in sensor/map and graphics displays and ergonomics, which in those days engineers wouldn't touch. But it was stimulating working with a diversity of engineering backgrounds, and it clearly was a good environment for someone with AS.

Exams are a difficult area and I do suffer extraordinarily, but perhaps for the same reason the committment has latterly made me do well in them (didn't happen that way at school). If you can see the reason for them it helps. I didn't find memorising helpful because nowadays "question-spotting" is discouraged - dunk-in-biscuit must have been ever so lucky to get the questions he learned up - nowadays they hit on relevance and load questions to stop people memorising set answers.

Grades are important, but check available courses for grade needs. Top grades don't necessarily make for a good practical person, and its no use sweating for top passes if the courses don't require this. Where there is competition to get on courses that's when grades count.

Some people seem to manage to get through without visible effort. If your son seems indifferent but gets through all the same, don't grumble.

Luluginger is right about structure. I'm certain this is the best way. You need to distribute the load so you don't overstudy something that might not turn up in the exam, and ensure you have a mix of general knowledge/easy waffle and specialised learning. Also a structure can be used to incorporate different angles on what you are studying that interest you.

Also ensure he has breaks. Solid slogging isn't productive. Remission allows the brain to inwardly digest and process.