UK A level Results
Ferret
Explorer
Ahh, I thought there would be more englishers...
Right, A levels are the last level of qualification before uni (along with various other awards and stuff like Btecs etc
). There are two years of study from age 16-18, and they're all subjects rather than vocational.
I hope that explained it well enough...Oh and most schools either do four As(advanced subsidery) levels and then drop one at A level in the second year...
Right, A levels are the last level of qualification before uni (along with various other awards and stuff like Btecs etc
). There are two years of study from age 16-18, and they're all subjects rather than vocational.I hope that explained it well enough...Oh and most schools either do four As(advanced subsidery) levels and then drop one at A level in the second year...
Stormborn
Explorer
Ferret said:Ahh, I thought there would be more englishers...
Right, A levels are the last level of qualification before uni (along with various other awards and stuff like Btecs etc
I hope that explained it well enough...Oh and most schools either do four As(advanced subsidery) levels and then drop one at A level in the second year...
Ummm, not really.
Here, let me explain the US system and then maybe you can tell me how it compares to that.
Education provided by the local goverment (typically city or county and subsidized by state and federal money), or in some cases private or faith based organizations (usually for a fee), is typically 12 or 13 years (with Kindergarten being provided for 5-6 year olds but not neccesarily required by most systems).
At the post High School level there is a wide variety of programs. Traditionally it is a 4 year universtiy program, either state or private, at which point you recieve a Bachelors. The most common are BA (Bachelor of Arts) and BS (Bachelor of Science). Admission and funding differ both from state to state and school to school. Typically, however, admission is based on Grade Point Average earned in the last four years of school (High School) based on a 4 point scale (A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1, F=0) as well as a standardized test such as the ACT or (more commonly) the SAT. Some other standardized tests given nation wide may make one eligible for scholarships. Financhial need, academic performance, and extracurricular activities (such as sports, art, music, etc) determine access to scholarships (funding) for most schools. In some states everyone who graduates from a public high school recieves some money to attend a university owned by the same state. Also, many places offer a 2 year Associates degree that is typically seen as simply a preperation for transfer to degree program at a 4 year program.
After the 4 year (which can take 5 or more years, or as little as 3) program there are Master's Degree, each of which take different amounts of time but can range from 1 to 3 years of additional schooling, and Doctoral Degrees, typically taking at least an additional 2-3 years. Some programs combine the Master's and Doctoral work with early admission into an advance program. For example in my state most Pharmacy schools allow entrance into a program after 2-3 years of bachelors work so that someone can get a Pharmacy Doctorate in about 7 years, never really "graduating" for any of the lower levels.
In the last 5 years or so Vocational Schools have been growing rapidly. These programs range from 2 to 4 years programs that concentrate on a specific field of study (such as computing, electronics, etc), typically ones that may or may not have required a specific degree in the past.
We dont really have anything like the UK system of "A"s, becuase even the nationally standardized tests are treated differently at each school.
Ferret
Explorer
In the UK, basically the same system is run, except where the schools tend to be split up. 5-10 (years old) is primary school, then secondary school is 10-16, 16-18 is college (a separate organization) or a 'Sixth Form' which is part of a secondary school. At 14 years old you start GCSE (before then you study various things from Maths to Computers to art to Religion) where you drop everything but the core subjects (Maths, english, science, Religion, Computers and at my school 'citizenship') and four subjects of your choice and at college or sixth
form you pick four As levels for the first year then either continue them or drop one at A level. Unis ask for either certain grades (ABB with an A in physics) or overal points where as level a=60 b=40 etc and A level A=120.
Helpful? :\
form you pick four As levels for the first year then either continue them or drop one at A level. Unis ask for either certain grades (ABB with an A in physics) or overal points where as level a=60 b=40 etc and A level A=120.
Helpful? :\
Stormborn
Explorer
Ferret said:
Thanks. I just always find it facinating to compare cultures that one would think have more similarities than they do. For example, your inclusion of "Religon" as something everyone studies while in the US it is illegal to teach Religion in a goverment funded school at the primary or secondary school level.
Reminds me of visiting my wife's aunt and uncle in Scotland and beign served fish for breakfast. I liked it but commented that I never had fish for breakfast. Aunt Muriel was in shock because "everyone eats fish for breakfast!" Maybe in Scotland where a man drives by your house once a week with fresh fish, not in Birmingham, AL.
delericho
Legend
Ferret said:
Actually, that doesn't apply to the whole of the UK - Scotland have a different system (Although some of the private schools in Scotland use the 'English' model of A-levels).
In Scotland, all pupils receive a Primary education lasting 7 years, starting from the age of 5 (so, 5 - 11ish). Thereafter, one proceeds to Secondary education, where one attends for between 4 and 6 years (12 - 16, 17, or 18).
At 14 years old (Third Year), you start Standard grades, which are very similar to the English GCSEs. Maths and English are mandatory, and I think one language. Otherwise, the selection depends on the school. By law, Scottish schools also require pupils do at least one hour of PE and Religious Studies per week until the age of 16. Most pupils take 8 Standard Grades.
At 16 (Fifth Year), pupils study for Higher grades, which are one-year courses. Typically, a pupil will take five such courses.
Finally, at 17 (Sixth Year), pupils who have stuck it out this long have various options: retake Higher grades in subjects that were not up to scratch, take additional subjects at Higher level, or proceed to the badly-named Higher Still courses, which are an additional year of study in a given subject. (Sixth Year education seems to get revised every few years in Scotland. When I was at school, I did Certificates of Sixth Year Study. This has been revised at least twice since then. But, while the names change, the principle of the courses stay the same. Oh, and unless things have changed, most schools only offer Higher Still courses in one or two subjects, if at all.)
The net effect of all of this is that Scottish children receive a broader education than their English counterparts, but to a lesser depth. Or, at least, that's the theory. As in England, every year we have a round of "standards are slipping!!!", while at the same time our politicians point to an increased pass-rate to show that education is better than ever. I would comment on this, but I always feel it is monstrously unfair on the latest batch of school-leavers to talk about possible slipping standards just as they're getting their exam results.
Typically, Scottish universities look for at least three Higher grades, at grade C or better. However, Scottish universities also vary very widely in the level of students they will consider. On a UK basis, 5 'A's at Higher level is, in theory, considered as good as 3 'A's at A-level. In reality, English universities will always give the edge to the A-level student, since that's what they understand. Scottish universities have to be more open to A-levels, due to the relative population sizes.
The final difference between education between England and Scotland is that there are no tuition fees as such in Scottish universities (for Scottish students, I think). One of the biggest things the Scottish Parliament did was reverse the Westminster legislation on this. University funding in Scotland is handled very differently, with students being required to pay an "Endowment" before graduating. This seems to be much less than the English fees, and is obviously only payable on graduation, so if you don't qualify you don't pay. However, it is now starting to place something of a financial strain on Scottish universities. Time will tell how this pays out. For the moment, however, this change is a massive benefit to Scottish students over our English (or American) counterparts.
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