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Advanced level vs Advanced subsidiary

English translation: A-level, AS-level

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:Advanced level vs Advanced subsidiary
Selected answer:A-level, AS-level
Entered by: Empty Whiskey Glass

12:39 Feb 4, 2004
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Education / Pedagogy / Education
English term or phrase: Advanced level vs Advanced subsidiary
Could you please explain, as if I am a six-year old boy, the difference between the two.
Empty Whiskey Glass
Local time: 23:54
A-level, AS-level
Explanation:
These exams have now been widely replaced with A2 and AS respectively.

Both are intended to be taught to 16-18 year olds.
Until a couple of years ago an AS-level course took approx. 1 year to complete, whilst an A-level took a full two years.

Most students would read for 2, 3 or 4 A-level courses:
an AS-level was often studied alongside their main subjects, and the exam sat at the end of the first year of sixth form college or together with their other A-levelsa at the end of the second year of study.

The old A-levels (Advanced Level) and AS-levels (Advanced Subsidiary) started out as a step up from the old O-level (Ordinary Level), now replaced by the GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education).

As far as old A and AS-level courses were concerned, the AS course would tend to cover around 50 or 60 % of the material covered in the A-level course for that subject, e.g.:
An AS-level in French might involve an oral section, a written paper and a reading and aural section, whilst the equivalent A-level would involve a longer oral, including presentation, a written paper, reading and aural section and two literature papers.

When talking about the old A and AS courses I think it would be wrong to say that AS-levels were a step up from GSCE towards A-level as they covered similar material to the A-level and were essentially A-level with a bit chopped off!

However, things have changed and now students read for A2 and AS-levels (and baccalaureats, too (in rare cases)). AS-levels are now taken in the first year of sixth form study (c. aged 17) and many are modular. A2 courses are now followed in the second year of sixth form study.
This means that the new AS-level courses are now much more catered to covering ground between GCSE and A (now A2)-levels. It also means that many more students are doing AS-levels now.

So:
Once A-level and AS-level;
now AS->A2.


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr 53 mins (2004-02-04 14:33:34 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

hope that helps!
Looking for some refs..

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs 5 mins (2004-02-04 14:45:51 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Regarding your note, Svetozar - this is with reference to the UK.

I\'m having trouble finding a lot of refs for the OLD A-level/AS-level system, but the above is my personal experience of the system.
In the OLD system A-level courses were followed for 2 years and A-levels were roughly equivalent to half an A-level and were done alongside A-level courses as an \'extra\':

In the NEW system an AS course is taken in the first year of sixth form (c.16-17) and is either finished at the end of that year (AS-level awarded) or supplemented by an A2 course started in the second year (c.17-18), which supplements the AS-level course taken and is said to be moderately more challenging.
This is information about the NEW system:
http://www.campbellharris.com/alevel.htm

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs 7 mins (2004-02-04 14:47:49 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Sorry-read \"In the OLD system A-level courses were followed for 2 years and **AS-levels** were roughly equivalent to half an A-level and were done alongside A-level courses as an \'extra\'\"
Selected response from:

awilliams
United Kingdom
Local time: 21:54
Grading comment
Perfect, Amy! Many thanks!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
4 +1A-level, AS-level
awilliams
4Advanced level is a higher exam
Kpy


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


8 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
advanced level vs advanced subsidiary
Advanced level is a higher exam


Explanation:
-

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 11 mins (2004-02-04 12:51:10 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Advanced Subsidiary is somewhere between GCSE and Advanced Level. In other words it\'s easier.
I hope the reference to the site below is helpful
http://www.rgs.org/templ.php?page=4edsebr2

Kpy
France
Local time: 22:54
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
advanced level vs advanced subsidiary
A-level, AS-level


Explanation:
These exams have now been widely replaced with A2 and AS respectively.

Both are intended to be taught to 16-18 year olds.
Until a couple of years ago an AS-level course took approx. 1 year to complete, whilst an A-level took a full two years.

Most students would read for 2, 3 or 4 A-level courses:
an AS-level was often studied alongside their main subjects, and the exam sat at the end of the first year of sixth form college or together with their other A-levelsa at the end of the second year of study.

The old A-levels (Advanced Level) and AS-levels (Advanced Subsidiary) started out as a step up from the old O-level (Ordinary Level), now replaced by the GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education).

As far as old A and AS-level courses were concerned, the AS course would tend to cover around 50 or 60 % of the material covered in the A-level course for that subject, e.g.:
An AS-level in French might involve an oral section, a written paper and a reading and aural section, whilst the equivalent A-level would involve a longer oral, including presentation, a written paper, reading and aural section and two literature papers.

When talking about the old A and AS courses I think it would be wrong to say that AS-levels were a step up from GSCE towards A-level as they covered similar material to the A-level and were essentially A-level with a bit chopped off!

However, things have changed and now students read for A2 and AS-levels (and baccalaureats, too (in rare cases)). AS-levels are now taken in the first year of sixth form study (c. aged 17) and many are modular. A2 courses are now followed in the second year of sixth form study.
This means that the new AS-level courses are now much more catered to covering ground between GCSE and A (now A2)-levels. It also means that many more students are doing AS-levels now.

So:
Once A-level and AS-level;
now AS->A2.


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr 53 mins (2004-02-04 14:33:34 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

hope that helps!
Looking for some refs..

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs 5 mins (2004-02-04 14:45:51 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Regarding your note, Svetozar - this is with reference to the UK.

I\'m having trouble finding a lot of refs for the OLD A-level/AS-level system, but the above is my personal experience of the system.
In the OLD system A-level courses were followed for 2 years and A-levels were roughly equivalent to half an A-level and were done alongside A-level courses as an \'extra\':

In the NEW system an AS course is taken in the first year of sixth form (c.16-17) and is either finished at the end of that year (AS-level awarded) or supplemented by an A2 course started in the second year (c.17-18), which supplements the AS-level course taken and is said to be moderately more challenging.
This is information about the NEW system:
http://www.campbellharris.com/alevel.htm

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs 7 mins (2004-02-04 14:47:49 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Sorry-read \"In the OLD system A-level courses were followed for 2 years and **AS-levels** were roughly equivalent to half an A-level and were done alongside A-level courses as an \'extra\'\"

awilliams
United Kingdom
Local time: 21:54
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Perfect, Amy! Many thanks!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
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39 mins
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