THE UK 2 YEAR A-LEVEL SYSTEM

In the UK, A-levels are studied in a modular form and normally over 6 terms in 2 academic years, starting in September and ending in June two years later. Year 1 is known as Lower 6 or AS Year while Year 2 is known as Upper 6 or A2 Year. UK A-levels are more user-friendly, more forgiving, less stressful and easier to score A and A* grades as will be seen in the following paragraphs.

Also, many subjects in Lower 6 or the AS units are only slightly harder than the GCSE level. Thus most Asian students, especially those who do Additional Maths in their O-levels, will score A/A* for their Maths.

Science and Maths consist of 6 modules or units, and arts/humanities have 4 units. Thus, for each subject in Year 1, students will study 3 or 2 units known as AS units, i.e. Units 1, 2 & 3, or 1 & 2, and in Year 2, students will study another 3 or 2 units, known as A2 units, i.e. Units 4, 5 & 6 or 3 & 4. As with most examinable subjects, both academic and non academic such as music or dancing, the British thinking is that each higher level should be harder than each lower level. Thus, grade 8 piano is harder than grade 7. Similarly, upper 6 should be harder than Lower 6. Thus, units at the AS level are designed to be easier than units at the A2 level. Most science students will study 4 subjects or 12 AS units in Year 1, while arts students will study 4 subjects, or 8 units at the AS Level in Year 1, or 9 units if they take Math.

In the UK and unlike Singapore, A-level students are allowed to study 3 pure sciences. A pure science student will be encouraged to do one arts or humanities subject as the fourth subject, while an arts/humanities student will be encouraged to study Math or one science subject. This is to give students some breadth, in addition to depth, in their area of specialisation. That said, Math is regarded as a non-science subject, and so a triple science and Math student is considered as having enough balance.

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Some schools let their students do a fifth AS unit in the first year, but the fifth subject will usually be studied over two years instead of one year even though it is at the AS level. This is to lessen the workload in Year 1.

At the end of their Year 1 studies, some schools, especially tutorial colleges will allow their students to take the external AS exams, but the marks are not counted. The exams serve as a trial exam, and also as a basis for their principal to predict their full A-level grades. At the end of their Upper 6 or A2 year, students are examined on both their AS and A2 units in a final exam, but because the exams are in modules or units, and the questions set are specific to each unit and not mixed up as in Singapore, the exams in the UK are much easier.

To attain a full A-level, students will proceed to Year 2 to study their A2 units. Year 2 is designed to be at a higher and thus harder level. Students will choose to study either 3 or 4 A2 subjects. The decision is based on how they have performed in their AS units the best 3 out of the 4 subjects they have taken in Year 1, or if they have done well in all. Suppose a student has done very well in 3 of his/her 4 AS subjects and not so well in the 4th subject, then it is advisable for him/her to proceed to study 3 A2 subjects. The reason is simple. It is better to get AAA or better still A*A*A than to aim for 4 A2 levels and end up with say, AABB. For Oxbridge and medical/dental/vet science courses, A*AA/AAA are required and a student with AABB will not be considered. If a student has done very well in all his/her AS subjects, he/she will be encouraged to take the same 4 subjects at the A2 level, as AAAA is obviously better than AAA. Note again that if A*AA is required, getting AAAA may not qualify the student to apply.

The marks of all the AS and A2 units taken at the end of Year 2 for each subject are added up and averaged to get an A-level award, and the two levels of different difficulty are not given different weights. This works to the advantage of students as it is earlier to get a very high score in the AS units which will provide a cushion for a lower score in the harder A2 units. Top students of course will score high marks even in the harder A2 units.. (The actual calculations of final marks and grades is more complicated, but it is essentially what has been described.)

The marking system is also more student-friendly. Students are judged more on understanding and application rather than on pure knowledge, regurgitation and obeying rules. For example, Maths and Chemistry formulae are given to students in the exams.

Grades for AS level are designated in lower case and range from a to e, while grades for full A-level are designated in upper case also, from A to E. To get an A grade, students must attain 80 marks and each grade lower is 10 marks less. The marks may vary slightly depending on how the year's cohort has done nationally, but they are roughly around this point.. Students in the top 10% for each cohort nationally will be awarded an A*, and the mark is usually around 90.

In summary, it can be seen that the A-level system in the UK has the following advantages:

1. Being modular, the exams are easier than those in Singapore/Malaysia/Hong Kong.

2. Since the marks for AS and A2 levels are weighted equally, after a student has obtained high marks in his/her AS units, he/she will have bought some “insurance”, or cushion as the high marks can help to pull up a low average caused by any low marks obtained in the harder A2 units.

3. Students unhappy with the grades awarded may ask for remarking.

4. The AS units are of stand-alone value in themselves. Thus, students who have studied a subject in Year 1 may choose to stop there for whatever reason, e.g. do not like the subject; find the subject too tough; do not have any further interest in the subject; did not do well in the AS exams; or just simply do not wish to have too heavy a work load in Year 2. An a, b or even a c grade in a subject at the AS level, especially if it is a arts/humanity subject for a science student, is still an achievement as it shows that the student has a good balance in his/her studies. An AS grade in a fourth subject is required for most medical schools.

5. Students enjoy a 3 month-long summer vacation during which they can do two important things. The first is to do attachments, internships or voluntary work. The second is to apply for university (for girls without national service obligation) so that when they return for their Year 2 studies, they can concentrate on their studies.

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