WHAT IS THE A-LEVEL PROGRAM? BENEFITS OF STUDYING A-LEVEL

A-level program is an educational program that not only is academically rigorous but can hone essential academic skills of students for the future. Here is some information about A-level and some of the advantages they can bring.

1. What is A-level?

A-level, short for General Certificate of Education Advanced Level, is a two-year British education system program administered by Cambridge. A-level is the “golden ticket” to help you open the door to the top universities in the world. As for all universities in the UK, students with A-levels are given priority in admissions over other programs.

A-level is equivalent to IB program, but A-level requires more in-depth knowledge rather than a comprehensive spread like IB. Another difference is that A-levels do not require you to attend schools that are authorized to organize teaching and exams like IB. So, students can completely choose to study at home and register as private candidates. In Vietnam, A-level is held twice a year in May-June and October-November, and students can register for exams at British Council, RISS and ABCIS.

A-level subjects can be divided into 6 subject groups:

• • Mathematics
  • English Language and Literature
  • Languages ​
  • Sciences
  • Humanities and Social Sciences
  • Creative and Professional

The whole program includes 2 levels of study:

• • Year 1 is called AS Level, equivalent to grade 11.
  • Year 2 is called year A2 (or A-level), equivalent to grade 12.

1.1. AS Level

Advanced Subsidiary Level, better known as the AS Level, is the first year of A-level program. During the AS Level, students will choose at least 4 subjects. It should be noted that there are some subjects that are only available in the AS Level, and will no longer be studied in the A-level year.

1.2. A-level

This is the final year in the A-level program. From at least 4 subjects in the first year, you will choose 3 subjects to continue studying and take the A-level exam. These 3 subjects should be suitable for career orientation and well complement their majors.

Students need to take the paper to complete the course. Usually, students will complete 1-2 papers per subject at the end of AS year, then finish the remaining papers at the end of A2 year. A student’s final A-level score is the combined result of two years of study.

1.3. A-level grade scale

A-level subjects are graded on an A* – E scale, in which the AS year does not have an A* but only ranges from A to E. A-level programs also include a U, but a U will not be included in the A-level certificate because it is an unclassified grade.

See also: Typical subjects in Cambridge A-level program

2. Why do so many parents recommend their children to study A-level?

When it comes to international programs that can help students orient their future careers well, more and more parents trust and send their children to A-levels, because it helps them shorten the length of study and allows them to choose your major sooner.

Normally, when students graduating from high school under the Vietnamese program want to study abroad in a foreign university, specifically in the UK, they need to take an extra year to participate in a pre-university program to be eligible for UK university admission. However, students who have completed 2 years of A-level (grades 11 and 12) and taken the A-level exam can apply to study at international universities immediately. Therefore, A-level helps students significantly shorten the time and cost of studying, early familiarize themselves with the international learning environment, so that they will integrate faster when starting the university program.

Another difference between A-level and Vietnamese high school is that instead of studying more than 10 subjects in a school year, A-level students only need to study 3 to 4 subjects and focus entirely on these subjects. At that time, students can choose subjects that they love and can well complement their university majors in the future.

3. Advantages of A-level

3.1. Highly rated by top universities, especially in the UK

The most prominent advantage of A-level certificate is that it greatly improves the chances of getting accepted by universities. A-levels are accepted by all universities in the UK, more than 450 in the US and many other universities around the world. Students with high A-level scores are given priority by leading universities such as Cambridge, Oxford, Yale, Harvard or MIT during the application review process. In addition, due to the nature of intensive research and closely following university programs, A-level certificates have become an entry requirement for many specific majors such as Engineering, Medicine, and Law.

3.2. Advantages when applying for a scholarship

In addition to extensive academic knowledge in each subject, students studying in A-level programs are equipped with essential skills to thrive in the university environment and future workplace: literacy, numeracy, ability to use specialized English, critical thinking, logical thinking, self-study and research skills. These are the advantages that make the chances of getting a scholarship higher than that of standard program candidates. A high A-level also proves that students have a very good foundation to comprehend higher-level knowledge when studying university majors. This also makes an impression on universities in the scholarship application process.

