Advice for parents

Qualifications

Students come from all over the world to study for the UK?s world-class qualifications

Covered here:

 GCSEs
 International GCSEs
 Vocational GCSEs
 AS- and A-levels
 Advanced Extension Award
 Vocational AS- and A-levels
 International Baccalaureate
Cambridge Pre-University (Pre-U) Diploma
 Scottish qualifications

Students come from all over the world to study for the UK's universally known and respected GCSEs, A-levels, Standard Grades, Highers and other equivalent qualifications, such as the International Baccalaureate. These are academic and career-based courses designed to stretch your ability and imagination. And you'll be in the right place to study for them. Many independent boarding schools and colleges are at the top of the league tables for GCSE, A-level, Standard Grade and Higher results.

For many students, GCSEs and A-levels (or equivalent qualifications) are important steps on the road to degree or career-based courses. GCSEs offer the opportunity to explore a range of subjects from the sciences, humanities and arts, and discover your real strengths and interests. AS-levels and A-levels allow you to cover a smaller number of subjects in greater depth, and to a level that prepares you for higher study. These courses will encourage independent thinking and personal study skills, as well as team-working on projects. Or maybe you're planning to skip further studies and go straight into a career when you finish school – GCSEs, A-levels and other equivalent qualifications are held in high esteem across the globe, and will give your career search a head start. Employers will be impressed by the skills you've gained through thinking for yourself, and through research, teamwork and analysis.

Students are encouraged to combine their academic life with a lively social life, and wherever you go there will be a wide choice of extracurricular activities to get involved in. You could find yourself directing a student play, scoring your school football team's winning goal, developing your singing talents or impressing your tutors with your debating skills. Going to boarding school is a great chance to expand your horizons, meet people from all over the world, get your first real taste of independence and learn more than you thought possible – not just academically, but also about yourself and the strengths you possess. When selecting the best candidates for courses, higher education institutions will take into account not only your academic results but also your all-round personal development. Your experience on a GCSE, A-level or other equivalent course will build your character and confidence, broaden your outlook and help you become a strong candidate for whichever course or career you?re looking for.

General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE)

Purpose of course	Entrance requirements	Teaching methods	Assessment methods	Duration
Qualifying exams for A-levels or career-based courses.	General education.	Classroom instruction, projects, practical work.	Continuous assessment based on coursework, plus exams.	Two years.

Students usually study from eight to twelve GCSE subjects over two years (Years 10 and 11). In Scotland, you might study for Standard Grades, which are the Scottish equivalent of GCSEs. Most students study a core of subjects selected by their school or college, and choose additional subjects from a list. For example:

• typical core subjects, of which you might study six, include English, mathematics, design and technology, a modern language, a science, information technology (IT), history and geography
• optional subjects, of which you might choose three or four, include art and design, business studies, drama, economics, engineering, health and social care, leisure and tourism, music, physics, and religious education.

Other subjects are also available at some boarding schools and colleges, depending on the expertise and qualifications of the teachers. On any GCSE course, you receive formal tuition in the classroom and laboratory, but are also encouraged to work independently and undertake research for projects, often outside school hours. Educational visits, either on your own or as part of a small group, are often included in the timetable. Some subjects take account of the work you do throughout the year, while others are assessed entirely by examination. Examinations are independently marked and graded. GCSE grades range from A* (the highest) to G.

International GCSEs (IGCSEs)

Purpose of course	Entrance requirements	Teaching methods	Assessment methods	Duration
An international version of the GCSE. Qualifying exams for A-levels or equivalent quualifications.	General education.	Classroom instruction, projects, practical work.	Continuous assessment based on coursework, plus exams.	Two years.

The IGCSE is an international version of the UK GCSE, which has been tailored to meet the needs of students around the world. It is taken in over 100 countries, including the UK, and is internationally recognised as being equivalent to the UK GCSE. The IGCSE provides a broad study programme by drawing subjects from five areas: languages; humanities; social sciences; mathematics; creative, technical and vocational. There is a choice of core and extended papers in most subjects, making IGCSE suitable for all students. As with UK GCSEs, grades range from A* to G.

