The A-Level pre-university preparation program is popular among students who are going to enter other countries after the 9th grade of a local school.

WhatA- Level?

A-Level is a two-year study program provided by the British education system and leads to a certificate of complete secondary education. That is, after this passage of the A-level, you can go to university to get your first education (bachelor's degree).

The main purpose of the A-Level is to prepare students for university studies. Based on the results of the exams passed within the framework of the A-Level, the admission committees of universities judge the knowledge and skills of the applicant and make a decision on enrolling in the course.

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StructureA- Level

The A-Level program includes 45 disciplines. Of these, each student chooses 3-6 subjects to study. Special attention should be paid to the choice of subjects, they must correspond to the future university specialization. The list of disciplines offered includes such subjects as mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, economics, accounting, higher mathematics, business, English literature, politics, psychology, etc.

Students who have not yet decided that they want to study at a university are encouraged to choose classical disciplines or those that are best given as part of the A-Level.

The A-Level academic program consists of two parts, each of which lasts 1 year. The program involves 20-25 hours of classes per week, including classes in selected subjects and English. After the first year of study, students receive an As-Level degree, after the second year - an A2-Level degree. After completing the program, students take exams for an A-Level diploma.

As a result of examinations, a score is given for each subject. It uses the A-B-C-D-E grading system, where A is the highest score and E the lowest. There is also an A+ score, which is awarded to students with the highest academic performance.

The A-Level diploma and the obtained exam scores are the most important criteria when considering student documents by the university. For example, students who are going to university to study medicine or law must get the highest scores in exams. A-Level diplomas prove the knowledge of students and are recognized not only in the UK, but throughout the world. For example, in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland.

Program specificsA- Level

The A-Level program described above is a classic, it is on it that most students study. However, A-Level programs have their own specifics.

For example, some schools offer abbreviated A-Level programs that last 1 year. Such programs usually accept gifted students, especially those who are fluent in English and who graduated with honors.

There are other ways to shorten the A-Level period. So, some universities accept students with an As-Level degree, i.e. after 1 year of study in the program. True, this does not apply to all universities and is possible only in the case of obtaining the highest scores in exams.

How to enter the programA- Level?

A-Level programs are offered at various educational institutions, including schools and colleges.

For admission to the A-Level program, a student must meet the following requirements:

1. be aged 16-17

2. have a certificate of school education with grades of at least 4 points

3. have an IELTS certificate with a score of at least 5.0 (may vary depending on the institution) or a TOEFL certificate with a score of at least 500

To enroll in the program, the application and documents must be submitted directly to the educational institution.

What to do after graduationA- Level?

After receiving an A-Level diploma and exam results, a student can apply to one or more universities.

If you intend to become a student at a British university, then you are well aware of the long preparation you have to go through before the dream of being a student becomes a reality. Perhaps the most important stage in the entire admission process can be called the successful passing of the A-level exams.

This is a national British program, under which foreign students are also entitled to study. the A-level program is distinguished by in-depth specialization, as high school students choose 3-4 subjects, which in the future will become their field of study at a university or college. This significantly distinguishes the A-level program from a similar IB (International Baccalaureate) course, where the number of subjects studied is an order of magnitude larger.

Main features of the program

• As a rule, the course starts in September and lasts two years (6 semesters). Documents are accepted in the spring. Therefore, if you are in 11th grade and want to start in September, you must submit grades for 10th grade.
• Class sizes in colleges and training centers where training takes place are small and do not exceed 4-10 people.
• The average academic load is 20-25 hours per week (plus homework and, if necessary and provided by the program, individual lessons).
• Students take exams at the end of each year of study, the results of which are very important for further admission to the bachelor's degree.

Requirements for entering the A-level

• completed secondary education with a high score of the certificate;
• IELTS result not less than 5.5;
• age from 16 years;
• letters of recommendation from the previous place of study.

The A-level program in the UK includes 45 subjects from various fields of knowledge. The student chooses his specialization already at this stage. Successful completion of the first year of study leads to an As-Level degree. Some universities are willing to accept students with such a degree, but this is the exception rather than the rule. In this case, a prerequisite is to obtain the highest scores for the exams.

After passing the classic two-year program, exams are taken, the results of which are evaluated on an A-E scale (in descending order). Different universities in England have different requirements for A-level grades, but their level is key for admission. The results are recognized in many countries around the world.

The cost of the A-level year starts from 5-6 and ends with 40-50 thousand pounds, depending on the provision of a boarding house in addition to training, as well as the prestige of the educational institution itself.

A-level is a preparatory program for foreign and Russian teenagers, focused on successful admission to. In addition, this A-level program is the final step in obtaining. After completing the A-level program, exams are provided, while the results obtained are quoted and accepted by everyone.

Once again, we note that at the moment, studying under the A-level program is the best tool for effective preparation for smooth admission to So, having an A-level certificate in hand, a foreign teenager will not need to pass additional exams and. Thus, the training provides for the gradual integration of a foreign teenager into a new language and academic environment, and, of course, a significant improvement in the level of English proficiency and deepening knowledge in academic subjects.

An effective A-level educational program is focused on high school students, corresponds. The duration of training is 2 years, while teaching focuses on in-depth study of selected disciplines by students. So, foreign teenagers independently form an individual curriculum, they choose from 3 to 5 subjects of interest for training. As part of the selection of disciplines, it is worth focusing on individual preferences, goals, the requirements of the future, and the specialization of interest. At the end of the training, examinations are provided, the results obtained are entered into the A-level certificate, which is highly rated and has widespread prestige.

