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Qualification Information Profile list

OxfordAQA International A level

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Last verified
Country
  • International
Purpose
  • To provide an advanced qualification, recognised worldwide, which can support progression to higher education internationally.
  • To meet the needs of international students.
Education context
  • Have been available internationally for teaching in core subjects since 2016.
  • The first cohort of students took AS in summer 2017, and a first group of students will take A level in 2018.
  • Examinations are available to students throughout the Middle East, South East Asia, and China.
  • Are not available to schools in the UK, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or in British Forces overseas schools.
  • Are not regulated by Ofqual and do not appear on the Register of Regulated Qualifications.
Awarding organisation
  • Oxford International AQA Examinations
Structure

Modular. The specification content for the International AS is half that of the International A level. Students can take the International AS in the first year, then take International A2 in the second year to complete the International A level, or they can take all units together in the same exam series at the end of the course.

Subject areas
  • English language
  • English literature
  • Mathematics
  • Further mathematics
  • Biology
  • Chemistry
  • Physics
  • Business
  • Geography
  • Psychology
Levels
  • Level 3

Comparable to Level 3 of the Regulatory Frameworks in England, Northern Ireland, and Wales.

Grading

Graded at subject level A* – E.

Assessment

All subjects are assessed by written external examinations, except English language and English literature, which have an optional, non-examined assessment (NEA) unit.

Exams in biology, chemistry, physics and include questions about practicals, but there is no coursework or practical exam. Students undertake practicals during their course learning.

English language:

  • Unit 1: Language and context, two hours 
  • Unit 2: Language and society, two hours 
  • Unit 3: Language variation, two hours 
  • Unit 4: Language exploration, either 4a (examined), two hours and 30 minutes or 4b (NEA), marked by the teacher and moderated by AQA

English literature:

  • Unit 1: Aspects of dramatic tragedy, two hours (closed book)
  • Unit 2: Place in literary texts, two hours, (open book)
  • Unit 3: Elements of crime and mystery, two hours (closed book);
  • Unit 4: Literary representations, either 4a (examined), two hours and 30 minutes or 4b (NEA), marked by the teacher and moderated by AQA

Mathematics:

  • P1 Pure mathematics, one hour and 30 minutes
  • PSM1 Pure mathematics, statistics and mechanics, one hour and 30 minutes
  • P2 Pure mathematics, two hours and 30 minutes; either S2 Statistics or M2 Mechanics, one hour and 30 minutes

Further mathematics: 

  • FP1 Pure mathematics,one hour and 30 minutes#
  • FPSM1 Pure mathematics, statistics and mechanics, one hour and 30 minutes 
  • FP2 Pure mathematics, two hours and 30 minutes; either FS2 Statistics or FM2 Mechanics, one hour and 30 minutes.

Biology: 

  • Unit 1: The diversity of living organisms, one hour and 30 minutes
  • Unit 2: Biological systems and disease, one hour and 30 minutes
  • Unit 3: Population and genes, one hour and 30 minutes 
  • Unit 4: Control, one hour and 30 minutes
  • Unit 5: Synoptic, one hour and 30 minutes.

Chemistry: 

  • Unit 1: Inorganic 1 and Physical 1, one hour and 30 minutes
  • Unit 2 Organic 1 and Physical 1, one hour and 30 minutes
  • Unit 3: Inorganic 2 and Physical 2, one hour and 30 minutes
  • Unit 4: Organic 2 and Physical 2, one hour and 30 minutes 
  • Unit 5 Practical, Synoptic, one hour and 25 minutes.

Physics: 

  • Unit 1: Mechanics, materials, and atoms, two hours
  • Unit 2: Electricity, waves and particles, two hours
  • Unit 3: Fields and their consequences, two hours
  • Unit 4: Energy and energy resources, two hours
  • Unit 5: Synoptic assessment, two hours

Business: 

  • Unit 1: Business and markets, one hour and 30 minutes
  • Unit 2: Managing operations, human resources, and finance, 1 hour and 30 minutes
  • Unit 3: Business strategy, one hour and 45 minutes
  • Unit 4: Business decision-making, one hour and 45 minutes

Geography: 

  • Unit 1: Physical geography, one hour and 30 minutes
  • Unit 2: Human geography 1, one hour and 30 minutes
  • Unit 3: Physical geography 2, one hour and 30 minutes
  • Unit 4: Human Geography, one hour and 30 minutes
  • Unit 5: Fieldwork, one hour and 30 minutes (students must engage in a personal fieldwork investigation during the course, and students will be assessed on their investigation through examination)

Psychology:

  • Unit 1: Introductory topics in Psychology, one hour and 30 minutes
  • Unit 2: Bio-psychology, Development, and Research methods, one hour and 30 minutes
  • Unit 3: Advanced topics and research methods, one hour and 30 minutes
  • Unit 4: Approaches and applications, one hour and 30 minutes.
Contribution of assessment components to overall grade

For each subject, units 1 and 2 are AS units, contributing 50% each to the AS. Unit 1 contributes 20% and unit 2 contributes 20% to the A level.

For maths, P2 contributes 37.5%, and either S2 or M2 contributes 22.5%. Similarly, for further maths, FP2 contributes 37.5%, and either FS2 or FM2 contributes 22.5%.

For biology, physics, and geography, units 3, 4, and 5 each contribute 20%.

For chemistry, units 3 and 4 each contribute 21%, and unit 5 contributes 18%.

For English language, English literature, business, and psychology, units 3 and 4 each contribute 30%.

Resit arrangements
  • Students can resit units as many times as they like.
  • Students can resit the qualification by resitting one or more units.
  • Resits are available in January and June.
Guided/notional learning hours notes

360 GLH (AS: 180 hours and A2: 180 hours).

Key issues for UK HE admissions
  • Higher education providers can expect to receive applications from overseas students holding International A levels.
  • Since they are not available in UK schools, higher education providers will not receive applications from UK educated students holding International A levels.
  • UK NARIC has carried out an independent benchmarking of International A and AS levels and found them comparable to the standard of UK A and AS levels.
  • Learners use International A and AS levels to gain places at universities worldwide including UK, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, UAE, Malaysia, Singapore, and China.
Timing of assessments/results for learners

Assessment

  • Assessments take place in January and June.

Candidate results

  • Results are issued in March and August.
  • Candidates receive their certificates in May and October.
Qualification dates notes
  • Biology, chemistry, and physics available for teaching from September 2016, and AS assessment from June 2017, with A level exams from June 2018 onwards.
  • English language, English literature, mathematics, and further mathematics available for teaching from September 2017, and AS assessment from June 2018, with A level exams from June 2019 onwards.
  • Business, geography, and psychology available for teaching from September 2018, and AS assessment from June 2019, with A level exams from June 2020 onwards.
Reporting and certification information

Arrangements to be confirmed in future years as entries grow.

Progression information

Students can generally expect that their grades will be accepted as equivalent, grade for grade, to UK A and AS grades by universities worldwide.

Further information

Oxford International AQA Examinations is a joint venture between AQA and Oxford University Press, a department of the University of Oxford. These qualifications are administered and awarded by AQA, on behalf of Oxford International AQA Examinations, using the same quality control procedures and quality standards applied to the GCE qualifications which AQA operates within the regulated UK market.

Further information can be found: www.oxfordaqaexams.org.uk/subjects/