Explanation of the British education system?

Question

Could someone explain to me how the British education system works? I've found explanations on various sites but I'm not really sure I get it right...

You take a two-year course (that may not be the correct word but I can't think of another one) and at the end of it you take your GCSEs, right? Now, what I don't get is how old you are during those 2 years. I'm thinking 15 and 16 at the beginning of each year , so that would be...years 10 and 11? And then there's another two years with the A-level examination in the end, which would be years 12 and 13 (the sixth form), and you'd be 17 and 18 then, therefore taking your A-levels at 18 or 19, depending on when you're born?

Or does it go a year backward?

Please tell me if I got it right and, if not, can you explain it to me?

Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) are taken by those in their final of year of high-school and in the U.K. they are aged 16. Year 11.

After graduating from high-school, those who seek to earn a Bachelor's Degree, will then take A-levels. A-levels are taken for two years (aged 16-18). This is also known as 6th form.

So by the time a person is 18, they are then eligible to apply to a university to complete a three year, bachelor degree. So typicaly, a person in the U.K. has completed high school, 6th form and obtained a Bachelor's Degree by the time they are 21 years old.

Answer 2

Hey :) Yes- you're almost right!

Ok, here's how it goes:-

Year 7:   11-12 years old

Year 8:   12-13 years old

Year 9:   13-14 "

Year 10: 14-15 " (1st year of GCSE course)

Year 11: 15-16 " (2nd year of GCSE course

Year 12: 16-17 " (1st year of 6th form- AS Levels)

Year 13: 17-18 " (2nd year of 6h form A2 Levels)

Ok, so at the end of year 11, you take your GCSE exams which is as you say, based on everything you learnt in the past 2 years (i.e. stuff learnt in year 10 and 11). However recently, a lot of schools opt to take some GCSE exams in year 10 as opposed to all of them done at the end of year 11. Most people study 10 subjects (e.g. Maths, English etc)

At 16, you have a choice to leave school and go to work, but most people stay on to complete their A-Levels.

The A-Level course begins in year 12 and ends at the end of year 13 when people leave school to go university.

An A-level is made up of:

- 50% AS level taken in year 12 (on average 4 subjects studied)

- 50% A2 level taken in year 13 (on average 3 subjects studied)

Together, these two make up the whole A-Level.

Complicated, I know. Lol, hope this helps! :)