Vocational GCSEs

Purpose of course	Entrance requirements	Teaching methods	Assessment methods	Duration
Studied alongside GCSEs, providing a more career-based focus.	General education.	Classroom instruction, projects, practical work.	Continuous assessment based on coursework, plus exams.	Two years.

The Vocational GCSE is a career-based version of the GCSE. Eight subjects are available: art and design, business, engineering, health and social care, information and communications technology (ICT), leisure and tourism, manufacturing, and science. Students may substitute one Vocational GCSE for two conventional GCSEs. As with other GCSEs, grades range from A* to G.

AS- and A-levels

Purpose of course	Entrance requirements	Teaching methods	Assessment methods	Duration
Higher-level school leaver qualifications providing access to career-based or degree courses.	Four/five GCSEs (grades A* to C) or equivalent.	Classroom instruction, essays, projects, practical work.	Mainly by exam at the end of each module or at the end of the course.	Two years altogether

Students have a much freer choice at AS-level and A-level than at GCSE level, although they are advised to choose subjects that will help their future career and/or university application. The vast choice of subjects on offer includes all the GCSE subjects listed earlier plus geology, sports studies, electronics, photography, media studies and many others. For some subjects, such as mathematics, you'll need to have taken a GCSE in the same subject. Others require no specific prior knowledge of the subject. A-levels take a total of two years to complete (ages 16–18, Years 12 and 13). In the first year, you study four or five subjects at AS-level. An AS-level is both the first half of an A-level and a qualification in its own right. In the second year, you select two, three or four of those subjects (usually three) to study for the second half of the A-level. This part of the A-level is known as A2. Two AS-levels can be taken as the equivalent of one A-level. In Scottish schools, students may study for Highers and Advanced Highers instead of AS- and A-levels.

Some subjects take account of the work you do throughout the year, while others are assessed entirely by examination. Examinations are independently marked and graded. A-level grades range from A (the highest) to E. On both AS- and A-level courses, you receive classroom and laboratory tuition, but you are also encouraged to work independently and undertake research for topical projects, frequently outside school hours. Educational visits may be part of the timetable. Some schools offer sixth-formers the opportunity to study for Key Skills qualifications, which cover three key skills: application of number, communication, and information technology. Key Skills qualifications are usually taken alongside other courses, such as A-levels.

Advanced Extension Awards (AEAs)

Purpose of course	Entrance requirements	Teaching methods	Assessment methods	Duration
Challenge the most able A-level students by providing opportunities to develop greater understanding than required at A-level.	Four/five GCSEs (grades A* to C) or equivalent.	Classroom instruction, essays, projects, practical work.	By an additional exam at the end of the A-level course.	An additional exam at the end of a two year A-level course.

Advanced Extension Awards (AEAs) are designed to challenge the most able Year 13 A-level students by providing opportunities to demonstrate greater depth of understanding than is required at A-level. AEAs are currently available in 16 A-level subjects and help differentiate between the most able A-level candidates, particularly in subjects with a high proportion of A grades.

Vocational AS- and A-levels

Purpose of course	Entrance requirements	Teaching methods	Assessment methods	Duration
Sometimes taken alongside one or more A-levels and is of an equivalent standard.	Four/five GCSEs (grades A* to C) or equivalent.	Classroom instruction, essays, projects, practical work.	Mainly by exam at the end of each module or at the end of the course.	One year, or two years for a double award.

Vocational A-levels (which are also known as Advanced Vocational Certificates of Education or VCEs) are of the same advanced standard as A-levels, but can be taken in a range of career-based subjects, such as engineering or catering. They can be taken as a double award (12 units), a single award (6 units), or an AS-level (3 units). Double awards usually take two years to complete, whereas single awards and AS-levels commonly take one year. They are assessed by a mixture of classroom tuition and practical work, and are designed as the basis for entering the workplace. They are also recognised for admission to university.

