Dr. Çetiner’s Blogs (Dr. Beytullah Gültekin Çetiner)

What are A-Level Exams?
The A-level Exam, an acronym for Advanced Level Exam, is a General Certificate of Education qualification in England, Northern Ireland and Wales, usually taken by students during the optional final two years of secondary school (Years 12 & 13*, commonly called the Sixth Form except for Scotland), or at a separate sixth form college or further education college, after they have completed GCSE or IGCSE exams. The qualification is recognized around the world and is used as a sort of entrance exam for some universities. (In Northern Ireland, classes are numbered differently - the final two years of optional secondary education are called Year “13″ and “14″.)

It is a non-compulsory qualification taken by students in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, students usually take Highers and Advanced Highers of the Scottish Qualifications Certificate. However, very few schools offer the A-level as an alternative (usually private schools).

A-levels are also taken in some Commonwealth countries, including Bangladesh, Pakistan, the Commonwealth Caribbean, Cyprus, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Gibraltar, Brunei, New Zealand, Malta, Zambia and South Africa. In India, the same system is followed, though the names of the exams are different. Due to respective changes in the systems, these examinations differ both in terms of content and style from the A-levels taken in the United Kingdom but the standard remains relatively the same. Nevertheless, the British GCE A-levels are taken all around the world, as many international schools choose to use the British system as the examinations are widely recognised. Furthermore, students may choose to sit the papers of British examination bodies at education centres such as British Councils around the world.

You can get more information about these exams from your local branch of British Council. More information is available here.

Jeddah Students Among Cambridge High Achievers 2007
I am very happy to hear that my daughters Emine Rumeysa Çetiner and Fatma Şeyma Çetiner both ranked first in the World in Business Studies in the A Level (AL) Exam and As Level Exam in June 2007 International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE).

I asked them to place an interview herein on how to become a high achiever, and express their feelings *. They said they would be pleased to share their secrets with others when the time permits from their studies.
The following is the extract from ArabNews. The original article is here.

Jeddah Students Among Cambridge High Achievers
JEDDAH, 1 May 2008 — Students from local schools who excelled at the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE), Advanced Subsidiary (AS) and A Level (AL) University of Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) were awarded certificates at a ceremony held in collaboration with the British Council here yesterday.

They included eight IGCSE students, two of them ranking third in the world, four AL candidates, with Emine Rumeysa Cetiner of Jeddah Al-Wadi International School ranking first in the world in business studies, and seven AS level students.

“I feel great,” Amir Ashraf of Al-Wadi International School (Boys), who ranks third in the world among high achievers in chemistry at IGCSE, told Arab News. He is keen on studying medicine in Canada.

The other IGCSE third world ranker is Zainab Omer Naeem El-Ahmadi (in Arabic) of the Manarat International School.

Khaled Jamal Al-Amoodi of Al-Waha International School received three certificates of excellence in geography, French as foreign language and math.

Pakistan International School’s (English Section) Syed Farhan Bukhari and Muhammad Shahrukh received brilliance awards for their achievement in AS and A Level examinations, respectively.

“The students achieved the best results in the June 2007 Cambridge examination session. The awards recognize students who have scored the highest marks in Saudi Arabia in a single subject at either IGCSE, AS or A Level,” said William Bickerdike, CIE’s regional manager.

Bickerdike, who is currently on a two-week visit to the Kingdom, presented the certificates. Richard Falvey, British Council’s regional examinations manager, is accompanying Bickerdike on his tour of the Kingdom.

P.S. Thanks to the friends for the congratulations

* Rumeysa has decided to share her experiences in her blog Rumeysa Cetiner and has written already her first on this issue in How to Study Smartly. Happy blogging Rumeysa. I hope the blogging will not cause goal displacement in your studies.