School Curricula Guides

A Level

The GCE Advanced Level, or A Level, is a secondary school leaving qualification in the United Kingdom and an international school qualification worldwide. It is widely accepted by universities around the world.
A Level
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
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To its advocates the A' Level is the gold standard for post-16 education. To its detractors, it demands too much focus, too early.

There is no doubt as a qualification it delivers the goods when it comes to university entrance. The exam is widely accepted and widely respected at tertiary institutions around the world.

Students normally sit three A' Levels, but some sit four, and others as few as two. This would still deliver the points required for some UK universities - and pretty much every UAE institution which often accept lower level GCSEs and AS Levels.

A Level students tend to choose subjects of a similar type, usually split between humanities (English, History, Economics...) or sciences (Maths, Physics, Chemistry...). Languages tend to sit fairly easily within both camps.

Largely as a result of this specialisation, over the last five years the International Baccalaureate has begun to nip at the A' Levels heels. You can read more of IB versus A level in articles across the site, but the key to which one to choose lies with the student: Does he or she want to specialise, or does he/she enjoy and perform equally well at science, art, languages, and social science? 

IB students take six subjects, three at higher level and three at standard level. These subjects are studied for two years and are examined at the end of that two year period.

 

What's new

New AS and A levels have been taught from September 2015. The first results for the new AS levels came in 2016, and for the A levels will come this year (2017). Further subjects will be introduced over the following two years.

The new A' and AS levels move the qualifications closer in many ways to the original A' Level examination, and is part of a process to allow greater differentiation between the most able students.

The main features of the new qualifications are:

  1. Assessment is mainly by exam, with other types of assessment used only where they are needed to test essential skills.

  2. AS and A levels will be assessed at the end of the course. AS assessments will typically take place after 1 year’s study and A levels after 2. The courses will no longer be divided into modules and there will be no exams in January.

  3. AS and A levels will be "decoupled" – this means that AS results will no longer count towards an A level, in the way they do now. Under the old system AS Levels were studied in Year 12 with exams taken in May-June. They were worth 50% of your overall A Level qualification.

  4. NOTE: This is NOT the case for the international A' Level where the AS Level will continue to count towards the A' Level.

  5. In many countries, including the UK, both UK and International A Levels are offered - although more rarely within the same school. Those with higher numbers of students from the UK tend to offer the UK A' Level. Those whose demographic is more international tend to offer International A' Levels.

  6. AS levels can be designed by exam boards to be taught alongside the first year of UK A levels - meaning AS Levels can be gained during the course of studying the A Level exam. An AS Level is an examination in its own right, and therefore still has value of its own.

 

 

Timetable for the new A' Levels

New AS and A level to be taught from: First AS results will be issued in: First A level results will be issued in: Subjects
September 2015 Summer 2016 Summer 2017 art and design
biology
business
chemistry
computer science
economics
English language
English language and literature
English literature
history
physics
psychology
sociology
September 2016 Summer 2017 Summer 2018 ancient languages (classical Greek, Latin)
dance
drama and theatre
geography
modern foreign languages (French, German, Spanish)
music
physical education
religious studies
September 2017 Summer 2018 Summer 2019 accounting
ancient history
archaeology
classical civilisation
design and technology
electronics
environmental science
film studies
further mathematics
geology
government and politics
history of art
law
mathematics
media studies
music technology
philosophy
statistics

  

 

