The O-Level (Ordinary Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education (GCE). It was introduced as part of British educational reform in the 1950s alongside the more in-depth and academically rigorous A-Level (Advanced Level). England, Wales and Northern Ireland replaced O-Levels with GCSE exams in 1988. The Scottish equivalent was the O-grade (replaced by the Standard Grade).
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The O-Level was predominantly exam-based. This was advantageous for students in part-time or evening education; however, some commentators were critical of the exam-based approach offering a limited proof of the student's overall academic ability in comparison with other methods (e.g. coursework-based assessment). There was no summative "school certificate": each subject was a separate O-Level in its own right. The sociological reseacher Pirie found that the O-Level was advantageous to boys because of exam-based learning. Pirie also observes that the GCSE focus on coursework has disadvantaged boys reversing the gender gap in attainment, to the degree where in all subjects girls outperform boys, including traditionally male subjects such as sciences and P.E.
Originally O-Level passes were at Grades 1 to 6, with grades 7 to 9 being a fail. Most examination boards later introduced a standard system of grading with A, B, C, D and E as passing grades and U (Unclassified) as failing grade. Exams graded U were not listed in the certificate. In the 1970s the University of London joined the standard system of grading.
In 1988, O-Level qualifications in the UK were replaced by a new system, the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE). This meant that the final O-Level examinations were taken in 1987, while the curriculum for the new system was introduced in 1986. However the O-Level is still used in many Commonwealth countries, such as Bangladesh, Brunei, Ghana, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius,India and also in Trinidad and Tobago. Some British schools also reverted to exams based on the O-Levels.[1]
O-Levels continue to thrive as well respected international qualifications for students in other countries, who use them for preparation for advanced study in their own country and/or access higher education overseas. In June 2005, 12 million candidates from more than 200 countries registered for O-Level examinations across the world. Institutions that offer O-Levels are Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) [1], American Council for Higher Education and Edexcel International [2].
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