What is level a

Everything You Need To Know About The A-Levelss

Most students and parents would have heard about A Levels from one place or another, but very few people actually know exactly what this pathway entails. This article will provide you with everything you need to know about the International A-Levels.

Advanced Levels (usually called A Levels) are qualifications in particular subjects that are usually the final academic courses taken before a student attends university. You can study three or more A-levels over the final two years before commencing university. A-Levels are assessed using a set of

examinations. Although A-Levels are a UK-based qualification, they are the most widely accepted qualification worldwide.

What subjects can you take?

There are a range of subjects you can take while pursuing an A-Level qualification. The most popular courses include:

• Mathematics
• Further Mathematics
• English Literature
• English Language
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Physics
• History
• Economics
• Business
• Psychology
• Law

For a complete list of A-Level courses refer to the CIE’s official website.

You also have the ability to take your A-Levels completely online. Crimson Global Academy (CGA) is a global online school with the mission to provide premium education without the constraints of physical schooling. CGA offers very close support for students in selecting A Level subjects: this is vital because future courses at university and future careers will often have specific requirements for A Level subjects. We can provide expert advice in this important area.

What is Crimson Global Academy?

How are A-Levels Assessed?

The qualification itself is assessed in a series of external examinations organized by an examination board: CGA uses the Pearson Edexcel examination board and also the Cambridge International board.

To help students prepare for the external examinations, CGA also runs a series of internal examinations and tests. Although the results of these do not contribute to the A Level result, the internal examinations allow CGA teachers to track the progress of students and to support students as much as possible so that they can achieve their best A Level grade.

How are A-Levels Graded?

Each A Level award, in each subject that a student has taken, is graded on a scale from A* through to E (or U, unclassified). A university may make an offer based on A Level grades, for example requiring a student to achieve a minimum of three specific grades in their A Level qualifications.

The table below depicts the score you need for each grade

A Level Grading System

What is a Good A-Level Grade?

If you’re looking at applying to a top 30 university, aim for grades that sit in the A or A* band.

For those considering US universities, the American equivalent for A Levels are the AP examinations.

What are AS and A2 Levels?

The A Level qualification has two components: AS Level and A2 Level.

You must study and complete your AS Level before you take your A Level. They take the average of your two scores (50/50) to produce your overall A Level score. Students usually complete the AS Level in their second to last year of high school and the A2 Level in their final year.

For Pearson Edexcel A Level courses, in order to achieve an A* grade, it is necessary to average a 90% or above in your A2 units specifically, as well as achieving the requisite combined score between your AS and A2 units.

Both AS and A2 Levels are designed to be year-long courses.

You can sit for the exam two times each year. The first is in May/June, and the second is in October/November.

Due to the school year structure, students in the southern hemisphere usually take the Oct/Nov series, and students in the northern hemisphere typically sit the May/June series.

However, there is another option!

Some students sit both the AS and A2 Level papers during the same exam periods.

While this might sound more difficult, it comes down to personal preference and schedule. Choose whatever works best for you and your timetable.

While sitting the exams together may offer a heavier workload, this could be a great option if you think you’re less likely to forget the content learned in AS by the time you reach A2.

It’s important to note that students must take AS and A2 Level papers within 12 months of one another. Otherwise, the AS mark “expires” and can’t be combined with the A2 mark to gain an A Level qualification.

How hard are the AS and A2 exams?

The difficulty is something you should take into account when you’re choosing different curriculums and subjects.

Although difficulty differs from person to person, you want to make sure that you’re confident you’ll be able to tackle it and perform to a high standard.

Cambridge International Examinations releases online updated syllabuses for all their subjects. Input the keyword you’re looking for along with “Cambridge syllabus,” and you can see what they include in the curriculum.

How to prepare for the AS and A2 Exams?

Though the syllabuses may appear long and confusing, choose to focus on the learning objectives. They explain learning expectations and everything about the exams.

The objectives get more difficult because they're written in the order they're taught. To get an idea of the difficulty, scroll down to the bottom to check out the more difficult topics!

You can also look at past papers online. Because A Levels are a popular curriculum, many online resources are available.

Use past papers to get a better sense of the exams and their difficulty level by skimming through their content. You can also use these to get an idea of the exam structure.

Try to look at past papers from recent years because they tend to get more difficult as time goes on! Even better, look at specimen papers (fancy term for sample papers) for the current year released on the Cambridge website to get the most up-to-date examples.

How are the AS and A2 Level exams scored?

You don’t necessarily need to get 70% or 90% of questions correct, to get a 70% or 90% on your report card.

Scaling makes this possible.

All exams are scaled on a bell curve, so raw grades are often inflated. Your score might inflate 1%-15% depending on where you score, the difficulty of the paper, and the subject you choose to take.

