The GCE (A-Level) is a UK qualification awarded to students following the completion of 2 years study during sixth form or college (equivalent to the last two years of high school). It is offered by various examination boards, including Edexcel, AQA, OCR and Cambridge (Cambridge Pre-U). Depending on the school, students may follow different examination boards for different subjects. Every subject offers 1 year of AS study, after which most students continue with 3 to 4 subjects through to the end of the full A-Level course. Students should select A-level subjects based on their personal interests, academic strengths, and the preferences stated by their desired university program. For example, students who intend to do Medicine should include Chemistry and Biology in their subject combination.
The GCE A-Level is widely recognized by top universities, including prominent institutions in the US, UK, Canada, Australia and Hong Kong.
To prepare for the challenging GCE A-Level program, students should focus on improving both their spoken and written English during the early years of high school, in addition to the foundational elements of other disciplines (such as Maths and Science) if they are relevant to their further study.
Most of our students take regular lessons once or twice a week, which are supplemented by intensive courses during Christmas, Easter and summer holidays to boost their grades further. Students who join our university application consultation package will also receive close guidance throughout the whole application process. With our help, students are able to juggle their university applications and school deadlines with ease.
CANA’s GCE A-Level track record
90% of our GCE A-Level students received an A or A*. Our students have been admitted into leading universities, including Cambridge, Oxford, Columbia, Cornell, LSE, Princeton, UCL, Durham, Warwick and others. To know more details, go to GCSE/IGCSE track record.
Commonly Asked Questions
Last year, most IBDP examiners were not assigned any external grading work due to the cancellation of the May 2020 exams. This year, the IBO has adopted a “dual track”, allowing schools to decide whether their students would be taking the May 2021 external exams. To support this effort, the IBO has also decided that on top of the IB external exam papers, all student assessment work, including the subject IAs, TOK (Theory of Knowledge), EE (Extended Essay) etc would all be graded externally.
I always encounter this question: should I do IB or the A level? Frankly speaking, there’s no definite answer.
I think you could approach this question in three folds - 1) which curriculum does your school offer, 2) your interest, 3) your strengths and weaknesses
Which curriculum does your school offer
Meeting IBDP subject requirements set by universities
Your interest
Your strengths and weaknesses
Most universities require students to take three AL (A level) / IAL (International A level) subjects. For students who have gotten used to studying 5 or so subjects prior to high school, it can be difficult to narrow down the options to three. That’s why it’s a good idea to base your choices on what you want to study at university. For example, if you want to study medicine, you will probably need to take AL / IAL Chemistry and preferably Biology. Both are needed for UK medical schools, but different schools may have different requirements. The same logic applies for other subjects. If you want to study Economics or Engineering, you probably need Further Maths. If you want to go into a top Law school like LSE, they may require a good combination of science, maths, and humanities, targeting candidates that are able to demonstrate logic and superb writing skills. So if you’re sure what you want to study at university, choosing your AL / IAL subjects accordingly is a good decision.
Of course, if you are unsure about what to study at university, the best thing to do is leave your options open. Think carefully - what subjects do you not mind studying at university? Choose a combination of subjects that you are still interested in, but that can lead down several paths.
Another common question students ask is: Three AL / IAL subjects fulfil the requirements, but are three A-levels enough to get me into a good university? Usually, yes. But if you want to demonstrate your strengths as a learner and think that you can handle the workload, you can choose to do four subjects. Some HK schools do require four subjects on a conditional offer, but you will find that even the top UK schools (Cambridge, Oxford, London School of Economics (LSE) , Imperial, UCL etc.) usually formally require three A-levels.
However, these requirements change if you want to stay in Hong Kong and study medicine, for example - med students in HK need four A-levels. In addition, Chinese University does not count Chinese as a qualifying subject, and counts the combination of Maths and Further Maths together as one subject for medical applicants. Students in this specific scenario must be careful to choose subjects that fulfil the requirements and “count” according to their universities. In most other cases, three A-levels are enough.
