Notre Dame Catholic Sixth Form College

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WHAT ARE A LEVELS?
A levels are level 3 qualifications which are studied in two halves –
AS (Advanced Subsidiary) and A2. The AS is a qualification in its
own right but the A2 is not. To obtain a full A level, both AS and
A2 have to be successfully completed.

A levels take place over two years. In the first year you will be
asked to choose three or four subjects at AS level from those listed
in this booklet, plus AS General Studies. In the second year you will
follow two or three of those subjects at A2 level. You may also take
additional courses such as GCSEs or enhancement courses.
Example: Law students wishing to specialise at University in
European Law may wish to take Spanish GCSE.

AS / A2 level courses are offered in about 38 subject areas. At the
end of the course, entrants are graded by the examination boards
from A to E. All five grades from A to E are recognised as passes,
with grade A being the highest level of pass.

For entrance to a university degree course a minimum of two
A level passes at E or above is usually required. In practice,
however, three A levels are often needed. Two AS levels are generally
accepted as the equivalent of one A level. For many courses the
pass grades need to be high. For example, entry to courses in
Medicine and Veterinary Science often requires passes at grade A in
three subjects as well as very good passes at GCSE level. For many
careers a minimum of two good Advanced level passes is required.

WHAT ARE APPLIED A LEVELS?
Vocational A levels which are more practically based than ordinary
A levels. These are offered in Applied Business, Health and Social Care, Leisure Studies and Applied ICT (single award only). They are more focused on practical, work related issues and generally involve fewer traditional exams and more internally assessed assignments. They are offered as double awards as well as single awards. Double awards are the equivalent of two A levels and so occupy twice the teaching time of a single A level, so students on these courses will only be able to take one or two additional subjects at A level or GCSE.

ENTRY QUALIFICATIONS
The minimum general requirement for entry to a full-time two year
Advanced Level course is:

seven passes in GCSE at grade C or above (preferably including
Maths and English) for students wishing to study four AS level
subjects
five passes in GCSE at grade C or above (preferably including
Maths and English) for students wishing to study three AS level
subjects
four passes in GCSE at grade C or above (preferably including
Maths and English) for students wishing to study two AS level

Passes at Intermediate level in vocational qualifications (eg GNVQ, National Certificates) will be accepted as equivalent to GCSE, where appropriate, for entry to Applied A level courses. Subjects may only be studied at A2 level if a grade E or above has been achieved at AS level N.B. Many Advanced level subjects require particular entry qualifications in addition to the above. See the individual subject entries in this brochure.

Please note: There is no guarantee that a particular course will run if demand is small or the course cannot be staffed. Nor can a place be guaranteed on an oversubscribed course. Similarly, no guarantee can be made that all combinations of subjects will be possible, though every effort will be made to meet individual requirements. This brochure has been prepared on the basis of the latest available information. Some of the information contained may be subject to change due to factors beyond the college’s control.