England and Wales The General Certificate of Education set out to provide a national standard for matriculation to university undergraduate courses. It had two levels, Ordinary and Advanced, which rapidly became known throughout the education system as "O levels" and "A Levels." Ordinary levels were usually taken at the age of 16, and Advanced levels at the age of 18 after a further two-year course. Both the O level and A level courses were examined by subject, and matriculation (the minimum standard for university entrance) was set at five passes in different subjects, of which two had to be at A level. For matriculation purposes the highest grade pass of a subject taken at
CSE level was considered a pass at O level. In the English education system both the O level and CSE examinations were replaced in 1988 with the
General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE), which set out to provide a multi-level examination system catering for all abilities of secondary school pupils.
Examination Boards (England) Though the GCE was considered a national standard, there was no national syllabus, and it was run by a number of different Examination Boards, each of which set their own syllabi and papers. These included the Northern Universities Joint Matriculation Board ("Northern"), the University of London ("The London Board") and the Oxford and Cambridge Board. Examination sessions were held bi-annually in May and November and successful candidates received a certificate listing the subjects they had passed in the session, together with the marks achieved in each. In the earliest years of the system subject marks were given as percentages at both Ordinary and Advanced Level. In later years ordinary level pass marks were graded 1–6, with 1 being the highest. The grading system was further simplified in 1975 when the six pass marks were reduced to three, graded A, B, C. In normalised terms at O level the lower bound for A was then 70% and the lower bound for C 45%. For matriculation purposes C was the lowest pass grade. D, E and F grades were also shown for the first time—indicating that a paper had been sat but the student had not achieved a pass mark. In the late 1970s, A level certificates showed grades from A to F. At A level E was considered a pass for matriculation, and corresponded to 30%. All these examinations were closed book, and Art was the only subject for which any assignment outside the examination hall contributed to the final mark.
Today Though the O level was replaced in the English education system in the 1980s, some examination boards continue to offer Ordinary level examinations to English Language schools overseas. This enables these students to obtain matriculation instantly recognisable to British universities. Significant numbers of private schools in England have also reverted to preparing pupils for GCE examinations. Letter grades are used, with A, B, C, D, and E representing a pass and U (unclassified) representing a fail. After leading British universities had expressed concerns that the A grade alone would no longer be enough to distinguish the most exceptional candidates, the A* grade was introduced (GCSE, the replacement of GCE and CSE) for students who achieve 80% and above in the overall A-Level qualification and achieve 90% and over in all A2 (this applies to GCSE and not GCE but may apply to CSE) modules. A new 9-1 grading system in GCSEs was phased in from 2017 (the replacement of A*-U, with U being retained). Grade 9 is situated above the former A*, which is a Grade 8.
Former qualifications An additional GCE qualification, the Alternative Ordinary Level (AO Level), was formerly available in most subject areas. Sometimes incorrectly known as the Advanced Ordinary Level, the AO Level syllabus and examination both assumed a higher degree of maturity on the part of candidates, and employed teaching methods more commonly associated with A Level study. The AO Level was discontinued, with final admissions in 1987 and final qualifications awarded in 1988. In the past, a
Scholarship / Special / "S-Level" /
Advanced Extension Award (AEA) existed. An Advanced Supplementary Level qualification was also formerly available (designated "AS Level" but not to be confused with the modern-day AS Level, which is lower than the A Level).
Scotland GCE Ordinary and Advanced levels did not exist within the Scottish Education system, but have an equivalent, administered by the Scottish Qualification Authority (the SQA). GCSEs are the equivalent to a Scottish National level 5 (Nat5), A Levels are the equivalent to an SQA Highers. Both more advanced and less advanced examinations are offered by the SQA, National level 3, National level 4 (equivalent to a Btec) National level 5 (equivalent to GCSE), Higher (equivalent to A Levels) and Advanced higher.
Northern Ireland The secondary education system in Northern Ireland continues to use the GCE Ordinary and Advanced level system. It also retains selection to grammar school by the AQE examination, a public examination which selects children as suitable for an academic (essentially a liberal arts) secondary syllabus from the age of eleven to eighteen. ==Worldwide use==