Education

• After Year 9
• After Year 11
• After sixth form or college
• Qualifications Explained
  • GCSEs
  • AS and A levels
  • The Diploma
  • Vocational qualifications
  • Apprenticeships
  • Foundation Learning
  • Higher Education
• Study skills
• Dropping out of education
• Equal opportunities
• Studying abroad
• Student life
• Gap year

AS and A levels are academic qualifications, usually studied as a route to higher education at a university. They are available in many different subjects, such as geography, maths and psychology. There are also applied subjects available, such as applied business and leisure studies, which you can study as a single or double A level.

You might want to do AS or A levels to further your knowledge in a subject you enjoyed at GCSE level, or you might want to study a completely new subject. AS levels are a stand-alone qualification, but are actually the first year of your A levels, making it worth half an A level.

On this page

Level of qualification
When, where and how you can study them
What they contain
How they are assessed and graded 
How long they will take to complete and the costs involved
What you need to do the course
What you can go on to
Things to think about

Level of qualification  

• AS and A levels are level 3 qualifications.

When, where and how you can study them

• You usually study AS or A levels after Year 11 — post-16. However, two schools in Derbyshire are offering an AS level in critical thinking in Years 10 and 11.
• After Year 11, you can study AS or A levels at a sixth form, sixth form college or a further education college.
• You usually study three or four in different subjects to make a full-time learning programme, but they can also be studied alongside other qualifications.
• You can also study an A level as part of an Advanced Diploma — a new qualification available post-16. It’s possible to study an AS or A level part-time at a further education college.

What they contain

• A levels are made up of four or six units. The two or three units taken in the first year are slightly easier than the remaining units taken in the second year.
• The first year is the AS level and the second year is known as A2 — together, they are called an A level.
• If you are doing well in your A levels, you could also consider doing an Advanced Extension Award (AEA) alongside them. This is a challenging project designed to prepare you for higher education.

How they are assessed and graded      

• AS and A levels are assessed through coursework or exams, or a mix of both. AS level passes are graded A to E and A level passes are graded from A* to E.

How long they will take to complete and the costs involved 

• AS levels usually take a year to complete and A levels usually take two years.
• Full-time education — 12 hours or more a week — is free up to the age of 19, so there aren’t any course fees. Although, you might need to pay for things like course books, materials and transport. Look at money to learn to find out what financial help you could get.

What you need to do the course

• To study AS or A levels full-time you will usually need five GCSEs at grades C or above, including English and maths — these are sometimes called higher grade passes.
• You may also need a GCSE at grade C or above in the subject you want to study at AS or A level, such as languages or science.
• Other level 2 qualifications, such as a Higher Diploma, are sometimes accepted as an entry requirement.
• Search for A levels on Routes Ahead to find the entry requirements for individual courses.

What you can go on to

• After completing A levels, you can move on to higher education at level 4 and above — most young people do a Degree, although there are other qualifications available, such as Foundation Degrees and HNDs.
• Entry requirements for higher education courses are usually expressed as UCAS tariff points depending on what qualifications and grades you get.
• If you decide to leave with just your AS levels, you could look at other courses which better suit your career route, or you could get a job.

Things to think about

• If you plan to study AS or A levels as a full-time programme you will need to consider what subjects you want to study.
• It’s important to choose subjects which are going to be useful, or are required, for the career you have in mind, especially if you need to go into higher education.
• You will also need to bear in mind that AS and A levels are academic qualifications and will involve reading, writing, listening and doing research and coursework.
• For most subjects, you will also need to sit exams. Therefore, think about how you like to learn and whether this qualification will suit your preferred learning style.
• Talk to your Connexions Personal Adviser for more information.