The A-Level or Advanced Level General Certificate of Education (GCE) qualification (level 3 on the National Qualifications Framework) is a standard examination offered by academic institutions in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. A-Levels are offered in Scotland as well but only by a minority of population.

AS (Advanced Subsidiary) and A (Advanced) level qualifications stress on conventional study skills. They are available on a full time as well as part-time basis. On a full time basis, the course spans two years. One can enjoy a lot of flexibility in choosing one's subjects as there are a number of options to choose from. Some work-related or applied subjects are also available. Typically, students take four subjects at AS level and three at A2 level. The minimum number of A-Levels required for university entrance is usually three, however, universities can ask for a fourth AS subject.

Though it is still a part of optional tertiary further education in the United Kingdom, many students take it in the last two years of their secondary education. Although most of the students are aged 16-19, there is no age limit for this entry. GCEs are taken in progression to GCSEs and thus are also known as Advanced Level. AS or Advanced Subsidiary is a stand-alone degree and serves an advance level degree when followed by A2. Hence, A2 is the second half of A-Level.

A-Level qualifications are designed to impart knowledge and understanding to students. After A-Level students take route to employment or higher studies. Most of the qualifications are unit based and a student has to finish three AS units and three A2 units to successfully attain the GCE/ A-Level degree.

Five GCE Boards provide the facility of GCEs/ A-Levels in England namely:

• Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA)
• Council for the Curriculum, Examinations & Assessment (CCEA)
• Edexcel
• Oxford, Cambridge and RSA Examinations (OCR)
• Welsh Joint Education Committee (WJEC)

List of A-Level Courses (alphabetically)

A

Accounting Ancient History Ancient History (Greece) Anthropology (in development) Applied Art and Design Applied Business Applied Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Applied Performing Arts Applied Science Arabic Arabic (First Language) Arabic Literature Afrikaans (First Language) Archaeology Art and Design (Unendorsed) Art and Design (Critical and Contextual Studies) Art and Design (Fine Arts) Art and Design (Textiles) Art and Design (Graphic Design) Art and Design (Photography) Art and Design (Three-Dimensional Design) Art History/History of Art

B

Bengali Biblical Hebrew Biology Business Studies

C

Chemistry Chinese Chinese (First Language) Chinese Language Chinese Literature Citizenship Studies Classical Civilisation Classical Greek Classical Studies Classics Communication Studies Communication and Culture Computing Critical Thinking

D

Dance Design and Technology - Food Technology Design and Technology - Product Design Design and Technology - Systems and Control Divinity Drama and Theatre Studies Dress and Textiles Dutch

E

Economics Economics and Business Studies Electronics Engineering English Language English Language and Literature English Literature Environmental Management Environmental Science/Studies European Studies (AS only) (no longer current)

F

Film Studies Food Studies French French (First Language) French Language French Literature Further Mathematics Further Mathematics (Additional)

G

General Paper General Studies Geography Geology German German (First Language) Government and Politics Graphic Design Greek (Modern) Gujarati

H

Hebrew (Modern) Health and Social Care Hindi Hindi (First Language) Hindi Language Hindi Literature History Home Economics Human Biology

I

Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Irish Islamic Studies Italian

J

Japanese Japanese (First Language)

K

Knowledge and Inquiry (Singapore only) (Similar to Theory of Knowledge (IB course))

L

Language and Literature in English Latin Law Leisure Studies Leisure and Tourism

M

Malay Marathi (First Language) Marathi Language Marine Science Mathematics (with Statistics, Mechanics or Decision Mathematics) Media Studies Media Communication and Production Moving Image Arts Music Music Technology

P

Punjabi Performance Studies Performing Arts Persian Philosophy Philosophy and Ethics/Theology Photography Physical Education/Sport and Physical Education Physics Polish Politics Portuguese Portuguese (First Language) Portuguese Literature Psychology Pure Maths

R

Religious Studies Research Projects Russian

S

Science Science for Public Understanding (AS only) Science in Society Social Science: Citizenship (AS only) Sociology Spanish Spanish (First Language) Spanish Language Spanish Literature Sports Studies Statistics

T

Technology and Design Tamil (First Language) Tamil Language Tamil Literature Telugu Telugu Language Telugu Literature Textiles Thinking Skills Travel and Tourism Turkish

U

Urdu Urdu Language Urdu Literature Use of Mathematics (AS only) (full A-Level in development)

W

Welsh Welsh (First Language) World Development

By degree, the categorization can be made across following discipline:

Archaeology Biochemistry Biology Chemistry Computer Science History Law Mathematics Medicine Physics Veterinary Science

Students abroad can also take this exam and is available in a number of other countries apart from those in United Kingdom.

Grading System

Initially there were just two grades pass and fail. Failure could occur in two ways. A student can fail in A-Level examination and pass in O-level or fail in both. Later, a new grade of distinction was introduced; however, the grading system was still very unsatisfactory. Grading system took the current shape in 1963 and a little while later norm-referenced grading was introduced. A certain fixed proportion of students were kept between two grades. As an amendment to this system, norm-referenced grading was changed to criterion-referenced grading. In criterion referenced grading, grades are decided by marks and not by proportion of students. A-Levels are graded from A to E in the current system. The assessment is carried out by employing coursework, internal exams and external moderation.

Future Course of Action

GCEs are the footsteps to further education. A-Levels are the requisites for University education. Thus, there is a strong impact of scoring well at A-Level. Some universities also require applicants to take entrance examinations for admission and the acceptance of International Baccalaureate and European Baccalaureate is also there. A minimum set of grades in A-Level examinations (or equivalent) is essential requirement for getting absorbed into a number of Universities in the United Kingdom.