If you have studied in Hong Kong all your life and are now planning to go to the UK to study for GCE/A-level or GCSE exams, the transition can be intimidating. Facing the prospect of an English-only environment, many students wonder if the change is very dramatic and difficult to handle. For students studying sciences, a large part of the change depends on what language you used in class in Hong Kong.
If your Biology, Chemistry, or Physics classes were conducted in Chinese, then you may find it initially challenging to understand your teachers in the UK. Even the simple Chinese terms that you learnt in cell biology will each have an English equivalent to learn, e.g. 線粒體, 葡萄糖, 胰臟 etc. will become mitochondria, glucose, and pancreas, respectively. In the beginning, you may have to relearn all the scientific terms you already learnt, which can be stressful and demotivating.
Moreover, even if your classes in Hong Kong were conducted in English, be aware that there are many different accents in the UK. For example, you might come across Scottish, Irish, or RP (how the queen speaks) accented English, or have Indian or Polish teachers. Even though you understood your teachers in HK, you may not be used to these new accents in the UK. In addition, it’s likely that UK teachers will speak English faster than you’re used to, so there is an adjustment period.
You may be feeling demotivated, since these UK syllabuses are in English and the Chinese knowledge you had seems wasted. But there are plenty of online free English sources available for your revision, so as soon as you get used to it, learning in class won’t be as difficult.
Some students may also fear that their lower proficiency in English puts them at a disadvantage for exams. There are a few things to remember here:
When you write responses to exam questions, these syllabuses will usually require you to write full sentences, so you cannot use bullet points.
Many students worry that their grammar is terrible and might affect their grade. We advise you not to worry, because examiners actually don’t care too much about it (unless you’re taking an English exam). UK syllabuses usually have international versions (International GCSE, or International A-level) and examiners are aware of second-language English students. The UK has many immigrant and different nationality students in their schools and it is very difficult to demand perfect grammar from all of them. As a general rule of thumb: As long as your grammar isn’t so wrong that it detracts from your answer’s meaning or the examiner can’t understand you, it’s okay!
Sometimes the English terms you used in the exam aren't entirely correct, e.g. you heard the term and spelt it wrong based on how it sounds - don’t worry, examiners often accept these answers as well! They are assessing your scientific knowledge and not your English, so there is some flexibility allowed.
Overall, if your classes in Hong Kong were conducted in English, and you completed homework assignments and exams in English, you will probably be completely fine when switching to the UK curriculum. If your classes in Hong Kong were conducted in Chinese, you may have some small difficulties with in-class lectures, written responses, long form questions and article-based exam questions. But keep studying and after a couple of months, you will be able to adapt well and get used to the new language environment!
The A-Levels aka. Advanced Levels are upper-secondary qualifications that many students will take before progressing to university or post-secondary education. GCE A-Level stands for the General Certificate of Education: Advanced Level. This syllabus is primarily taught in the UK, though a rare few overseas schools will also do GCE A-Levels. It differs from International A-level (IAL), which is a curriculum specifically for schools outside of the UK.
Besides region, there are a few differences between the two curricula.
Available exam boards
GCE A-Levels have relatively more exam boards compared to IAL. There are five available boards from the UK, including AQA, OCR, Edexcel, GCEA, and WJEC. IAL only has three available exam boards, including Cambridge, Edexcel, and AQA. Note that Cambridge has no available GCE A-Level curriculum. They only offer IAL and Pre-U, an alternative qualification equivalent to the GCE.
Subject differences
Each exam board and curriculum offers various topics. If you choose to take GCE A-level, then you will have relatively more subjects to choose from across the available exam boards (AQA, OCR, Edexcel, GCEA, WJEC). For example, Edexcel offers both GCE and IAL - but Edexcel GCE includes 52 topics whereas IAL only includes 30. If you want to take Edexcel Chinese or Statistics, these are only offered through Edexcel GCE, not IAL. AQA also offers both GCE and IAL, but offers 35 topics for GCE and only 12 topics for IAL. OCR only offers GCE, but has 36 topics on offer.
