Overview
A level (General Certificate of Education, Advanced Level) is the main school-leaving and university-entrance qualification in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It is not one single exam but a family of subject qualifications: a student takes a chosen set of A levels, each in a separate subject, and each is written, set and marked by one of several independent awarding bodies rather than by a single national board. The qualifications are regulated by Ofqual in England, Qualifications Wales in Wales, and CCEA Regulation in Northern Ireland. Scotland runs its own separate school-leaving qualifications and is not covered by this page.
The main awarding bodies offering A levels are AQA, Pearson Edexcel, OCR, WJEC/Eduqas and CCEA. Each writes its own specification (syllabus) and exam papers for a subject, so the exact topics, paper structure and question style for, say, A-level Chemistry can differ between boards, even though the overall qualification, grading scale and regulatory standard are the same.
Since a reform completed in 2017, A levels in England are linear: almost all subjects are assessed by exams sat at the end of a two-year course, with the separate, lower-value AS level decoupled so it no longer counts towards the full A level.
Who can apply
A levels are usually studied by students aged 16 to 18, after GCSEs (or an equivalent Level 2 qualification), over two years at a school sixth form, sixth-form college or further education college. Entry requirements for particular subjects, such as minimum GCSE grades, are set by each school or college rather than by a single national rule.
A levels are also open to private candidates: adults, home-educated students, or anyone studying independently or through distance learning. Private candidates cannot register directly with an awarding body; they must find a JCQ-listed exam centre that accepts private entries for the subjects and series they want.
Subjects and exam boards
Students usually take three A-level subjects, though some take four, depending on the demands of the courses they want to progress to. There are more than 40 subjects across the awarding bodies combined, spanning sciences, humanities, languages, maths and creative subjects. A school or college chooses which awarding body's specification it teaches for each subject; a student does not usually choose the board directly.
Exam pattern
Almost all A-level subjects are assessed entirely through written exams sat at the end of the two-year course, split across two or three papers per subject. A small number of subjects keep some non-exam assessment where a practical or creative skill cannot be tested fairly in a written exam, for example Art and Design, and Drama and Theatre.
The three science A levels (Biology, Chemistry, Physics) also carry a separate "practical endorsement." Across the course, a student completes a set minimum of practical activities, and teachers assess them against standard skill criteria set by Ofqual. This is reported on the certificate as a simple pass or fail alongside the A level, and does not add or subtract marks from the overall grade; written papers also carry marks that test understanding of practical work.
Marking and results
A levels are graded A*, A, B, C, D, E, with a U (unclassified) below grade E. Grade boundaries, meaning the mark needed for each grade, are not fixed in advance; each awarding body sets them after marking a given exam series, aiming to keep the standard for each grade consistent from year to year even though paper difficulty varies.
Each grade carries a fixed number of UCAS Tariff points, used by universities for admissions, regardless of subject or awarding body: A* is 56 points, A is 48, B is 40, C is 32, D is 24, and E is 16.
Important dates
For the 2026 series, A-level written exams ran from mid-May to late June, with the exact dates and times for each subject and paper set out in each awarding body's published exam timetable. Results for A levels taken in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are issued to students on a single national results day, which fell on Thursday 13 August 2026.
Fees
Students taking A levels through a school or college do not pay an exam fee themselves; the entry fee is paid by the school or college.
Private candidates pay to sit their exams. They pay the awarding body's entry fee for each subject, which is set each series and varies by subject; for the 2026 summer series, AQA listed its UK-centre entry fee for A-level Chemistry at around £118, with most other subjects falling roughly between £100 and £130. On top of the awarding body's fee, the exam centre that enters the private candidate usually adds its own administration charge, which varies from centre to centre.
How to apply
A school or college student is entered for their A levels by their school or college, which registers them with the relevant awarding body for each subject.
A private candidate finds a JCQ-listed exam centre that accepts private candidates in their chosen subjects and exam series, and arranges entry directly with that centre, since private candidates cannot enter through an awarding body themselves.
Entry deadlines are set by each centre and are usually several months before the exam series, so private candidates are advised to contact centres well ahead of the series they want to sit.
After the exam
On results day, students collect their results from their school or college. University applicants use UCAS Track to see whether they have met the grades required for their offer. Students who do not hold or meet an offer, or who change their mind, can use UCAS Clearing, which runs from 2 July to 19 October each year, to apply for course vacancies that remain open after results day.
A levels can also lead directly to an apprenticeship, further study, or employment, rather than only to a university place.
Preparation tips
Check which awarding body your school or college teaches for each subject, since past papers, specifications and grade-boundary history are published separately by each board and are not interchangeable.
For science A levels, keep a record of the required practical activities as you complete them across the two years; the practical endorsement is assessed continuously, not in a single end-of-course test.
Since results depend on where the exam board sets the grade boundaries that year, use official past papers and mark schemes from your own awarding body rather than assuming a fixed percentage will always give a particular grade.
FAQs
Do all students sit the same A-level exam in a subject?
No. A level subjects are set and marked by separate awarding bodies (AQA, Pearson Edexcel, OCR, WJEC/Eduqas, CCEA). A school or college teaches one board's specification for each subject, so two students doing "A-level History" at different schools may sit different exam papers, though both qualifications are regulated to the same standard.
Is A level coursework-based or exam-based?
Since the 2017 reform, almost all A levels are assessed entirely through written exams at the end of the two-year course. Only a small number of subjects, such as Art and Design, and Drama and Theatre, keep non-exam assessment for skills that cannot be fairly tested in a written exam.
Can an adult or home-educated student take A levels?
Yes, as a private candidate. Private candidates cannot register directly with an awarding body; they must find a JCQ-listed exam centre that accepts private candidates for their chosen subjects and pay both the awarding body's entry fee and the centre's own administration charge.
What happens if I don't get the grades my university offer needs?
You can use UCAS Clearing, which runs from 2 July to 19 October each year, to apply for course vacancies that are still open after results day. UCAS Track shows on results day whether your place is confirmed or whether you are eligible to use Clearing.