Can anyone explain to me what an A level is?

Question

I'm trying to figure out how the UK (England specifically) school system works and it seems to be really confusing. Can anyone break it down for me. Is there an American equivalent to the A level? How old do you have to be to start college? Oh! and how long is your summer vacation? Whenever I read questions about this people always use words that we don't use here or mean something different (example = module?). Thanks.

Answer 1

A brief answer is that an A level is an advanced level exam.  Students that have had A levels are considered more highly qualified than those that have only O ("ordinary") levels.  

Answer 2

You can start college at 14 but this is really unusual, normally you go to college age 16 and then to university age 18.

The full name for A Levels is "General certificate of Education Advanced Level".

you can take them a any age but normally you finish school at 16 and go to college to take A Levels. Most people start with 4 subjects and take 4 AS levels (Advanced subsidiary) after their first year then take 3 A2 levels in their final year. An A level is a combination of an AS and A". You can take the AS on its own but you have to have an AS to take an A2.

The advantage of this system is that students at different colleges in different towns take exactly the same exam papers.

Most US colleges give advanced standing to British students who have an A Level, so I suppose it is roughly equivalent to some college 101 classes.  

Answer 3

To know more about    

vacation  

Please feel free to visit  http://learnmoreon.com/vacation/

Answer 4

Amazing how many bad answers you have had. Just to point out Jimmy has given a good answer but to add to that it is only A-levels and GCSE exams that actually matter (unlike the previous ones). Also A-levels are made up of 6 modules (not 12), and can be sat in a sixth form (in a secondary school) or a sixth form college (which is college for 16-18 year olds).

A module is a part of a qualification. So for example A-levels are split into 6 different bits, all with their own exams. My first year at uni was split into 10 modules.

Answer 5

Advanced level, its a 2 year course that is usually the way into university. You only have to by law study up till youre 16 and then at 16 you choose to get a job, do a course that is specific to a job (vocational e.g hairdressing), A levels. Its free for 16-18 year olds to do A levels and post 16 courses but you would have to pay if you're an adult. Summer vacation in schools and most colleges is 6 weeks. But at university I am off from May to October. Module is a topic within a subject for example I am doing sociology and for example doing 2 essay projects about Gender, Sexuality and Society is required to pass a portion of my course.

I think your high school is equivalent to A levels because you stay on till 18 am i right?

Answer 6

simple words : high school senior years

i just came to uk so i dont know much either,

simply all the studying until you're 16 is required in the UK, after that you get an independent choice if you want to continue or just settle with secondary education, if you chose to continue you have a choice of many courses, the most popular and including is the A-level

there are some other stuff like the BTEC and other things, BUT if you want to continue to university you need the A-levels!

good luxk

Answer 7

The school system:

Nursery/Play School

Primary School

-Reception - Age 4-5

-Year 1 - Age 5-6

-Year 2 - Age 6-7 - (SAT's Key stage 1 Exams)

-Year 3 - Age 7-8

-Year 4 - Age 8-9

-Year 5 - Age 9-10

-Year 6 - Age 10-11 - (SAT's Key stage 2 Exams)

Secondary School

-Year 7 - Age 11-12 - (CAT's Exams)

-Year 8 - Age 12-13

-Year 9 - Age 13-14 - (SAT's Key stage 3 Exams)

-Year 10 - Age 14-15 - GCSEs

-Year 11 - Age 15-16 - GCSEs - End of Compulsory Education

College

-Year 12 - Age 16-17 - AS Examinations

-Year 13 - Age 17-18 - A2 Examinations

(AS & A2 Examinations = A Levels)

University

Age 18-21/25 (Depends what level of Degree you go for)

I hope this helped!

Answer 8

There are no O or A levels now - they are called GCSE's - when you reach college, you get diplomas or if at university you get degrees. You can start college anywhere from 16 or 18 - & the summer vacation is around 6 weeks for secondary schools. The "modules" you refer to are just different areas of the specific subject you have chosen. Hope this helps.

Answer 9

A Level is a course based with 12 modules.

A level is broken down to AS level and A2 level.

As level is the first year and A2 level is second year.

summer vacation starts from july to september

you have to be 16 years old to start A levels

modules are different units like, mind and the brain ( one module), how far how fast ( second module) etc.

the teachers will explain it to u  

Answer 10

Well you go into Secondary School at the age of 11 (after leaving primary school which lasts from year or grade 1-6) until you are sixteen and in year 11. Then you either go to "College" or stay at a Secondary School's "6th form" which is basically grade 12-13. You can choose to leave school at the age of 16 but if you do choose to go to "College" or "6th form" then you stay there until you are 18, this is where you take your A levels, so they would be the equivalent of Finals for High School students. Then you can choose to go to University, which is the equivalent of College in America and you typically take a three year course.

So basically the only differences are that for the last two years of High School we count it as a separate school that you don't have to go to and we call that "College" and going to University here is the same as going to College in America.

Our summer holidays are only about 6 weeks until we go to 6th form or "College" and then they range from two to three months depending on when exams are held. It is usually three months once you reach University.

(P.s: a module is just a subject in a class, so if you took mathematics as a degree then you might take a module in Geometry)