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:
Assessment is mainly by exam, with other types of assessment used only where they are needed to test essential skills.
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.
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.
NOTE: This is NOT the case for the international A' Level where the AS Level will continue to count towards the A' Level.
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.
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 |
School name | Community | Region |
---|---|---|
Abingdon School | Oxfordshire | South East England |
Akeley Wood School | Buckinghamshire | South East England |
Ardingly College | West Sussex | South East England |
Ashbourne College | Kensington and Chelsea | Greater London |
Ashville College | Yorkshire | North East England |
Bedales | Hampshire | South East England |
Bede's Senior School | East Sussex | South East England |
Bedstone College | Shropshire | West Midlands |
Benenden School | Kent | South East England |
Blundell's | Devon | South West England |
Bosworth Independent College | Northamptonshire | East Midlands |
Bradfield College | Berkshire | South East England |
Brampton College | Barnet | Greater London |
Brampton Manor Academy | Newham | Greater London |
Bredon School | Gloucestershire | South West England |
Brentwood School | Essex | East of England |
Brighton College | East Sussex | South East England |
Bromsgrove School | Worcestershire | West Midlands |
Brooke House College | Leicestershire | West Midlands |
Bryanston | Dorset | South West England |
Canford School | Dorset | South West England |
Cardiff Sixth Form College | Cardiff | Wales |
Caterham School | Surrey | South East England |
Charterhouse | Surrey | South East England |
Cheltenham Ladies College | Gloucestershire | South West England |
Chetham’s School of Music | Lancashire | North West England |
Christ College Brecon | Brecon | Wales |
City of London School | Westminster | Greater London |
City of London School for Girls | Westminster | Greater London |
Clayesmore School | Dorset | South West England |
Clifton College | Somerset | South West England |
Concord College | Shropshire | West Midlands |
Cranbrook School | Kent | South East England |
Cranleigh School | Surrey | South East England |
d’Overbroeck's | Oxfordshire | South East England |
Dallam School | Cumbria | North West England |
Dauntsey's | Wiltshire | South West England |
Dean Close School | Gloucestershire | South West England |
DLD College London | Westminster | Greater London |
Downe House | Berkshire | South East England |
Duke of York's Royal Military School | Kent | South East England |
Dulwich College (UK) | Southwark | Greater London |
Durham School | Durham | North East England |
Earlscliffe | Kent | South East England |
Eastbourne College | East Sussex | South East England |
Eaton Square (Senior & Sixth Form) | Westminster | Greater London |
Edgbaston College | Warwickshire | West Midlands |
Elmhurst Ballet School | Warwickshire | West Midlands |
Eltham College | Croydon | Greater London |
Epsom College | Surrey | South East England |
Eton College | Berkshire | South East England |
Fettes College | Edinburgh | Scotland |
Framlingham College | Suffolk | East of England |
Frensham Heights | Surrey | South East England |
Frewen College | East Sussex | South East England |
Godolphin and Latymer | Hammersmith & Fulham | Greater London |
Gordonstoun | Moray | Scotland |
Gresham's (Senior School) | Norfolk | East Midlands |
Guildford High School | Surrey | South East England |
Haberdashers’ Aske’s School for Girls | Hertfordshire | East of England |
Haileybury School | Hertfordshire | East of England |
Hampton School | Richmond Upon Thames | Greater London |
Harrow School | Harrow | Greater London |
Highgate School | Haringey | Greater London |
Hills Road Sixth Form College | Cambridgeshire | South East England |
Hurstpierpoint College | West Sussex | South East England |
Hurtwood House | Surrey | South East England |
Ibstock Place School | Wandsworth | Greater London |
Kent College, Canterbury (Senior School) | Kent | South East England |
Kimbolton School | Cambridgeshire | South East England |
King Edward VI High School for Girls | Warwickshire | West Midlands |
King Edward's Witley | Surrey | South East England |
King's College School, Wimbledon | Westminster | Greater London |
King's InterHigh | Westminster | Greater London |
King's School Canterbury | Kent | South East England |
King’s Ely | Cambridgeshire | South East England |
Kingham Hill School | Oxfordshire | South East England |
Kingston Grammar School | Surrey | South East England |
Lady Eleanor Holles School | Richmond Upon Thames | Greater London |
Lancing College | West Sussex | South East England |
Latymer Upper School | Hammersmith & Fulham | Greater London |
Leighton Park School | Berkshire | South East England |
Lord Wandsworth College | Hampshire | South East England |
Loretto School | East Lothian | Scotland |
Loughborough High School | Leicestershire | West Midlands |
Lyceé Francais Charles de Gaulle (London) | Kensington and Chelsea | Greater London |
Magdalen College School | Oxfordshire | South East England |
Malvern College | Worcestershire | West Midlands |
Malvern St James Girls’ School | Worcestershire | West Midlands |
Manchester Grammar School | Lancashire | North West England |