International Baccalaureate

Purpose of course	Entrance requirements	Teaching methods	Assessment methods	Duration
An alternative to A-levels recognised for entrance into higher education in most countries.	Four/five GCSEs (grades A* to C) or IB Middle Years Programme or equivalent.	Classroom instruction, essays, projects, practical work.	Three subjects at A-level equivalent standard and three at AS-level equivalent. An extended essay.	Two years.

The International Baccalaureate was originally created as a common international qualification for students aged 16–18 at schools around the world. The programme allows internationally mobile students to transfer more easily between schools, as it combines elements of various national systems, without being based on any one. The IB is currently available at around 60 schools and colleges in the UK, and is accepted as an entry qualification for higher education by most countries, including the UK. The qualification offers a comprehensive curriculum, covering mathematics, sciences, language and arts subjects. Three subjects must be offered at A-level equivalent standard and three at AS-level equivalent during this two-year course. Students must also complete an extended essay on one subject and take part in a course on the theory of knowledge, as well as extracurricular activities. The award of the diploma depends on the student gaining at least 24 points from these subjects.

 

Cambridge Pre-University (Pre-U) Diploma

Although a new post-16 qualification, the Cambridge Pre-U is proving popular among the UK’s independent schools. It has been developed in consultation with universities, which have welcomed a qualification designed to prepare students for self-directed learning. The Pre-U not only provides students with a keen grasp of their subject, it also encourages independent thinking.

Students choose up to three subjects from a range of 26, and may study them individually or as an interdisciplinary combination. Each element is equivalent to an A-level and can gain the qualification of Pre-U Certificate. Students successfully studying three principal subjects together with an Independent Research Report and a Global Perspective Portfolio are awarded a Pre-U Diploma. Students may also substitute other equivalent qualifications, eg A-levels, for up to two principal subjects and still gain the Diploma.

Scottish qualifications

Scotland has its own examination system, which is very closely related to the system that operates in England and, with some exceptions, Wales and Northern Ireland. Instead of GCSEs, most students in Scotland study for Standard Grade qualifications in a broad range of subjects. Like GCSEs, Standard Grade examinations are generally taken by pupils aged 16 (in Scottish school year S4). Standard Grades are usually followed by Higher examinations, which are usually taken a year later (in S5) and are currently the basis for entry to university. (Instead of Standard Grades, some students at Scottish independent schools opt to take Intermediate 1 or Intermediate 2 qualifications, which can also be used for progression to Highers in subsequent years.) After taking their Highers, some students move on to degree-level study, while others stay on for an additional year (S6) to study for more Highers, Advanced Highers or A-levels. Highers and Advanced Highers are available in both academic and vocational subjects.

Some schools in Scotland follow the Scottish system, some the English system, with many mixing aspects of both systems. (You can find out more about the Scottish education system at the Education UK Scotland website.)

Qualifications offered	Purpose of course	Entrance requirements	Teaching methods	Assessment methods	Duration
Standard Grade	Qualifying exams for A-levels/Scottish Highers or career-based courses.	General education.	Classroom instruction, essays, projects, practical work.	Continuous assessment based on coursework, plus exams.	Two years.
Scottish National Qualification Intermediate 1 and Intermediate 2	Available in the fourth, fifth and sometimes sixth year. Used for a variety of purposes, such as progression to Highers.	General education.	Classroom instruction, essays, projects, practical work.	Tests taken at the end of each module, and grade awarded by final exam.	One year.
Scottish National Qualification Higher	Taken at the end of the fifth year. Higher-level school-leaver qualification providing access to career-based or degree courses.	Credit-level pass at Standard Grade or an Intermediate 2 pass in the same subject.	Classroom instruction, essays, projects, practical work.	Tests taken at the end of each module, and grade awarded by final exam.	One year.
Scottish National Qualification Advanced Higher	Taken at the end of the sixth year. Higher-level school-leaver qualification providing access to career-based or degree courses.	Pass at Higher level.	Classroom instruction, essays, projects, practical work.	Tests taken at the end of each module, and grade awarded by final exam.	One year.