Cambridge (CIE) is a little different from the others. It does not offer GCE A-Level, but has an alternative curriculum called Pre-U. Pre-U has fewer topics compared to GCE - only 25. However, Cambridge is advantageous because it focuses on IAL, offering 67 topics. For example, if you wanted to take Chinese at IAL, you would only be able to take this subject with Cambridge.
Though GCE in general has more topics than IAL, the most popular and mainstream subjects will still be available across all exam boards and syllabi, e.g. Maths, Sciences, English, Economics, etc. If you are interested in a more niche subject, you can look at specific exam boards.
Overall, students who choose to take GCE have more options for topics and various exam boards, but even IAL students can access many topics, especially those offered by Cambridge (CIE). Most of the time, students do not have the option to choose between GCE and IAL anyway. It is dependent on what your school offers.
Examinations
GCE A-levels are assessed cumulatively. This means that you study the curriculum for two years and take the final exams all in one go. GCE A-level final results are separate from AS Level results, which are not counted towards the final.
In contrast, IAL is assessed by units. For example in IAL Edexcel science, you can take an examination covering three units which counts as an AS result, then add on an extra three units. Three AS-Levels units and three extra units will count as your entire A-level grade.
Students often prefer the unit-by-unit structure for exams because it’s more straightforward and arguably easier. You can finish reviewing a unit, take the examination, and leave it behind to focus on the next units. Cumulative exams like the GCE A-level finals are more challenging, where students must remember everything they learnt over two years.
Exam schedules for GCE A-level also differ from International A-Level. For GCE, you can only take exams once a year, during the May/June finals period. In IAL, you have 2-3 chances annually to take exams - typically in January, May/June, and October. May/June is the main examination period. Multiple examination periods are beneficial because it is easier to retake exams. For example, if you did poorly on your GCE finals, you must wait an entire year to retake them. This may affect your plans to go to university and at worst, you may have to go a year late. In IAL, exams are by unit so you can target the exact topics that you tested poorly on and retake just that exam a few months later. For example, a failed exam in January can be retaken in May/June. You will have a chance to improve your score without delaying any plans of going to university.
Reputation
Lastly, parents and students may wonder if there are any differences between GCE A-level vs International A-level in terms of recognition or reputation. The GCE and IAL certification is equal according to worldwide top universities, which will assess them equally based on student grades.
This article has focused primarily on general differences between GCE A-level and International A-level. If you want to know more about subject-specific differences across the two curricula, please browse the subject specific page for the GCE A-level and please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.
Generally, schools will only offer students the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) or General Certificate of Education Advanced Level (GCE A-Level), leaving students with little room for choice for these 16-19 years courses within their current institution. However, if students are planning to switch schools or move to a different country, this choice may be available.
A-Level (or International A-Level) is a longstanding and well-respected upper-secondary program that originated in the UK and is widely used there. The IBDP is a similar program, known for being rigorous and academically challenging. It is popular among international schools outside of the UK. Although both programs are equally recognised and beneficial for university admissions, IBDP has gained a reputation for being more difficult. Below are some key differences between IBDP and A-level.
Differences
IB
A-Level
Requirements
6 core subjects: one from each of Mathematics, Sciences, The Arts, Individuals and Societies, Language acquisition and Studies in Language and Literature. Many schools allow double sciences, at the expense of ats.
Theory of Knowledge (TOK), the compulsory seventh subject that fosters students’ ability to inquire about and analyse their own learning.
CAS: compulsory extracurricular activities totalling 150 hours of Creativity, Action, and (Community) Service over two years of IBDP.
EE: Extended Essay of 4000 words on a specific topic of choice, meant to imitate a university thesis.
3-4 subjects, depending on the school. 3 subjects are required for the standard admission process for UK universities.
An optional AS Level, which can count towards a final grade or not, depending on whether a students is taking UK A-level or IAL*
The optional Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), which is similar to IBDP’s EE. It allows students to pursue a project through self-directed research, encouraging critical, reflective, and independent learning. It is highly valued by universities.