The list of academic subjects for choice by foreign teenagers includes the following disciplines, namely:

• English language
• French
• Art
• Political science
• Photo
• Business
• Mathematics
• Critical thinking
• Geography
• Economy
• Chemistry
• Philosophy
• Spanish language
• Physical Education
• Biology
• Physics
• Technology Design
• Story
• Music.

Requirements for admission to the A-level program for foreigners and Russian students

So, for successful enrollment in the A-level education program, a foreign teenager will need to prepare the following package of documents, namely:

• Transcript of the report card of school grades for the last 2-3 years of study and grades for the current academic year
• Certificate of o - as a rule, an incoming teenager is studying at the school at the time of admission, therefore, it is not a mandatory requirement to have it
• International language certificate, namely or.

At the same time, among the best British schools there are different requirements regarding the results of the language test. In particular, when entering a prestigious one, it is enough to pass 5.5 points. At the same time, the result of the international language exam 7.0 points may not be enough for admission to.

The cost of studying for the A-level program in the best British schools

The price of education in the framework of the A-level educational program in the UK is determined by the prestige and reputation of the educational institution, the created learning conditions, as well as accommodation. In particular, the cost of studying at a public college in England, taking into account living in a host family, will average 16 thousand pounds. At the same time, the price, taking into account living on the territory of a comfortable school residence, will cost about 30-40 thousand pounds.

Below is the cost information:

• 7th grade education - 8990 pounds per trimester
• 8th grade education - £10,220 per trimester
• Education from 9th to 13th grades - 10,860 pounds per trimester.

Please note that the cost of training does not include the following components, and provides for payment on an additional basis:

• Tuition deposit - 3000 pounds
• Registration fee - 100 pounds
• Payment of the consular fee at the embassy
• Payment of visa fees and services, translation and notarization of documents, as well as delivery of originals by courier
• Medical insurance - 150 pounds per year
• Registration of guardianship for the period of study in England - from 495 pounds per trimester
• Buying a school uniform
• Student pocket money
• Transfer arrangement upon arrival and departure
• Purchase of air tickets in both directions.

More aboutA- level

A level- a traditional British educational program, according to which children study after receiving a certificate of secondary education GCSE. The full name of the program is General Certificate of Education Advanced Level, which translates as a certificate of higher education. Actually A level this is a more in-depth study of several GCSE subjects. British schoolchildren decide quite early on their future profession. At the age of 14, they choose several majors, which they study at the GCSE for 2 years. After that, from the list of selected subjects, they choose 3-4 more, which they continue to study at the A-level.

Training on A level lasts 2 years. The first year is called AS(Advanced Subsidiary), second - A2. Despite the fact that AS and A2 are parts of one program, they can be considered as independent stages of training. The second year is not an integral part of the first, rather it complements it. During AS, the student is given a certain amount of knowledge in several subjects, which can be expanded in the second year of study. Also, the student has the right to stop studying after passing the AS exams and start working. In this case, the column "Education" will record the number of successfully passed subjects with the prefix AS. If a student interrupts studies after the end of the second year, then the level of his education will be measured by the number of successfully passed subjects, but now with the prefix A-level. In other words, a student who graduated only from AS and his colleague who completed the full course have the same specialty, only a different level of knowledge and competence.

The total score in each subject after two years of study is calculated as the sum of the marks obtained in AS and A2. Instead of traditional class-based learning, students have the opportunity to devote one of two years to research and writing term papers: "The extended project", EPQ for short .

In the NQF national education system, the A-level program is at level 3, and is a prerequisite for entering a university, and an equivalent analogue: IB Diploma, Pre-U, and Advanced Placement.

True, there are cases when especially gifted and diligent students are allowed to study some AS subjects while studying at GCSE. Thus, the child has the opportunity to "save" one year.

What subjects are studied at A-level?

Students have the opportunity to choose from a list of more than 80 subjects. Most of them study 3-4 subjects, but there are those who choose 10-15. The more subjects a student has at A-level, the greater the choice of specialties when entering the university and the greater the choice of the universities themselves. Different educational institutions have different requirements for an applicant, and the one who has a larger list of successfully passed A-levels has an advantage. As we have already said in our other articles, you need to plan your studies from the back side, that is, first you need to decide on the list of universities and specialty, find out what knowledge is required for this, and only then choose subjects for A-level.

A-level assessment is carried out on a seven-point scale: A*, A, B, C, D, E and U, where A* is the highest grade and U is the lowest. Each student, after the announcement of the results of the exams, has the right to retake one or another subject, the best score will be taken into account. If the grade is "satisfactory", the student informs the examination committee about his decision. The process of "agreement" is called: "Cashing in". If something does not fit, then the student always has the opportunity to disagree with the results and protest them in a higher special commission under the Ministry of Education. In this case, the work will be rechecked by an independent commission, and if an error or inaccuracy is found, the score will be changed.

Each grade earned at the AS and A-levels has its own "value", that is, it is expressed in the number of points when entering the university. We are talking about the so-called "UCAS tariff".

The "cost" of assessments is given in the table:

Grade	A- level	AS
A*
A
B
C
D
E

The total score obtained for all subjects determines the level of the student. To enter a university, you must have at least two successfully passed A-level subjects, but we recall that these requirements may vary slightly in different educational institutions.

If you have any doubts or ambiguities about A-level, admission to a university or in general education in the UK please ask your questions. We will gladly answer them.

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