Mander Portman Woodward (Birmingham) | Warwickshire | West Midlands |
Mander Portman Woodward (Cambridge) | Cambridgeshire | South East England |
Mander Portman Woodward (London) | Kensington and Chelsea | Greater London |
Marlborough College | Wiltshire | South West England |
Merchant Taylors' School | Hertfordshire | East of England |
Millfield (Senior School) | Somerset | South West England |
Monmouth School for Girls | Monmouthshire | Wales |
Moorland Private School | Lancashire | North West England |
North Bridge House (Senior Canonbury) | Barnet | Greater London |
North London Collegiate School | Edgware | Greater London |
Norwich School | Norfolk | East Midlands |
Notting Hill & Ealing High School | Kensington and Chelsea | Greater London |
Oakham School | Rutland | East of England |
Oxford International College | Oxfordshire | South East England |
Oxford International College, Brighton | West Sussex | South East England |
Peter Symonds College | Hampshire | South East England |
Plymouth College | Devon | South West England |
Prior’s Field | Surrey | South East England |
Queen Ethelburga's Collegiate | Yorkshire | North East England |
Queen Margaret's School for Girls, York | Yorkshire | North East England |
Queen's College, London | Marylebone | Greater London |
Queen’s College, Taunton | Somerset | South West England |
Queenswood School | Hertfordshire | East of England |
Radley College | Oxfordshire | South East England |
Reading School | Berkshire | South East England |
Reigate Grammar School | Surrey | South East England |
Rendcomb College | Gloucestershire | South West England |
Rishworth School | Yorkshire | North East England |
Rochester Independent College | Kent | South East England |
Roedean School | East Sussex | South East England |
Rossall School | Lancashire | North West England |
Royal Grammar School Guildford | Surrey | South East England |
Royal High School Bath (Senior School & Sixth Form) | Somerset | South West England |
Royal Hospital School | Suffolk | East of England |
Rugby School | Warwickshire | West Midlands |
Ruthin School | Denbighshire | North West Wales |
Seaford College | West Sussex | South East England |
Sedbergh School | Cumbria | North West England |
Sexey's School | Somerset | South West England |
Sherborne School | Dorset | South West England |
Shrewsbury School | Shropshire | West Midlands |
Sidcot School | Somerset | South West England |
St Albans High School for Girls | Hertfordshire | East of England |
St Catherine's, Bramley | Surrey | South East England |
St Edward's School | Oxfordshire | South East England |
St George’s School, Ascot | Berkshire | South East England |
St Joseph’s College | Suffolk | East of England |
St Mary's Calne | Wiltshire | South West England |
St Mary's School, Cambridge | Cambridgeshire | South East England |
St Mary’s School, Ascot | Berkshire | South East England |
St Michael's School | Monmouthshire | Wales |
St Paul's | Richmond Upon Thames | Greater London |
St Paul's Girls' School | Hammersmith & Fulham | Greater London |
St Swithun’s School | Hampshire | South East England |
Stonyhurst College | Lancashire | North West England |
Stowe School | Buckinghamshire | South East England |
Taunton School | Somerset | South West England |
The Abbey (Junior School) | Berkshire | South East England |
The Abbey (Senior School) | Berkshire | South East England |
The BRIT School | Croydon | Greater London |
The Cedars School | Croydon | Greater London |
The Hammond School | Cheshire | North East England |
The Kingsley School | Warwickshire | West Midlands |
The Laurels School | Croydon | Greater London |
The Leys School | Cambridgeshire | South East England |
The Mount, Mill Hill International School | Barnet | Greater London |
The National Mathematics and Science College | Warwickshire | West Midlands |
The Perse School | Cambridgeshire | South East England |
The Purcell School | Hertfordshire | East of England |
The Royal Alexandra and Albert School | Surrey | South East England |
The Worthgate School | Kent | South East England |
Tonbridge School | Kent | South East England |
Tring Park School for the Performing Arts | Hertfordshire | East of England |
Tudor Hall | Oxfordshire | South East England |
Uppingham School | Leicestershire | West Midlands |
Warwick School | Warwickshire | West Midlands |
Wellington College | Berkshire | South East England |
Wells Cathedral School | Somerset | South West England |
Westminster School | Westminster | Greater London |
Westonbirt School | Gloucestershire | South West England |
Wetherby Arts School | Kensington and Chelsea | Greater London |
Wetherby Senior School | Westminster | Greater London |
Whitgift School | Croydon | Greater London |
Wimbledon High School | Merton | Greater London |
Winchester College | Hampshire | South East England |
Windermere School (Senior School & Sixth Form) | Cumbria | North West England |
Withington Girls' School | Lancashire | North West England |
Woldingham School | Surrey | South East England |
Wolverhampton Grammar School | Staffordshire | West Midlands |
Worth School | West Sussex | South East England |
Wychwood School | Oxfordshire | South East England |
Wycliffe Senior School | Gloucestershire | South West England |
Wycombe Abbey | Buckinghamshire | South East England |
Wymondham College | Norfolk | East Midlands |
Yehudi Menuhin School | Surrey | South East England |