Oxfordfirst - GCSE and A levels
GCSE
The General Certificate of Secondary Education, GCSE (formally known as O level) is normally a two year course taken by UK students at 16. As this coincides with the age of the end of compulsory education, it is both a school leaving qualification and also an entry to the two year programme leading to A (Advanced) level examinations. It is not a matriculation examination, each subject being independent of the others but normally it is considered that for success, students should gain good results at in English and Mathematics. Grades run from A* down to G, with C being considered a basic 'pass'. Depend ing on the subject and examination board, the assessment of each course may be by examination only or include an element of continuous assessment ie coursework. There is an international version of the GCSE called the IGCSE.
When students come to study in the UK their national school leaving certificate if normally considered to cover the ground of the GCSE except in English, where they have to prove their competence using a separate examination like, for example, IELTS.
Advanced Level
A levels are the conventional route to University entrance in the UK. Typically students study three or four subjects normally over a period of two years. Often students choose the Sciences or the Arts for their group of subjects. Each A level consists of 6 units which are studied in two stages: Stage 1 AS level (Advanced Subsidiary) – three modules leading to an AS level result; Stage 2 – three further modules, which with the AS level results lead to a full A level grade. This has five levels of pass ranging from A down to E.
If you have matriculated in your own country it is possible to transfer to the UK system and take A levels, sometimes in one year. It is possible to satisfy the university English requirement of IELTS at the same time. Contact me for further details and on how you can use this route to university entrance and save both time and money.
Foundation
There is an alternative route to university entrance. Check here for more details.
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