Advanced Placement (AP) vs. A Levels: Why choose the AP?

It is no secret that A Levels are not the best option for every child. Fortunately, today’s Sixth Form students have increasingly more study options to choose from to meet their needs. The Advanced Placement (AP) is one of those options, which growing in popularity the UK, and should be considered for high performing students looking to thrive in their next steps.

Widely popular in the US and Canada, the AP enables students to study rigorous university-level, year-long courses while still at school, in subjects similar to those typically studied at A Level, such as English, Maths, Computer Science, and World Languages. At ACS International School Cobham, we are one of just a handful of schools in the UK to offer the AP as an option for our students aged 16 – 18.

By choosing the AP, your child can…

1. study what they love, with more flexibility

The AP is ideal for students who want to deep dive into a specific subject area or study multiple disciplines at a university level of learning without being limited to a certain academic pathway. As they can be taken alongside any other curriculum, it also means that our students can add more value to their education CV.

The programme is unique in that students can take each one-year module at any time from Year 12 through to Year 13, helping them to develop a unique profile that means they stand out to university admissions officers or employers. It also means that students may already know a portion of their results before leaving school – significantly reducing stress when it comes to applying for university.

2. AP courses are fast-paced and challenging

Taking an AP course represents deep subject knowledge. It offers students the opportunity to stretch their thinking in subjects that interest them or could be relevant to their chosen career path. We have found that our students like the AP for being both fast-paced and focussed in content, as well as enabling them to show high achievement across a breadth of disciplines. We encourage each of our students to take at least one AP course before they leave school, so that they are prepared for the rigour of university-level study.

3. AP courses are highly regarded by universities

The AP isn’t only for US students – it demonstrates to universities in the UK and around the world that students have completed one of the most rigorous and demanding curriculums available to them. Research suggests that students who score a 3 or higher (out of 5) in an AP exam typically experience greater academic success at university – and some universities even grant university credit and/or unconditional offers to students who have scored a 3 or above in an AP course.

The AP Capstone diploma is a further added bonus to demonstrate students’ advanced levels of academic skills and readiness when they are preparing for a university environment, as it offers the opportunity to complete an extended piece of research over the course of two years. This course is comparable to the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) or the IB’s Extended Essay and encourages young people to think about ways of processing and examining information from multiple perspectives, before presenting a sophisticated piece of research to a review panel. At our school, it has always been incredible to see young people talk about a topic that truly interests them with such strong command and confidence.

To conclude, the AP is a growing alternative to A Levels that can prepare students for a future full of opportunity and give them the tools to succeed in life.