GCE A-Level
GCE A-Level is a traditional British high school course that lasts for two years and is equivalent to the old Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination (Form 6 and Form 7).
Generally speaking, students will choose to study 3-4 subjects. The A-Level course focuses on the understanding and application of academic knowledge.
If students study in secondary schools in Hong Kong, depending on the school’s arrangement, some or all subjects will adopt the International AL / IAL. The recognition of IAL and GCE A-level in further studies is exactly the same, but there are differences in the scope of examination and question types. IAL and GCE A-level will also have different exam boards, and the relevant scope will be slightly different.
Some examination boards, such as Edexcel IAL, WJEC GCE A level, adopt a modular system, which means that students need to take AS level in grade 12 (the first year of the A level course), which is about the first half of the course and accounts for a certain score of the entire A level. In other words, students taking Modular A level exams will have to deal with the pressure of public examinations a year in advance.
In addition, since the A level curriculum is simpler and more direct than the Hong Kong DSE and there is a lot of overlap in content, in recent years it has attracted many DSE top students to start self-studying for A level (usually Edexcel IAL) in Form 4/Form 5 in parallel in order to enhance their competitiveness for university admission.