First, I would just like to give a brief introduction to the two educational programmes. First is Cambridge International Advanced Levels (A Levels) which is a subject-based qualification usually taken in the final two years of high school. Cambridge International A-Level takes two years, and is comprised of two parts, the AS level and then the A2, each typically takes a year, and each has their own examinations. The syllabuses are international in outlook but retain local relevance.
Offered since 1951, this qualification is administered by Cambridge International Examinations, a part of the University of Cambridge. Cambridge International Examination is the world’s largest provider of international education programmes and qualification for 5-19 years old. More than 11,000 in over 160 countries are part of the Cambridge learning community.
Cambridge International A-levels have formed part of the Cambridge qualification framework for over 55 years and are widely recognized for entry to higher education. With over 75 subjects to choose from, schools can offer almost any combination from the wide range of subjects available.
“Cambridge International A Levels have a very well-deserved reputation. They are qualifications which allow us to be confident that the students will be well prepared for higher education.”
- Professor Nick Shaw, School of Pharmacy, University of Queensland
The International Baccalaureate® (IB) Diploma Programme (DP) is an assessed programme for students aged 16 to 19. You are given six groups of subjects, and you must take three higher level subjects and three standard level, having English, and maths as compulsory subjects included in the o
verall six, so for example in the sciences group, you choose between biology, chemistry or physics. It is respected by leading universities across the globe. In 1968, the IB Diploma Programme (DP) was established to provide a challenging and comprehensive education that would enable students to understand and manage the complexities of our world and provide them with skills and attitudes for taking responsible action for the future. Such an education was rooted in the belief that people who are equipped to make a more just and peaceful world need an education that crosses disciplinary, cultural, national and geographical boundaries.
“Cambridge International A Levels are the 'gold standard' qualification.”
- Mark Vella, Director of Studies, Auckland Grammar School, New Zealand
A-Levels in general is for me, regarded as the better option than IB or rather, the best option available. You see, CIE A-levels is technically developed by University of Cambridge, one of the top universities worldwide and seen by many as the most prestigious one to date.
The point that I’m trying to convey here Is that the programme is made with the intention of preparing the students for the highest quality university courses available. University of Cambridge is known for its crucial depth and A-Levels is specifically designed to ensure students are qualified for the best of the best undergraduate degrees.
“The depth of knowledge displayed by the best A Level students makes them prime targets for America’s Ivy League universities.”
- Yale University, USA
A-levels is known for its depth of knowledge, has more depth than the IB. As a matter of fact, A-levels is so deep to the point that AS-Level can be taken as a separate qualification. Can IB students qualify with just the first year of IB diploma? Full A-level teaching hours is recommended to be 360 hours. IB SL subject is 150 while IB HL is 240.
So, one full A-level subject has as much teaching hours as three SL subject or one HL and one SL subject. That’s just the teaching hours. Have you ever seen a university asking for more than three A-Levels? No. There is not a single university on this planet earth that asks for more than three. As for IB? They ask for the full IB Diploma which consists of 6 subjects as well as TOK, CAS and Extended Essay. It takes all that to match the quality and the depth of three A-level subjects.
“We think the Cambridge curriculum is superb preparation for university.”
- Duke University, USA
The UK education system is highly respected worldwide, having produced some of the world’s greatest thinkers, writers, politicians and scientists, both past and present. Coming from abroad to study in the UK, you’ll be part of a long academic tradition and you’ll be in an environment in which academic success is valued and respected. Whether you choose to go to university in the UK or anywhere else in the world, having A-level qualifications on your applications will stand you in good stead. They are the UK’s gold standard for university entry. If it’s your ambition to go to university in the UK, then you can do no better than to take A Levels first. Although UK universities do accept other university entrance qualifications, the admissions system is geared towards A Levels.
“Cambridge International A Levels are an excellent technical qualification. They provide really good core knowledge and help to build aptitude and they provide a really good bedrock for the move – the transition to university in the first year of study.”
- Richard Partington, Senior Tutor, Churchill College, University of Cambridge
Perhaps one of the biggest advantages of A-levels is the ability for students to truly specialize on what they want to study. They get to have the freedom to take any combination of subjects they desire with no limitations unlike the IB where you are limited to choose one from each of the six groups provided (You can skip Group 6 to add an extra one from Group 3 or 4). In A-Levels you get to learn the subjects YOU like. You’re not limited with options but rather you are presented an opportunity to take the combination of subjects that you believe would assist you the most for the university course you are planning to study.
“We think that Cambridge International qualifications are a really good preparation for university study. They allow students to specialise in particular subjects and to develop lots of other skills which are really useful for university study – things like communication skills, research skills and problem-solving skills.”
