What are the options?
Students have the option of sitting Advanced Subsidiary Levels (AS), Advanced Levels (A Levels), the Advanced Extension Award (which replaces the old Special Paper), General National Vocational Qualification awards, as well as the new VCE and AVCE.
AS and A Levels
The AS is the first part of the full A Level course and is assessed at a standard appropriate for candidates who have completed half of the full course. It can either be taken as a 'stand-alone' qualification, or students can progress on to a full A Level.
The full A Level comprises the AS and the second half of the Advanced GCE course, referred to as A2. The A2 is assessed at a standard appropriate for candidates who have completed a full A Level course and includes an element of 'synoptic assessment'. This means answering questions that link the various units and their content together, so requires students to have a good overall understanding of the subject and how the different elements combine.
The mark for the A Level award is based equally on the marks from the AS and the A2 assessments.
A Levels are the traditional route to higher and further education. Courses are usually of two years. Both AS and A Levels are assessed through coursework as well as examination.
Vocational Qualifications
General National Vocational Qualification awards (GNVQs) are offered in areas such as Leisure and Tourism. Students create portfolios of work for assessment. The VCE and AVCE are also vocational courses.
Based on an article by Lorna Smith
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