3.3. College credit exemption

Completing A-levels with good grades not only increases your chances of going to college and receiving scholarships, but can help students accumulate and exempt from university credits. This depends on the university, but if a student achieves a grade of B or higher, they are granted with exemption from equivalent subjects. This advantage will save you both time and money during your university studies.

See also: A-level course

4. Conditions for studying the A-level in Vietnam

Because it is an international standard program highly appreciated by universities, Vietnamese students who want to be accepted to study A-level need to meet the following minimum conditions:

• • Over 16 years old, completed the 10th grade program with good academic results (the final score is usually 7 or higher).
  • Have at least 5 IGCSE subjects with a minimum score of C.
  • English proficiency of at least IELTS 5.5, or TOEFL iBT 71, or equivalent certificate.

A-level is a conditional entry program, and not everyone can study it, because if they don’t meet the requirements, the first difficulty is English, especially when students have to memorize a lot many terms. A large and in-depth knowledge equivalent to the first-year university level is also a challenge that students who do not have good academic records cannot overcome.

5. Conditions for receiving A-level certificate

Students studying A-level can fall into the following 3 cases:

• • Case 1: If a student only takes the AS year and feels that they cannot follow the A2 year, they can choose not to go to the A-level, but just complete and take the AS Level certificate exam. This means you only complete half of the program. If studying in the UK, students can transfer to Foundation, a university preparation program with an easier level than A-level.
  • Case 2: After completing the first year of study, students will take their AS exams. At the end of the final year, students will take 3 A2 exams to get their A-levels.
  • Case 3: Freelance candidates will take only one A-level exam in their final year of high school to get an A-level. In this case, you need to do all the papers of both year AS and year A2.

Only students in cases 2 and 3 can receive an A-level. The condition to receive the certificate is that the student needs to complete the exam in 3 to 4 A-level subjects and achieve a score in the A* to E range.

6. International schools that teach the A-level program

In order to meet the increasing demand for A-level study by parents and students, many international and bilingual schools in Vietnam have organized A-levels teaching and examination. Before entering A-level education (grades 11 and 12), all schools teach students the IGCSE program (grades 9 and 10). The difference is that before IGCSE (smaller grades), British international schools will teach Key Stage 1-2-3, while schools following Cambridge International curriculum will be Cambridge Primary and Cambridge Lower Secondary. In addition, there are also schools that offer their own educational programs before going to IGCSE and A-levels. The following is a list of international and bilingual schools offering A-level programs in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi:

6.1. In Ho Chi Minh City

• • British Vietnamese International School Ho Chi Minh City (BVISHCMC)
  • ABC International School (ABCIS)
  • Vietnam Australia International School Ho Chi Minh City (VASHCMC)
  • Vinschool HCMC
  • Horizon International Bilingual School Ho Chi Minh City (HIBSHCMC)
  • Singapore International School Ho Chi Minh City (SISHCMC)
  • Saigon International College (SIC)

6.2. In Hanoi

• • The International School @ ParkCity Hanoi (ISPH)
  • British Vietnamese International School Hanoi (BVISHN)
  • Singapore International School Hanoi (SISHN)
  • Horizon International Bilingual School Hanoi (HIBSHN)
  • Vietnam Australia International School Hanoi (VASHN)
  • Alfred Nobel School (ANS)
  • Hanoi Academy International Bilingual School (Hanoi Academy)
  • Vinschool Hanoi
  • TH School
  • Greenfield School
  • Nguyen Sieu School

One point to note for A-level students is that most schools in Vietnam will teach A-level program under CAIE exam board, but for international students studying A-level in the UK or in foreign countries should find out more about the exam board you study (such as OCR, AQA and Edexcel) to understand the content of the study and have an appropriate plan.

See also: IB program

Intertu Education is currently enrolling A-level program courses (A-level Math, A-level Physics, A-level Chemistry, A-level Biology, A-level Economics, A-level Business, A-level English…). If you have any questions about A-level exam preparation, please contact us directly, via email or hotline for free advice.