- Roseanna Cross, Head of Undergraduate Admissions, University of Bristol
What I love about A-Levels is that it teaches independence, responsibility and maturity. You see, A-Levels is very like the style of University. You get to have a lot of “study periods” but it all depends on what you do with that time. If you are responsible, you would use that time wisely, if you are truly independent, you would know exactly what to do with those study periods and if mature enough, you get to see the long-term benefit of this.
The problem is, because A-Level students tend to get lots of “study periods”, the IB students automatically assume that they have nothing to do or they are so lucky because they will have so much fun. Well that is not actually the truth, I mean yeah sure the A level students have the “option” to just chill and relax but the truth is, A-Levels is like university. More freedom is given to the students and thus the students are expected to be mature and responsible which leads to the fact that they will be working on their subjects and doing more beneficial things to their life.
IB on the other hand, for me it looks like a primary education system. All what IB students are faced with is just countless assignments (IA’s etc.) as well as academic tasks to the extent that they barely do nothing but focusing on IB itself and that’s sad. Like I feel sorry because in this way, IB is persecuting its students by not allowing them to unlock their potential because they are too busy with preposterous things like 3 extra SL subject and CAS with it’s rules as well as TOK and much more.
“We believe that Cambridge International AS & A Level examinations are excellent preparation for students to take the next step in the path of lifelong learning.”
- Mary Adams, Associate Director of Admissions, Pennsylvania State University
The true beauty and power of A-Levels is not even the system itself. What many people don’t understand especially the IB students because they have been manipulated with its campaign is that A-Levels is far beyond academics. Have you ever asked yourself why the university of Cambridge did not just order the schools to increase the amount of lessons for all A-Level students out there because of the amount of study periods they have?
It’s because Cambridge cares about their students. How? A-Level gives students the opportunity to invest in themselves and that ladies and gentlemen Is the secret weapon of A-Levels. Not a lot of people know that and I believe that effects the point of view when it comes to people thinking about A-Levels in general. They tend to forget the true loot behind the program.
The treasure here is that A-Level students are given the freedom and opportunity to do something that they love. To work or learn something that they have passion in, non-academic. If used correctly, it adds to the human value. While IB students are struggling with three extra SL subjects that they might not even like, A-Level students can now push themselves outside the curriculum. To achieve life goals other than just grades on a piece of a paper.
So, by allowing A-Level students to work on projects and extracurricular activities, it provides experience that can be beneficial to the university courses they want to pursue. Thus, A-Level students will have a huge advantage over the IB students. Because while IB students are stuck trying to finish off their research, essays as well as assignments and presentations on other useless subjects (My opinion), A-Level students dig deeper into the area of field that they have passion or interested in.
“Students we have who have taken Cambridge International A Levels do very well at our campus. They are very well-prepared for our curriculum and we find that they have a lot of confidence, but also that they have a good, deep subject knowledge, [and] the ability to think critically and well.”
- Stuart Schmill, Dean of Admissions, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA
Perhaps an example would help. Let’s say you have two students who wishes to study Computer Science in university. One however is taking the IB diploma while the other is taking A-Levels. Let’s say that the IB student it taking CS, Mathematics and Physics as HL subjects and then English, French and Geography as SL subjects. As for the A-Level student, she is taking Computer Science, Physics and Mathematics.
Now, the A-Level student already has an ‘automatic advantage’ and that is, the subjects she is taking is more depth than the same subjects that the IB student is taking. Thus, the A-Level student if good, would know more about the field of computer science than the IB student.
“I value Cambridge preparation because the students we have received with that kind of preparation have done very well at the University. We like the fact that no matter where they come from, they come prepared.”
- John Barnhill, Assistant Vice President for Enrolment, Florida State University
Now add the true power of A-Levels and she now finds herself on the top of the bar. Because Cambridge wants their students to push themselves further, they are given extra spare time. Now that A-Level student can use that spare time to work on projects that are related to the field of computer science. For instance, she can decide to learn a separate programming language that is not academic related thus, increasing her skills on programming.
On top of that, she can also take CS online courses whereby they teach the hardware aspect to be more ready for the university course. Also, she can learn how to design websites and make an app which all requires CS skills and knowledge to achieve that. She can also use her time to read more books about computer science making her knowledge not limited by the syllabus. Then you’ve got the IB student who didn’t get the chance to do all that because he was busy on the SL subjects as well as TOK, CAS and Extended Essay.
