A Levels

[cameo]

please, in simple english.
what actually is an A level?
and what is an AS level?
my daughter will be oding her A levels in a years time, staying on at 6th from to do a two year course in her subjects.
whats all this about AS levels.
whats the difference and how does the system work.
SIMPLY PLEASE!!!
TIA. x

[Doc Spock]

what does oding mean?

[Ebbs]

AS level is like half an A level

[annalou]

AS Level is part way to the full A Level qualification (A Level being the next level up) too many levels at this time of night!!! but as Ebbs kinda states

[cameo]

thanks doc spock.
real insight.
ebbs and annalou, thanks a lot.
although i have now found out that an A level is a one year study of AS, then a test. then a second year study of A2, then a test. that makes A level lol.
but thanks
and your right. too late at night to be talking too many levels! lol.
x

[Cheekystar]

talk to your daughters school connexions personal adviser (if they have one) we're able to explain what a-levels to do and what other alternatives are on offer locally

[Scarlett]

A stands for Advanced. As opposed to O Level, which stood for Ordinary. That has now been replaced with GCSE, as you know. A Levels are generally what are required to get into University, although a lot of Universities now accept BTECs etc, which are more vocational and less academic.
A Levels are a 2 year course, but due to the amount of students who dropped out after a year and left with nothing, they now do AS in the first year, and then have the choice of either leaving it at that, or going on and doing A2 in the 2nd year.
AS is considered to be more of an introduction to the subject, and A2 is much harder- hence some students only choosing to do AS. Doing AS still gives you credits towards University entrance, if that is what you choose to do.

[Physicsgirl]

Many subjects come in 6 units of work - 3 for AS and 3 for A2. Depending on the subject, students can sit units in Jan or June, and resit until satisfied with their grades. You get points for each unit and the points get added up to give an overall grade. So you can get C,B,A in the AS modules separately but it could add up to B overall at AS. The points then get carried forward into the second year and A2 points get added on. Hope this helps.