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Cambridge International A & AS Level

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A Levels

The General Certificate of Education (Advanced Level), or A Level, is the ‘gold standard’ of CIE qualifications. It has exactly the same value in admitting students to all universities as its UK equivalent. It is also accepted as an entry qualification by universities of the European Union, on a par with the French Baccalaureat, the German Abitur, etc.

A Level examinations are usually taken after 13 years of education and are based on approximately 360 hours of guided learning, normally over a two-year period. A Levels are highly specialised and a student will normally take three subjects, although occasionally exceptional students take four.

There are five passing grades (A–E). Minimum matriculation requirements are at least two pass grades. University courses for which there is not strong demand might accept students with these grades, but typical UK university entrance requirements are closer to three passes at grade C for academic courses in established universities. Very popular courses will often require higher grades. For example, medical schools in the UK often require grades of AAB and the highly selective universities of Cambridge and Oxford ask for at least AAB.

Cambridge International A Levels are taken throughout the world, sometimes as the national examinations of certain Commonwealth countries (such as Singapore and Mauritius), sometimes within international schools and sometimes in bilingual government schools alongside the national exams.

Good A Level grades can be a key to admission for all the world’s major anglophone universities. University course credit and advanced standing is often available in countries such as the USA and Canada, where entrance to university takes place after 12 years of education. Good grades in carefully chosen A Level subjects can result in up to one full year of credit.

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AS Level

The General Certificate of Education (Advanced Subsidiary Level), or AS Level, was introduced in 2000. It represents the first half of an A Level course but may also be taken as a freestanding qualification.

AS Levels are accepted in all UK universities and carry half the weighting of an A Level. For example, students may be admitted with suitable grades in two A Levels and two AS Levels (in place of three A Levels). Details of the tariff operated by the UK Universities and Colleges Admission Service are given on the UCAS website.

Institutions outside the UK that offer credit for A Levels can be expected to offer half that amount of credit for AS Levels.

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