A levels and GCSE's

Do American Universities consider A-levels as being more important than IGCSE's when judging an applicant, or are they about equal?

Reply 1

justkai

In the US IGCSE's are equivalent SATs or ACTs and A-levels are basically just your high-school average. So I'd think that IGCSE's are little more important and heavily measured to be accepted to a US university but you're also at an advantage when transferring credits with A-levels since British curriculum grading is weighed more than US curriculum.

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(edited 3 years ago)

Reply 2

kamara41

Original post by justkai

No, that's not true.

Your SAT or ACT is your SAT or ACT. Both US and international students must have a standardised test score for most schools (this year is a little different due to Covid, however). The closest equivalent to the SAT and ACT in the UK is the BMAT or LNAT, but not for a specific subject.

The US equivalent to GCSEs and Predicted A-level grades are the grades a US student has achieved throughout their high school career, found on their transcript.

As to whether GCSEs or predicted A-levels are more important, it actually depends on the uni. Some unis will weigh predicted A-levels more heavily as they are more recent, whereas I know that others pretty much ignored them as they are only predicted, so both GCSE and predicted A-levels will need to be strong. Though your SAT or ACT score, extracurriculars, essays, letters of recommendation, and ability to pay will also be considered.