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How many a-levels required for me to study abroad

Hello everyone ! I’m an international student in grade 11 .I have 6 IGCSE O-level and completed 1 As level .I was wondering how many a-levels are needed for me to study in Sweden,Austria,Finland,Norway,Poland and Italy . I still didn’t choose what country I want to study in ,but these are my options and depending on how many a-levels each country requires I will choose the final country .(I still have one year to finish high school so if anyone knows the requirements in any of these counties I would really appreciate the help !)

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Original post by Yasmeenghanem
Hello everyone ! I’m an international student in grade 11 .I have 6 IGCSE O-level and completed 1 As level .I was wondering how many a-levels are needed for me to study in Sweden,Austria,Finland,Norway,Poland and Italy . I still didn’t choose what country I want to study in ,but these are my options and depending on how many a-levels each country requires I will choose the final country .(I still have one year to finish high school so if anyone knows the requirements in any of these counties I would really appreciate the help !)

Hi,
Three A Levels are normally the general standard requirement, but check with the specific institutions you want to study at to be safe! All the best!
Samantha, Official UoP Rep
Original post by Yasmeenghanem
Hello everyone ! I’m an international student in grade 11 .I have 6 IGCSE O-level and completed 1 As level .I was wondering how many a-levels are needed for me to study in Sweden

As an international student going to Sweden myself, you only need 2 A-levels "at a passing grade" in order to meet the basic entry requirements for your application to be considered. Note that some courses require higher entry requirements.
This is the Swedish UCAS equivalent with a fill list of requirements for studying in Sweden with British Qualifications: https://www.universityadmissions.se/en/apply-to-bachelors/provide-application-documents-bachelors/required-documents/united-kingdom-england-wales-northern-ireland/#meeting-the-general-entry-requirements
Qualification/grade levels in Sweden can be a bit difficult to understand - they are usually presented between 1-5 (e.g. English 2, Mathematics 4, Sciences 1)
Grade levels 1-3 are usually equivalent to a GCSE
Grade 4 is equivalent to an AS Level,
Grade 5 is equivalent to a full A Level.
(note that they don't care of the individual grade you got, as long as its a passing grade. So these are considered to be at GCSE - grade C/4, At A Level - grade E)
Reply 4
Hi! Sorry I know this is an old forum but would Lund university accept these terms? I’m considering applying for an International Business bachelors and cannot find any requirements for my A-Levels except for the ones at universityadmissions.se . i got CCD and 1A*, 3As and 4Bs at GCSE so i’m slightly worried about them accepting me
depends on the uni, best to ask them specifically. usually 3 is fine, if u really want to then you could dp 4, although not sure how beneficial it’ll be
Original post by magjejq
Hi! Sorry I know this is an old forum but would Lund university accept these terms? I’m considering applying for an International Business bachelors and cannot find any requirements for my A-Levels except for the ones at universityadmissions.se . i got CCD and 1A*, 3As and 4Bs at GCSE so i’m slightly worried about them accepting me

I got into Lund with the exact same A-level grades for the BSc in Physical Geography. The requirements for Business are that of English 6, Mathematics 3b/3c and Social Studies 1b/1a1 + 1a2. Essentially, that convers to a c/4 in GCSE English Language and a pass at a humanities subject at GCSE. Level 1-2 stuff equates to GCSE equivalent. Level 3 is poorly defined and I struggled to find a UK conversion equivalent. Anything A-Level / UK level 3 is class as Swedish level 4. If it's of assistance, I got into my course with a C in AS maths and that was classed as level 4. I would guess if you've done some sort of post secondary maths then you should be fine. Best ring up admissions sweden and see if they can give you an answer.

Now if you fit the grades, do know that program is pretty competitive with about 1700+ applicants a year (and I think thats only the swedish applicants)
https://www.uhr.se/studier-och-antagning/antagningsstatistik/detaljsida/?utbildningId=762DE8BFE9527674C50FF93115C74E00&astasearchperiod=HT21&astasearchfor=LU-80417&astasearchcategory=
The link above goes to the admission statistics for the course (google translates it as Master's program but it does infact refer as the "Kandidatprogram" which means bachelors), just so you get a sense of what merit rating you require. Bare in mind that HT refers to Swedish applicants, IKHT (if I remember correctly) refers to applicants apply in the international application round (Nov-Jan with results in April).

below are some more links regarding the grades but you've probably already come across these.
https://www.uhr.se/en/start/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/qualifications-assessment-tool/?cid=30&eid=0
https://www.universityadmissions.se/en/apply-to-bachelors/provide-application-documents-bachelors/country-instructions/united-kingdom-england-wales-northern-ireland/

Hope this helps! Even if you're unsure, there's no harm in putting in an application - there's always a chance!
Reply 7
Original post by magjejq
Hi! Sorry I know this is an old forum but would Lund university accept these terms? I’m considering applying for an International Business bachelors and cannot find any requirements for my A-Levels except for the ones at universityadmissions.se . i got CCD and 1A*, 3As and 4Bs at GCSE so i’m slightly worried about them accepting me

Hey I'm also in your situation. I got CCE and 5A**-A 3Bs and 3Cs at GCSEs. Was your ccd in your A2 results?
Reply 8
Original post by SoonToBeExpat
I got into Lund with the exact same A-level grades for the BSc in Physical Geography. The requirements for Business are that of English 6, Mathematics 3b/3c and Social Studies 1b/1a1 + 1a2. Essentially, that convers to a c/4 in GCSE English Language and a pass at a humanities subject at GCSE. Level 1-2 stuff equates to GCSE equivalent. Level 3 is poorly defined and I struggled to find a UK conversion equivalent. Anything A-Level / UK level 3 is class as Swedish level 4. If it's of assistance, I got into my course with a C in AS maths and that was classed as level 4. I would guess if you've done some sort of post secondary maths then you should be fine. Best ring up admissions sweden and see if they can give you an answer.