If the past papers look impossible, do not fear! You may be getting an unrealistic representation of your final score.

When looking at past papers, always look at the grade and scaling boundaries of that year’s exam.

The Difference Between AS and A2 Level

Now you should have a broad understanding of how A Levels work, what AS and A2 Levels are, and how together they give you your overall mark.

But what is the difference between AS and A2 Levels?

1. They may have minor differences in exam structure. For example, AS science papers have a multiple-choice component but A2 science papers do not. However, the two levels still have a lot in common.
2. They are both one-year courses.
3. They both require a year-long study that culminates in a series of exams.
4. They both count for 50% of your final A Level mark.

A2 Levels are generally harder than AS Levels. They build on the knowledge you learn taking your AS papers.

Many A2 Level papers also test on the content covered in the AS papers. For example, business studies A2 exams require you to recall knowledge from AS business studies.

Resources for AS and A2 Levels

Many resources are available to help with your AS and A2 studies?

Cambridge publishes a set of textbooks geared towards the curriculum of each subject. These textbooks offer comprehensive cover for both the AS and A2 courses.

Alternatively, you could buy study guides and textbooks produced by other companies that target A Level students.

Are A Levels right for you?

A Levels are superb, academically rigorous, and inspiring courses. However, they can also be demanding courses that require a serious commitment to diligent work. To be successful in A-Level study, students will need a secure foundation at the International GCSE level of study or equivalent.

Our academic staff can advise on entry requirements for particular A-Level courses, and CGA asks students to complete admissions assessments to ensure that if we offer a place to study A-Levels, then a student can be successful in those courses.

How can you take A Levels?

If you are keen to study A Levels then CGA would be delighted to hear from you! We offer a wide range of A Level and International GCSE courses which are taught fully online, by experienced and outstanding teachers from around the world. CGA can provide a full programme of A Levels, to full-time CGA students, or we can offer a part-time programme: individual A Level courses which students can take alongside their academic programme in their home school. You can see some inspiring student testimonials of what CGA can offer here.

CGA Classroom Adventures: Ep 1 Mathematics with Dr Andrew Daniel

Key Resources & Further Reading

• Join our free webinars on university applications
• Free eBooks and guides to help with the college application process
• A Levels, AP or IB: Which Curriculum will help you get into Top Universities?
• Can I Study A-Levels or International-GCSEs Online?

What are A Levels? - International School Parent Exams & Curriculum

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A-Levels (Advanced Level qualifications) are a UK subject-based qualification for students aged 16 and above. They are usually studied over two years, leading to qualifications recognised for entrance to higher education institutes in the UK and many others worldwide. Most higher education institutes require a minimum of 3 subjects.

Although they are a UK qualification, schools across the world offer A Levels. In addition, most universities and Higher Education institutes recognise A Levels as a suitable entry qualification. 

You may also have heard of AS Levels, however following reforms implemented between 2016 and 2018, AS Levels are now a separate qualification. Although they still equate to the first year of study on the full 2-year A Level course, most universities do not consider AS levels alone adequate for entrance. 

What subjects do A Level students take?

There are no compulsory subjects with A Levels. Instead, students are free to choose the topics that interest them the most or feel will benefit them for their future studies or careers. Students typically study three subjects. Subjects include English Language & Literature, French, Maths, Biology, Physics, Chemistry, History, Geography, Psychology, Economics, Art, Information Technology and Modern Foreign Languages such as French, German, and Spanish. It’s always best to check in advance which subjects the institution you are considering offers as this does vary from school to school. 

How are A Levels Assessed?

Written examinations, taken at the end of the 2-year course of study, are the main assessment form. Following the reforms mentioned above, there is now a lot less project work. However, some coursework does still contribute to the final grade depending on the subject. 

The grading scale runs from A* – E. Students not meeting the minimum standard will receive a grade of U. They need 40% to achieve an E, 50% for a D, 60% for a C and so on. Any student averaging 80% across all modules will gain an A*.

If a student fails, they must re-sit the whole exam – students cannot re-sit specific modules. However, it’s worth bearing in mind that students can retake their A Levels as many times as necessary.

Which exam boards do A levels use?

Several different examination boards assess A levels. Most often, international schools use Edexcel or CIA (Cambridge International Assessment). 

A-Levels are an excellent choice for students who have a clear idea of which subjects they excel in. Or, to put it another way, students who are ‘one-sided’ in terms of their strengths. For example, a student who is strong in Maths and weak in English Literature would benefit from focusing on Maths and dropping English. Focus on specific subjects is not possible with the IB, which has a much broader study area.

The importance of the final written exam means that A-Levels are more suitable for students strong in written exams. Students who can revise effectively and perform well in timed exams are most suited to A Levels.  

