The first major exams in the UK education system take place in the final year of schooling (usually at the age of fifteen/sixteen). These are the General Certificate of Education (GCSE) in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and the Scottish Certificate of Education (SCE) Standard grade in Scotland.
Students continuing their education in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will spend two years studying for AS- for A-levels. In the first year, you will study four or five subjects at AS-level (which represents the first half of a full A-level). In the second year students normally continue on to study three subjects and sit A-levels in these at the age of seventeen/eighteen.
In Scotland, students spend one year studying for SCE Higher Grades (also known as 'Highers') in four or five subjects. Students who pass their Highers at the age of seventeen can go on to study at university. However, they usually choose to stay at school or college for another year, to study for more Highers or for subjects in which they are particularly interested (Advanced Highers). This system means that students in Scotland leave school or college with a very broad knowledge rather than of a specialised, smaller number of subjects.
Some UK institutions also offer two-year courses leading to the International Baccalaureate (IB), an international qualification that is recognised for admission to undergraduate study.
International students can study for GCSEs and A-levels (or equivalents) and the IB at independent schools, tutorial colleges and Furthere Education institutions.
Students with an Iranian high school diploma are required to successfully complete one of the programmes above before being admitted to university. Iranian students with a pre-University degree (Pish Daneshgahi) may qualify to apply directly to university.
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