Thus, that A-Level student can mention all the great goals she achieved that prepared her better for the course when she writes her personal statement. As for the IB student? Well what to write mostly? Please don’t tell me CAS because that is an integral part of the IB which means it is part of the IB and it’s also surrounded by rules (CAS cannot be mentioned separately as an extra-curricular). As for the IB student, he doesn’t have much to add because he spent most of his time on IB itself and not to aim bigger than just syllabus and academics.
“We have been impressed by the depth and breadth of knowledge exhibited by Cambridge students. They arrive on campus well-prepared and excited about learning, regardless of where they come from in the world.”
- Greg Roberts, Dean of Admissions, University of Virginia, USA
As the competition gets tougher every year, universities are looking for students not only with good academic grades but to show practical or/and extracurricular activities that further supports your passion towards the course you want to take. This where the IB students would be nervous as they were already under pressure on (again my opinion) pointless other subjects, and as for the A-Level students, they will just come in confident (The ‘good’ A-Level students) because they got all this figured out.
Here is a sample of a research done by a few companies where it just shows how valuable it is these days for students having experience and doing extracurricular activity. “(With 89.2% of admissions teams identifying this as one of the two main things they look for), evidence of extra-curricular activities remains an important part of the application process for 97% of respondents. Universities most value evidence of extra-curricular activities when deciding between applicants with similar grades and for courses that have an interview stage.”
Also, “More than half of universities (58.5%) believe that it is now more important for students to demonstrate experience beyond academic achievements in their university applications compared with 10 years ago, with only 4.6% saying that it is now less important”. Furthermore, “Students place more importance on non-academic experience and life-skills than universities (53.2% of students compared to 23.1% of universities) and would like to see the admissions process place greater emphasis on these attributes. The HE sector is split as to whether the admissions process places enough value on the role of extra-curricular activities; 46.2% believe that the process does place enough value on extra-curricular.”
“Cambridge International A Levels are the ‘gold standard’ qualification. They are based on rigorous, academic syllabuses that are accessible to students from a wide range of abilities yet have the capacity to stretch our most able.”
- Mark Vella, Director of Studies, Auckland Grammar School, New Zealand
On top of that “The real value of extra-curricular experience is not only helping students to stand-out and secure a place at university; it also helps prepare students to succeed at university and on into the workplace. Attracting students who are going to settle in well and complete the course, and who will go on to secure good employment, are important factors for universities today”.
Last one… “There is broad agreement that between 20-30% of a student’s personal statement should be focused on extra-curricular experience, with 56% of interviewees suggesting this as a recommended guideline, but with a recognition that different institutions and different courses will be looking for different things. The advice to students is to make their own judgment and focus on what is most relevant for their chosen course; making extra-curricular activities an integral part of the statement and not included as a ‘tick-box’ exercise.”
By the way don’t get confused with the definition of extra-curricular activities because many students think that it’s all the ‘school activities’ that you do but it’s actually anything you do that is non-academic that adds value to yourself. This is where A-Level students shine.
Just to be fair, not all A-Level students. Only the ones who demonstrate what A-Levels is all about. It’s about depth in the subjects you take and to truly develop yourself with all the things you can do that makes you generally more valuable.
“Oxford may find that the concentration of three A-levels prepares them better for an intense subject-specific degree.”
- Oxford university
In other words, IB provide you a good resource once you start the program but not heavily interested in your specialized area, while A level offers you the obsolete freedom of the subjects you want to take with depth and the opportunity to further advance yourself.
Some people believe that it is only about the grades but that is not quite true. Time went quickly and things have changed, these days’ experience, interest, advancement and commitment is more important than ever. As a matter of fact, Oxford and Harvard university published an article how these days it’s starting to mark a new era of student evaluation.
That is “Knowledge accounts only for 25% of future success while the rest comes from, advancement, experiences, extra activities closely related to the course as well as negotiating and lead”. IB seems to lack behind that as for A-Level students who invested in themselves they will realize they can fill up that criteria easily.
“I think there are tremendous benefits to pursuing the Cambridge curriculum. It’s a proven international curriculum for success in higher education and we know that students who pursue it have been successful around the world.”
- Jerry Lucido, CERPP Executive Director, University of Southern California
In conclusion, CIE A-Levels feels like a true educational system. One that allows you to develop yourself, add value to yourself with freedom while teaching independence and responsibility at the same time. An educational system where you get to choose any combination of subjects with no boundaries. Subjects that are truly in depth with its dense and rigorous syllabus. This is CIE A-Levels.
“At the University of Washington we are particularly interested in students who are not only good at learning, but who love to learn. These students are willing to be challenged, willing to dive into new things, and often more able to synthesize what they have learned. The Cambridge approach fosters such students, such learning, and such results.”
Philip Ballinger, Associate Vice-Provost for Enrollment and Admissions, University of Washington
