Actually, if it's a set of angles, you can do some cosines and sines by hand. I am currently a student in the UK studying A level mathematics, and while I agree that the maths papers are becoming easier, you can't get around the mathematics in this post. The majority of the questions in the core maths modules(read: compulsory pure maths) will ask students to leave their answers in an exact form, often involving the techniques described by that post and not requiring a calculator.
Universities have all noticed that the exams are getting easier, and top universities will often ask students to take an AEA - an Advanced Extension Award - as well as the A levels so that they can distinguish between the top students. So although A levels are getting easier, we still have exams that are just as difficult. For anyone who wants to compare past papers and look at the AEA, they're all available on OCR's website: http://www.ocr.org.uk/
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I, for one, welcome our new clarinet playing overlords.
Universities have all noticed that the exams are getting easier, and top universities will often ask students to take an AEA - an Advanced Extension Award - as well as the A levels so that they can distinguish between the top students. So although A levels are getting easier, we still have exams that are just as difficult. For anyone who wants to compare past papers and look at the AEA, they're all available on OCR's website: http://www.ocr.org.uk/