The British educational system consists of two levels:
- Ordinary Level (basic level), accredited with the GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) and IGCSE examinations (International General Certificate of Secondary Education).
- Advanced Level, accredited with the GCE A Level and AS examinations.
The A levels are compulsory for University Entrance in the United Kingdom and are an advantage to students wishing to enter a university in the United States, where they can procure scholarships for the first year of study. A levels contribute to the success of students entering Universities in Cyprus or Greece, allowing them to distinguish themselves in Pancyprian examinations. They can also be the deciding factor in obtaining a scholarship from the Cyprus Government Scholarships Foundation as well as from British Universities and Fulbright.
The AS level (Advanced Subsidiary Level) comprises about half the syllabus of an A level and is assessed as half an A level.
GCSE and IGCSE precede and prepare students for A levels. GCSE’s and IGCSE’s are very beneficial to Gymnasium students as they equip them to cope with the syllabus. It is by far the best way to bridge the gap between Gymnasium and Lyceum. We consider the best time for a student to enrol for IGCSE Mathematics to be either in the second or the third year of Gymnasium so as to be mature to study any of the (I)GCSE Physics, Chemistry, Biology and ICT in the following year. All GCSE/IGCSE courses are offered in one year.
The above qualifications form the basis of the AQA baccalaureate which is described in detail in a separate page of this website.