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Cambridge Advanced · Ages ~16–19Cambridge International AS & A Levels are advanced qualifications for university progression. AS is roughly half a full A Level. Apex pairs your child with an examiner-level tutor for their exact subjects — one-to-one, from AS through to the final A Level papers.
AS (Advanced Subsidiary) is the first year and comprises roughly half a full A Level. A student can exit with the AS, or continue a second year for the full A Level. An AS result can be carried forward toward a full A Level up to twice, within 13 months of the AS exam.
After 13 months the AS no longer counts toward the A Level, though it stays valid as its own qualification. AS language syllabuses are the exception — they can’t be carried forward.
Sources: Cambridge — AS & A Level and the AS-carry-forward help guidance. Verified 8 July 2026.
A Level is graded A*–E and AS Level a–e — always in lowercase, with no A* available at AS. Cambridge treats an E at A Level and an e at AS as the minimum required performance for each qualification. Because the two scales differ, an AS result is always reported in lowercase, so it is easy to tell apart from a full A Level grade.
| Qualification | Scale | Min pass |
|---|---|---|
| A Level | A* – E | E |
| AS Level | a – e (lowercase) | e |
Source: Cambridge — Guide to Cambridge grades. Verified 8 July 2026.
No — and it doesn’t affect entry. Cambridge states that its International AS and A Levels “do not attract UCAS Tariff points according to UCAS’ scale”, but UK universities accept them “as equivalent, grade-for-grade, with standard UK (GCE) A Levels” and make offers in grades, such as AAB. Where a course does quote points, the GCE A Level values — 56 for an A* down to 16 for an E — are the benchmark it compares against.
Note: IGCSEs/GCSEs carry no tariff points either (they aren’t Level 3). Universities set their own requirements — always check the course page.
Sources: Cambridge International — UCAS tariff points (help centre); UCAS — UCAS Tariff points. Verified 14 September 2026 (corrected — previously published as if Cambridge A Levels carried the GCE values).
Cambridge International AS & A Levels are advanced qualifications, typically taken at ages 16–19 for university progression. AS (Advanced Subsidiary) is the first year of study and is roughly half the content of a full A Level; a student can exit with the AS or continue a second year for the full A Level.
Cambridge International A Level is graded A*–E (with U ungraded). AS Level is graded a–e in lowercase, and there is no A* at AS Level. Cambridge treats an E at A Level and an e at AS as the minimum required performance for the qualification.
No. Cambridge states that its International AS and A Levels “do not attract UCAS Tariff points according to UCAS’ scale” — but that does not affect entry. UK universities accept them “as equivalent, grade-for-grade, with standard UK (GCE) A Levels” and make offers in grades, such as AAB. Where a course quotes Tariff points, the GCE A Level values (A*=56 down to E=16) are the benchmark universities use for comparison.
Yes. A Cambridge AS Level result can be carried forward toward a full A Level up to twice, within 13 months of the AS exam. After 13 months it can no longer count toward an A Level but remains valid as an AS qualification. AS language syllabuses are an exception and cannot be carried forward.
Cambridge runs distinct exam series through the year, each with its own cascade of entry deadlines. June and November are the two main international series. Every exam centre is allocated to one of six administrative zones, and each zone follows its own timetable, so exact dates depend on your child’s centre. Always check the current series and your centre’s zone timetable before planning.
Yes — candidates can resit. Cambridge counts an entry as a ’retake’ only when three conditions all hold: your child sat the same syllabus in the immediately preceding series; the series being entered has a separate retake deadline; and the exams officer ticks the ’retake’ box at first submission. That retake deadline attaches to the series being entered, not the previous one.
Most UK universities — including the most selective — express their offers in qualifications and grades, such as AAB, rather than in UCAS Tariff points, though some use the tariff as a comparison benchmark. Universities set their own entry requirements and aren’t obliged to use the tariff at all, so always check each course’s stated grade requirements.
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