Most importantly, students receive separate certificates in each subject they pass, rather than one overall certificate as the IB.  

Author Bio

Liz McEwan is a Client Manager at TutorsPlus. She has over 20 years of experience teaching English, study skills and offering student guidance. Originally from the U.K, she now lives in Geneva.

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Table of English levels ‹ Ingleks

What grammar and vocabulary students learn at each level of study - from Beginner to Proficiency.

Among philologists and linguists, it is customary to divide the knowledge of a foreign language into six levels. This concept is called the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), and it appeared at the end of the 20th century. In 2001, the Council of Europe decided to use the CEFR to assess language proficiency in any language taught as a foreign language. Following the CEFR system, there are three language proficiency groups - A, B, C, each of which is divided into two subgroups:

We have listed the aspects of English that students learn at each level of education. Vertically there are columns with types of speech activity: listening, speaking, reading, writing. The two extreme columns display what grammar and vocabulary the student should know at a particular stage. The levels of training are shown horizontally - from Beginner to Proficiency. At the intersection of a row and a column, a description is given of what knowledge the student acquires at each level.

Beginner

(Beginner)

You can tell about yourself, about work and leisure in a few sentences.

Express an opinion based on the material studied.

Beginner: I want to eat this tasty chocolate bar. I want to eat this delicious chocolate bar.
Elementary: I would like to eat this delicious chocolate bar. I would like to eat this delicious chocolate bar.
Pre-Intermediate: I feel like eating this yummy chocolate bar. I want to eat this delicious chocolate bar.
Intermediate: I wanna scarf down this yummy chocolate bar. I want to eat this delicious chocolate bar.
Upper-Intermediate: I’d kill for this super delicious chocolate bar. “I would kill for this super delicious candy bar.
Advanced: I’m drooling over this chocolate bar. Yum-yum! “I want this candy bar so much it makes me salivate. Om-Nom-nom!
Proficiency: I wish I could eat this chocolate bar which seems to be finger-licking good. - I would eat this chocolate bar - it seems so tasty that you will lick your fingers.

If you want to know more about any of the levels of English proficiency, read the corresponding article from our selection:

We also recommend that you watch a video on the topic “How to determine your level of English?”.

If you're having trouble figuring out your level using the table, take our online English proficiency test.

Levels of knowledge of a foreign language. A1-A2

Since the CEFR system uses the “can do” formula (that is, the set of skills that a student can demonstrate) to determine the level of the language, the CEFR scale gives a detailed description for all aspects of the language at each level.

Language proficiency on a scale can be quite simply described with a couple of words in such criteria as understanding, speaking and writing. For example: “I understand simple texts on previously studied topics”, “I understand individual sentences and can answer in simple phrases”, etc.

Let's figure out together what results can be expected by mastering levels A1 and A2.

Level A1 – Starter (Beginner)

This is the level at which language learning begins. On it, a person is just starting to study the subject from scratch and most often has no idea about the language as a whole.

If you have ever studied a language before, for example, at school, but never practiced it, then your English can be called "false beginner", which means "false beginner".

Program

The Beginner level program includes:

learning the alphabet,

basic reading rules

basic grammatical categories,

The main vocabulary of family and household topics,

Familiarity with elementary phrases of greeting.

And at the end of it, students, as a rule, can answer simple questions when meeting and even briefly tell about themselves.

Required skills

Grammar : Knowledge and ability to use the elementary forms of the parts of speech, the most common tenses, the ability to form simple sentences

Phonetics : Knowledge of the alphabet and basic reading rules

Vocabulary : Knowledge of a minimum vocabulary of words that are frequently encountered in everyday life (~500-1000 words)

Conversation : Basic communication skills needed in everyday situations

Listening : Listening and understanding of basic spoken language

Reading : Comprehension of simple written English in the form of explanations, diagrams and instructions

Practical application

Obviously, in order to enter foreign universities, knowledge at the Beginner level is not enough due to a limited vocabulary and due to poorly developed language skills. But it is possible to pass such international exams as: IELTS 1.0-2.5 points, PTE Level A1 for English and ÖSD GD1, ÖSD KID for German.

Level A2 - Elementary

Among publishers of educational literature, it is generally accepted that this is the second step in the language learning program. As a rule, at this level, students can already communicate on familiar topics, form sentences correctly, speak with a pronunciation that everyone can understand, and even joke. Sometimes the name of this level is Pre-Intermediate .

Program

In the process of learning at this level, more complex sentences appear, and due to this, the texts become longer. There are infinitives, gerunds, modal verbs and conditional sentences (on the example of the English language).

Already 20% of tasks are allocated for independent work of students of the course, and the ratio of vocabulary to the previous level increases by about 50%.

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