AS and A-level explanation of results (2024)

Advanced level subjects and Special papers

• From 1951 to 1962 successful students were recorded as having reached the Advanced standard, with outstanding levels of performance being indicated by the award of Advanced with Distinction.
• From 1963 attainment in an Advanced level subject has been indicated by a grade A, B, C, D or E of which grade A is the highest and grade E the lowest. Only two grades are shown for Special papers, namely 1 or 2.
• From 1951 to 1962 students who did not pass at Advanced level but were judged to have reached pass standard at the Ordinary level were recorded as having achieved the Ordinary level standard in the relevant Advanced level subject.
• From 1963 to 1974 students who did not pass at Advanced level but were judged to have reached pass standard at the Ordinary level were recorded as having reached the pass standard in the equivalent Ordinary subject.
• From 1975 to 1986 grade O was awarded to indicate an Ordinary level result had been awarded in a subject taken at Advanced level. This meant the student did not pass at Advanced level but was judged to have reached at least the standard of grade C of the Ordinary level exam (the standard of the former subject pass at Ordinary level).
• From 1987 grade N was awarded to indicate a narrow failure in a subject at Advanced level. This meant the student did not pass at Advanced level but was judged to have fallen short of the standard required for grade E by a narrow margin.
• From 1987 to 2010 a pass in an Advanced GCE subject is indicated by one of five grades A(a), B(b), C(c), D(d),E(e), of which grade A(a) is the highest and grade E(e) is the lowest.
• The grades for the Special Paper are grade 1 (Distinction) and grade 2 (Merit).
• An Advanced GCE award is broadly equivalent to a six-unit Advanced VCE (Vocational Certificate of Education). Two Advanced GCE awards are broadly equivalent to a 12-unit Advanced Double Award VCE (Vocational Certificate of Education) subject.
• From 2010 to present a pass in an Advanced GCE subject is indicated by one of the six grades A*(a*), A(a), B(b), C(c), D(d), E(e), of which A*(a*) is the highest and E(e) the lowest.
• A pass in an Advanced GCE double award in an applied subject is indicated by one of the eleven double grades A*A(a*a), AA(aa), AB(ab), BB(bb), BC(bc), CC(cc), CD(cd), DD(dd), DE(de), EE(ee) of which grade A*A(a*a) is the highest and grade EE(ee) the lowest. Results have the same status as one Advanced GCE single-certification subject and one Advanced Subsidiary GCE single certification subject.
• A pass in an Advanced GCE with Advanced Subsidiary GCE (additional) subject is indicated by one of the ten double grades A*A(a*a), AA(aa), AB(ab), BB(bb), BC(bc), CC(cc), CD(cd), DD(dd), DE(de), EE(ee) of which grade A*A(a*a) is the highest and grade EE(ee) the lowest. Results have the same status as one Advanced GCE single-certification subject and one Advanced Subsidiary GCE single certification subject.
• From 2017, some science subjects will have an endorsem*nt. This endorsem*nt represents the practical element(s) of the specification. Whilst the practical skills endorsem*nt forms part of the overall award, it is shown separately on a student’s certificate and just below the main award. Students will receive a result of either Pass, Merit or Distinction. If a student does not achieve a passing grade for the endorsem*nt element, it will show as Not Classified.

Advanced Supplementary (AS) subjects

Advanced Supplementary grades from 1988 to 2000

• A pass in an AS subject is indicated by one of five grades A(a), B(b), C(c), D(d), E(e), of which grade A(a) is the highest and grade E (e) is the lowest.
• grade N indicates that the student's performance fell short of the standard required for grade E (e) by a narrow margin.
• Exams in AS subjects are of the same standard as exams in Advanced subjects, but AS specifications cover about half the subject content of Advanced specifications.

Advanced Subsidiary grades from 2001

• A pass in an Advanced Subsidiary GCE subject (including single awards in Applied subjects) is indicated by one of the five grades: A(a), B(b), C(c), D(d), E(e), of which A(a) is the highest and E(e) the lowest.
• An Advanced Subsidiary GCE subject represents the first half of an Advanced GCE course of study and is broadly equivalent to a three-unit Advanced Subsidiary VCE (Vocational Certificate of Education) subject.

Advanced Subsidiary (additional) grades from 2006

• A pass in an Advanced GCE double award in an applied subject is indicated by one of the nine double grades AA(aa), AB(ab), BB(bb), BC(bc), CC(cc), CD(cd), DD(dd), DE(de), EE(ee), of which grade AA(aa) is the highest and grade EE(ee) the lowest. Results have the same status as GCE grades in two single-certification subjects.

Advanced grades from 1987 to 2010

• A pass in an Advanced GCE subject is indicated by one of five grades A(a), B(b), C(c), D(d),E(e), of which grade A(a) is the highest and grade E(e) is the lowest.
• The grades for the Special Paper are grade 1 (Distinction) and grade 2 (Merit).
• An Advanced GCE award is broadly equivalent to a six-unit Advanced VCE (Vocational Certificate of Education). Two Advanced GCE awards are broadly equivalent to a 12-unit Advanced Double Award VCE (Vocational Certificate of Education) subject.

Advanced Supplementary grades from 2010 to present

• A pass in an AS subject is indicated by one of the five grades A, B, C, D or E, of which grade A is the highest and grade E the lowest. Exams in AS subjects are of the same standard as exams in Advanced subjects but AS specifications cover about half the subject content of Advanced specifications.