About AS and A levels
Find out about the qualifications in the A level family, AS (Advanced Subsidiary) and A (Advanced) levels.
AS and A levels - sometimes called General Certificates of Education (GCE) or Advanced levels - are normally studied after level 2 in a BTEC or GCSEs, but you can take them at any age. They mainly involve studying the theory of a subject combined with some investigative work, and are usually studied full-time over two years at school or college. AS and A levels are at level 3 on the National Qualifications Framework.
AS levels generally take one year to complete and A levels are studied across two years. Generally students progress to AS and A levels in the academic year following their GCSE results, but you can take them at any age.
When the new AS and A levels were introduced in September 2015, AS and A levels were decoupled in England so that AS level results no longer count towards an A level and the AS level becomes a stand-alone qualification. You can find out more about qualification frameworks on the gov.uk website.
To find out more about our AS and A level subjects and the support available, select a subject from the AS and A level homepage:
​View our Edexcel AS and A levels