104 UAE Schools offering A Level

School name Community City
ABC Private School Al Shamkha Abu Dhabi
Ajman Academy Muwaihat Ajman
Ajyal International School MBZ Mohammed Bin Zayed City Abu Dhabi
Al Ain Academy Al Sarooj Al Ain
Al Ain Juniors School Falaj Hazzaa Al Ain
Al Basma British School Old Al Bahya Abu Dhabi
Al Dhafra Private School, Al Ain Manaseer Al Ain
Al Diyafah High School Al Qusais Dubai
Al Mamoura Academy Abu Dhabi Al Nahyan Abu Dhabi
Al Nahda National School for Boys Al Mushrif Abu Dhabi
Al Nahda National School for Girls Al Mushrif Abu Dhabi
Al Najah Private School Mohammed Bin Zayed City Abu Dhabi
Al Salam Community School Al Twar Dubai
Al Shohub School Khalifa City A Abu Dhabi
Al Yasmina Academy Al Raha Gardens Abu Dhabi
Amity International School Abu Dhabi Al Bahya Abu Dhabi
Arab Unity School Al Mizhar Dubai
Arcadia School Jumeirah Village Triangle Dubai
Aspen Heights British School Al Bahya Abu Dhabi
Belvedere British School Mohammed Bin Zayed City Abu Dhabi
Brighton College Abu Dhabi Bloom Gardens & Khalifa City Abu Dhabi
Brighton College Al Ain Gafat Al Nayyar Al Ain
Brighton College Dubai Al Barsha South Dubai
British School Al Khubairat, Abu Dhabi Al Khubairat Abu Dhabi
Cambridge International School Dubai Al Twar Dubai
Capital School Al Nahda Dubai
Cedar School Dubai Al Warqa Dubai
Citizens School City Walk Dubai
Cranleigh Abu Dhabi Saadiyat Island Abu Dhabi
Diyafah International School MBZ Mohammed Bin Zayed City Abu Dhabi
Dubai British School Emirates Hills Emirates Hills Dubai
Dubai British School Jumeira Al Safa Dubai
Dubai British School Jumeirah Park Jumeirah Park Dubai
Dubai Carmel School Al Qusais Dubai
Dubai College Al Sufouh Dubai
Dubai English Speaking College Dubai Academic City Dubai
Dubai Gem Private School Oud Metha Dubai
Dubai Scholars Private School Al Qusais Dubai
Durham School Dubai Dubai Investments Park Dubai
English Language Private School Oud Metha Dubai
Fujairah Private Academy Fujairah Fujairah
GEMS Al Barsha National School Al Barsha Dubai
GEMS Cambridge International Private School Sharjah Muweilah Sharjah
GEMS Cambridge International School Abu Dhabi Baniyas East Abu Dhabi
GEMS FirstPoint School The Villa Dubai
GEMS Founders School Dubai Al Barsha South Dubai
GEMS Metropole School Motor City Dubai
GEMS Metropole School Al Waha Al Waha Dubai
GEMS New Millennium School Dubai Hills Estate Dubai
GEMS Our Own English High School Al Ain Al Manaseer Abu Dhabi
GEMS Wellington Academy Al Khail Dubai Hills Estate Dubai
GEMS Wellington Academy, Dubai Silicon Oasis Dubai Silicon Oasis Dubai
GEMS Westminster School Ras Al Khaimah Seih Al Uraibi Ras al-Khaimah
GEMS Westminster School Sharjah Al Moweilah Sharjah
GEMS World Academy Abu Dhabi Al Reem Island Abu Dhabi
Global English School Manaseer Al Ain
Grammar School Dubai Garhoud Dubai
Horizon International School Umm Sheif Dubai
International School of Creative Science, Muwaileh Muweileh Sharjah
Islamia English School Al Dhafrah Abu Dhabi
Jebel Ali School Damac Hills (Akoya) Dubai
Jumeirah College Al Safa Dubai
Kent College Dubai Nad al Sheba Dubai
Kings' School Al Barsha Al Barsha Dubai
Kings' School Nad Al Sheba Nad al Sheba Dubai
Merryland International School Mussafah Abu Dhabi
Minerva's Virtual Academy Dubai Academic City Dubai
Nord Anglia International School Abu Dhabi Al Reem Island Abu Dhabi
Nord Anglia International School Dubai Al Barsha Dubai
Oxford School Al Muhaisnah Dubai
Pace British School Muweilah Sharjah
Pristine Private School Al Nahda Dubai
Providence English Private School Muweilah Sharjah
Raffles International School Umm Suqeim Dubai
RAK Academy Dafan Al Khor Ras al-Khaimah
Reach British School Baniyas East Abu Dhabi
Regent International School The Greens Dubai
Repton School Al Barsha Al Barsha South Dubai
Repton School Dubai Nad al Sheba Dubai
Rosary School, Muweilah, Sharjah Muweilah Sharjah
Royal Grammar School Guildford in Dubai Tilal Al Ghaf Dubai
SABIS International School Yas Island Yas East Abu Dhabi
SABIS International School, Ruwais Ruwais Abu Dhabi
Safa Community School Motor City Dubai
Scholars International Academy, Sharjah Al Gharayen Sharjah
Sharjah English School University City Sharjah
South View School Remraam Dubai
St Mary's High School Ras Al Khaimah Khalifa bin Zayed City Ras al-Khaimah
St. Mary's Catholic High School Oud Metha Dubai
St. Mary's Catholic High School Fujairah Sakamkam Fujairah
Star International School Al Qusais Al Qusais Dubai
Star International School Mirdif Mirdif Dubai
Sunmarke School Jumeirah Village Triangle Dubai
The Arbor School Al Furjan Dubai
The Bloomington Academy Ajman Al Bustan Ajman
The Cambridge High School Abu Dhabi Mussafah Abu Dhabi
The English College Dubai Umm Suqeim Dubai
The International School of Choueifat Abu Dhabi Al Mushrif Abu Dhabi
The International School of Choueifat Khalifa City Khalifa City A Abu Dhabi
The School of Research Science Al Warqa Dubai
The Westminster School Dubai Al Qusais Dubai
The Winchester School Jebel Ali Dubai
Victoria English School Al Azra Sharjah
Wesgreen International School Muweilah Sharjah

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