A-levels and AS-levels, explained
Back to Topic
Click to Print
Useful Websites
Glossary Term Selection
What is an A-level?
An ‘advanced level’ or A-level is a qualification offered across a range of subjects to school-leavers (usually aged 16-18 years old), graded A*-E.
A-levels are studied across two years: your AS year (Year 12) and your A2 year (Year 13).
You can read more about how A-levels work, below.
The way A-levels work has changed in recent years – students used to take ongoing module assessments to determine their final grade, but these days 100% of students’ grades are decided by their final exams.
You may hear A-levels being described as ‘linear’ – this is to reflect this change in how they are assessed.
What are linear A-levels?
AS-levels and A-levels have been ‘decoupled’, which means your overall A-level grades now depend solely on exams you take at the end of your second year (for the most part – there are some exceptions).
Previously, marks that you achieved for a subject in your AS year could be ‘banked’ and carried over, to contribute to your A-level grade. For ...
Want to see the rest of this article?
Would you like to see the rest of this article and all the other benefits that Issues Online can provide with?
- Useful related articles
- Video and multimedia references
- Statistical information and reference material
- Glossary of terms
- Key Facts and figures
- Related assignments
- Resource material and websites
