GCSE and A-level Courses

A-levels are the exams are taken after GCSEs. British students study for 2 years before taking A-levels and usually sit them in the last year of school (year 13). Students most often take 3 or 4 A-levels and their subjects are chosen according to what they plan to study at university – for example someone looking to study engineering would need to have A-levels that included maths and physics.
At Vision House we can prepare you to sit A-levels on an intensive 1 year course so you are ready to join a British University.

There are several possible pathways to studying at a British university. The standard procedure for a British students is to study GCSEs and then A-levels and then apply through a system called UCAS – many of our students join us at 12-13 years old and enter a British school in Year 9 where they can then simply follow this same route.
Joining at VI Form is also a possibility – sometimes it may be necessary to quickly complete GCSEs in order to gain entry to a VI Form and Vision House can prepare you for this on an intensive 1 year course. VI Form is the name for the last two years of British School where students study for A-levels.
Finally, it is also possible to join as an international student and apply directly to the universities which will consider your equivalent international grades that you took at high school in your country. Sometimes this can be difficult and so you may need to sit some A-levels to prove your ability – Vision House can prepare you for this on an intensive 1 year course.

Foundation courses can be a great way for international students to join a university. Most often if you have not studied A-levels (and hold equivalent qualifications from your country) or need some time to improve your English and adjust to studying in the UK, then a foundation course can be ideal. It is also often an easier point of entry to a British university although it will mean that you will be studying for 1 year longer.

Most undergraduate British university degrees last 3 years. In Scotland, the standard length is 4 years. These are the standard length for a bachelors degree excluding a foundation course and are what most students leave university with. If you want to study further, then the next two qualifications would be a masters degree followed by a PhD.
Masters degrees are typically an additional one or two years. In engineering, maths and science subjects it is also often possible to take an “integrated masters” course where you can study for 4-5 years on a single degree and at the end receive a masters qualification.