Advanced Level ( A Level )

What are A Levels?
A levels are studied typically between the ages of 16-18 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, although mature students are also encouraged. They remain the most popular route into UK higher education institutions.

How many subjects do I take?
To gain entry to a top UK university you’ll need 3 or 4 good A Level grades, although if you’re exceptionally talented you can take 5 subjects.

What subjects can I study?
There is a broad range of A levels for you to choose from, including Business, Science, Arts and Humanities subjects. At Bellerbys we encourage you to study the subjects you'll enjoy. However, we recommend the following choices in preparation for specific degree areas:

Science, Medicine and Engineering: Maths, Further Maths, Physics, Chemistry and Biology.
Business, Humanities and Law: Maths, Economics, Accountancy, Business Studies, English Literature and Psychology.

What do A Levels consist of?
Each A Level consists of 6 units which are studied in two stages:

Stage 1 – Advanced Subsidiary (AS) level: You’ll study 3 modules and upon completion you’ll be awarded an AS Level.
Stage 2 – A2 level: You’ll study the second set of 3 units which will take your AS level to a full A Level.

Please note: When you have completed the A2 Level, your AS Level grade is transferred to one A Level grade. If you decide not to continue to A2 Level, you can keep your AS Level grade. This can still be used as part of your application to university.

What do my grades mean?
For each A Level subject you take, you’ll receive a grade from A–E. The entrance requirements for the university courses you’ve applied for will be expressed as either:

Grades: AAB, BCC or CCC for example.
A UCAS Tariff score: 360, 300 or 280 for example.

You can translate your predicted A Level and AS Level grades into UCAS tariff points as follows.

A Levels

Grade Points
A* 140
A 120
B 100
C 80
D 60
E 40

AS Levels

Grade Points
a 60
b 50
c 40
d 30
e 20

Many companies will also evaluate your application for a job on the basis of your A Level grades, as well as your degree.

What else will I gain from taking A Levels?
In addition to academic study, the aim of A Level study is to develop important competences: Independent thinking, study skills, team working, research and analysis. It will also help you to decide what you would like to study at degree level.

Read more about the Bellerbys A Level courseRead more
Find out about studying our Foundation Courses
Foundation courses

What is a Foundation course?
Foundation programmes are designed to lead to acceptance onto a degree course at university. They typically last between 9 months and 2 years.

Why should I study a Foundation course?
If you can answer yes to any of these questions, a Foundation course could be for you:

Do you need to improve your English or academic study skills before degree level study?
Do you lack the formal qualifications needed to enter a British university?
Do you require knowledge of a particular academic subject area to gain entry to a degree?

At Bellerbys, we specialise in educating international students and can prepare you to succeed alongside UK nationals at university. Upon completion of the Bellerbys Foundation programme you will possess:

A command of the English language necessary to excel at degree level.
Important skills such as independent thinking, team working, research and analysis.
A strong academic grounding in your chosen subject area.

For students who successfully complete the Bellerbys Foundation course we'll provide a guaranteed place at one of over 50 UK universities.

How long does the course last for?
The Foundation course at Bellerbys College is an intensive course which lasts for 9 months.

A Level
Your best path to the best universities

This course is ideal if you:

are aged 15 or over
want to study for internationally recognised qualifications
want to go to the very best universities
want dedicated preparation for 'Oxbridge' and medical school entry


A Levels: the 'gold standard'

'Advanced Levels' are UK public university entrance examinations and are recognised worldwide. A Levels give you the in-depth preparation you need to excel on the most demanding and competitive degree courses.
Personalised teaching in small classes

A level classes are kept small. You will benefit from the close personal attention of a teacher who is a dedicated expert in their academic field.

You'll study Key Skills, along with four subjects on the five or six-term programme and three or four subjects on the three-term programme.

End of course examinations are taken in May/June and January.

See a full list of A Level subjectsRead more
Your path to the best universities

Success at A Level allows you to choose the right university and degree from every UK university. If you have exceptional academic ability, your ambition might be to graduate to either Oxford or Cambridge University or a UK medical school. These institutions are some of the most competitive in the world. You will need specialist preparation in addition to your excellent academic qualifications. We offer this preparation for the very best students on the A Level programme.

Download: Success in 2010 - see where our students went (PDF, 289 KB)

Read more about our 'Oxbridge' and medical school preparationRead more
A history of exceptional results

At Bellerbys we have a 20-year record of exceptional A Level results. It is proof of the excellent teaching and support each of our students receives - coupled with the hard work and dedication of the students themselves. The last academic year was our most successful yet. Below are just a few of our top 2011 A Level students.
Student Name Grades Degree University
Poh Ee Teo A*A*A*A*Aaa Mathematics & Economics LSE
Kana Maniwa A*A*A*AAA War Studies King's College
Kevin Surya Widaja A*A*A*A*A Chemical Engineering Cambridge
Sharlene Shun Yan Tai A*A*A*AA Law King's College
Zuzana Chlupackova A*A*A*AA Philosophy, Politics & Economics Oxford

Read more about our A Level student resultsRead more
Raymond Jonathan Rueben from Malaysia, studying A Level

"I am eager to get into medical school and I chose to come to Bellerbys because it has a very high standard in terms of exam results. On coming here, I realised that the teaching staff here were very well qualified and dedicated in their work. They will help you to do your best."
Raymond Jonathan Rueben from Malaysia, studying A Levels

Supervision Plus - optional support for Bellerbys students at university

We understand that settling into a new life at university after graduating from Bellerbys can be difficult for some students. For this reason, we are now offering a new, optional academic counselling service called Supervision Plus to help those students adjust in their first terms at university.

Students graduating from our A Level courses to a British university can sign up for this optional service at the beginning, during or at the end of their studies at Bellerbys.