A-level curriculum is the curriculum system and AST is the academic level test. The academic proficiency test and the course itself are basically two different things.
A-level curriculum: British A-level curriculum is the syllabus and examination system used by senior high schools in Britain, which is popular in Commonwealth countries and former British territories, such as Hong Kong and Singapore.
The Chinese for A-level is: Cambridge University High School Curriculum.
The general academic system is two years:
The first year is called AS, and students can choose 3-4 courses that they are good at and interested in. After passing the exam, students will get an AS certificate.
The second year is called A2. On the basis of the first year, students will choose the best three courses to continue their studies. After passing the exam, students can get an A-Level certificate.
Cambridge High School (A-Level) exams were organized in June and 1 1 globally respectively, and the results were announced in August of that year and February of the following year respectively. The grades are divided into six grades: A, B, C, D, E and U, with A being the best, E passing and U failing. If you have an A-Level certificate, most British schools may recognize it, replacing China's high school diploma.
AST test: In a sense, it is the struggle for the right to speak among the international examination institutions for students' graduation level. Generally speaking, the University Council is the authoritative organization in the United States, while the International Examination Committee (CIE) of Cambridge University and IBO of Switzerland are the authoritative organizations in the Commonwealth. AST is different from other international exams. AST combines the educational elements of China and takes into account the characteristics of basic education in China. In all kinds of international examinations popular in China, it is the first time for experts from China and good voices from China to participate, which is a big step for China's education to go international. And it is the world's first academic examination standard recognized by world famous schools.
In the past, high school students in China had to study in Commonwealth countries for one year, and the cost was about 65,438+10,000 ~ 200,000. Many world-class universities, such as Warwick University and Bristol University 10, have also begun to recognize AST examination, so as to select outstanding high school students from China to study directly in their undergraduate courses. This means that high school students in China can find a "shortcut". Once they pass the AST exam, they can avoid attending the preparatory course and easily save 65,438+10,000 to 200,000 yuan to attend the international preparatory course.
Unlike other international exams such as TOEFL and IELTS, only those students with excellent academic performance are eligible to take the AST exam. In other words, students who usually score in the top 20% of the whole school, have excellent English scores and leadership skills, and have won competition awards at or above the provincial level are eligible to take the AST exam. AST test is mainly aimed at the students of Grade Two or Grade Three in our country, mainly taking math and English.
Starting from six years ago, Cambridge University took the lead in using AST to select outstanding students directly from China. The students who passed the AST exam are excellent in Cambridge, which objectively proves the effectiveness of the AST exam. Famous universities from other Commonwealth countries have also joined in. At present 1 1 universities have adopted the AST exam, and all universities promise that students who pass the AST exam do not need preparatory courses. University of Melbourne, a famous Australian school, took the lead in taking AST test scores as the only criterion for admission. It is worth noting that AST test is not limited to the examination qualification, and candidates can take the test regardless of their China ordinary high school diploma or international diplomas such as AP and A-LEVEL, which is relatively fair and just.
In 2008, 8 students were admitted to Cambridge University, 13 students were admitted to Bristol University, and 3 students were admitted to Melbourne University, Australia. ...
Although the exam can't tell everything, a reasonable exam has always been an important reference for selecting excellent students. It's not that foreign universities don't look at exam results. The key is what kind of exam. This test should not only reflect the academic ability of international students under the national education system, but also reflect the potential of international students to study in the world's top universities in the future. AST examination combines the educational elements of China, taking into account the characteristics and characteristics of basic education in China, and also taking into account the university's evaluation of students' academic level and learning potential.
List of institutions that participated in and selected AST test as the selection criteria in 2009:
Cambridge University, Bristol University, Warwick University, Durham University, Royal holloway University, Glasgow University, Aston University, Edinburgh University, Nanyang Technological University, Melbourne University and Auckland University.
At present, AST has 30 test sites in China, covering almost all provincial capitals and big cities. Candidates all over the country can take the AST exam according to the principle of proximity.
I hope my answer is helpful to you. .