No specific requirements for extracurricular activities
Grading system
Individual subjects are graded from levels 1-7, with level 7 being the highest grade.
The total IBDP score is graded out of 45: 42 points for level 7s in all 6 subjects + 3 points for TOK, CAS, AND EE combined.
Final exams are held at the end of two years and usually encompass all material learnt in the course. These are externally assessed.
Courseworks are internally assessed, and each subject has one or more.
Individual subjects are graded from grades A-E, with the lowest passing grade being E and the highest A*.
A* is 90-100%, A is 80-89%, B is 70-79%, etc.
Grade U stands for Undefined, which is a failing grade.
Many A-level courses are assessed entirely through exams held at the end of two years. AS levels can be taken after one year.
No subject has a coursework component more than 20%.
Subject difficulty
Though taking six core subjects results in a much higher workload, students have some control over the difficulty of individual subjects - students typically take three subjects at Standard Level, and three subjects at Higher Level. For example, IBDP Maths is divided into four levels: Maths studies, Maths SL and HL, and Further Maths.
Individual subjects may go into slightly less depth than their A-level counterparts.
However, considering the number of subjects and additional requirements, IBDP has a much heavier workload than A-levels.
IBDP is difficult because of the amount of subjects students must juggle. Because of this, students might score poorly on subjects they are normally good at, because their attention is spread out too broadly.
One level of difficulty per subject, though there are slight differences depending on examination board.
There are no restrictions for subject selection, so one can choose to be as broad or specialised as prefered. For example, one student may choose Psychology, Physics, Drama, and French. Another student may choose English Literature, History, and Politics.
Fewer subjects allow students to focus their interests and excel in each subject. It is arguably easier to get good final results in A-levels compared to IBDP.
Preparation for university
IBDP is believed to be better preparation for university than A-level.
IBDP fosters independent inquiry, rigorous research skills, and gives students a taste of the thesis-writing process.
It also creates more global-minded graduates, which may better prepare students for university admissions interviews or studying in another country.
IBDP is a tough challenge, but if a student can overcome it, they should have an easier transition to university.
US universities like students to be all-rounders, and so prefer IBDP students over A-level.
A-level may not prepare students completely for the enhanced workload and stress of university.
However, it allows for students to progress at a slower, more natural rate. This is preferable for many learners.
A-level students will generally be less exhausted after their course, compared to IBDP students. They are less likely to get burnout.
UK university courses are highly specialised, as such, they prefer A-level students over IBDP.
Personal growth and school-life balance
IBDP is very academically challenging, but it also teaches students:
Good time management
How to be an all-rounder
Their role as a global citizen
Awareness of their communities
Every IBDP student will probably feel overwhelmed at some point. The high stress environment can be helpful or motivating for some, and absolutely unhelpful for others. It depends on personal preference and learning style.
A-level is overall less academically challenging than IBDP, but leaves students with enough time for a social life, part-time work, or development of personal hobbies. In comparison, IBDP leaves little time outside of school and extracurriculars.
A-level students are also less likely to be overtaxed by studies, which is beneficial for their mental health.
*If you are interested in the differences between A-Level and International A-Level, click here.
Overall, whether a student is more suited to IBDP or A-level depends on personal preference. IBDP is preferential if a student does not know what subjects to specialise in, if they wish for a well-rounded education, or are confident in organising their time and juggling multiple subjects. A student should consider A-levels if a lower-stress environment is more helpful for their learning, if they value specialisation a, or if they are determined to do further education in the UK.
If you or a friend or family member is considering making a change in academic institution or even moving to a school overseas, please feel free to contact CANA Elite for advice from one of our many academic experts. Likewise, whether A-Level or IBDP, CANA Elite’s skilled tutors can help students achieve their educational goals.
Here at CANA Elite, we truly believe that every student is unique and has the potential to reach their goals with the right guidance. Academic excellence is derived from both passionate teachers and eager students. That is why we provide a unique learning experience tailored to each individual student. Named after the location of the first miracle in the Bible, we hope CANA elite can be the place of miracles for all our students, allowing them to achieve their dreams.