Now if you fit the grades, do know that program is pretty competitive with about 1700+ applicants a year (and I think thats only the swedish applicants)
https://www.uhr.se/studier-och-antagning/antagningsstatistik/detaljsida/?utbildningId=762DE8BFE9527674C50FF93115C74E00&astasearchperiod=HT21&astasearchfor=LU-80417&astasearchcategory=
The link above goes to the admission statistics for the course (google translates it as Master's program but it does infact refer as the "Kandidatprogram" which means bachelors), just so you get a sense of what merit rating you require. Bare in mind that HT refers to Swedish applicants, IKHT (if I remember correctly) refers to applicants apply in the international application round (Nov-Jan with results in April).

below are some more links regarding the grades but you've probably already come across these.
https://www.uhr.se/en/start/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/qualifications-assessment-tool/?cid=30&eid=0
https://www.universityadmissions.se/en/apply-to-bachelors/provide-application-documents-bachelors/country-instructions/united-kingdom-england-wales-northern-ireland/

Hope this helps! Even if you're unsure, there's no harm in putting in an application - there's always a chance!

Hey congrats on getting a place. Do you know how much it is to study at Lund university? Thanks
Aye so I got in with a C in Geography, C in French, D in Physics and C As Mathematics. With 12 GSCEs A*-6.
In terms of cost... nothing if you hold citizenship in an EU/EEA member state. Otherwise you are looking at tuition of SEK 300 000 (£25k) for the full 3 year course. Bare in mind everyone needs to live and survive. CSN, the student finance in Sweden, gives you just over 10,000kr per month part loan+grant. Though be aware that you'll probably not be eligible for CSN so think out finance from the UK somehow.
Original post by SoonToBeExpat
Aye so I got in with a C in Geography, C in French, D in Physics and C As Mathematics. With 12 GSCEs A*-6.
In terms of cost... nothing if you hold citizenship in an EU/EEA member state. Otherwise you are looking at tuition of SEK 300 000 (£25k) for the full 3 year course. Bare in mind everyone needs to live and survive. CSN, the student finance in Sweden, gives you just over 10,000kr per month part loan+grant. Though be aware that you'll probably not be eligible for CSN so think out finance from the UK somehow.

Oh okay thanks for the help. I got a C in bio, C in geo and E in chemistry alongside 5 9-7s 3 6s and 3 5s at GCSE Level. I wish i did french at A Levels as I'm partly french ahaha, I actually did my french GCSEs in year 9 and got an A**. And yeah, I'm an EU student with a swiss passport who just somewhat done his secondary education in the UK. How are you funding for everything then, are you getting a loan from CSN or UK, working part time, or getting support from parents etc? and also could you estimate the cost of living there. Thanks.
(edited 2 years ago)
Reply 11
Original post by Spla917
Hey I'm also in your situation. I got CCE and 5A**-A 3Bs and 3Cs at GCSEs. Was your ccd in your A2 results?

Yep those were my A2 results :smile:
Original post by magjejq
Yep those were my A2 results :smile:

Oh okay, are you solely planning on studying abroad?
Reply 13
Original post by Spla917
Oh okay, are you solely planning on studying abroad?

Yeah, I don’t actually live in the UK but i did my A-Levels and GCSEs because I attended a british school. Ideally I would like to leave the country soon as I can, living conditions are not that great :frown: I found Sweden (or Europe overall) to be a good choice as it’s pretty cheap
Original post by magjejq
Yeah, I don’t actually live in the UK but i did my A-Levels and GCSEs because I attended a british school. Ideally I would like to leave the country soon as I can, living conditions are not that great :frown: I found Sweden (or Europe overall) to be a good choice as it’s pretty cheap

Oh I see. Yeah, Sweden definitely looks affordable and a good place to study
Original post by Spla917
Oh okay thanks for the help. I got a C in bio, C in geo and E in chemistry alongside 5 9-7s 3 6s and 3 5s at GCSE Level. I wish i did french at A Levels as I'm partly french ahaha, I actually did my french GCSEs in year 9 and got an A**. And yeah, I'm an EU student with a swiss passport who just somewhat done his secondary education in the UK. How are you funding for everything then, are you getting a loan from CSN or UK, working part time, or getting support from parents etc? and also could you estimate the cost of living there. Thanks.


Ah very nice! Aye so I'm lucky enough to hold French citizenship - if it weren't for that I wouldn't be studying here. And yes I'm getting a loan from CSN, but I qualify for it because I have immediate family working in Sweden and I'm under 19. Next year to my understanding I won't be able to claim. Though have a look on the CSN website for the conditions.

In terms of living costs in Sweden... it's a mixed bag. Housing is dead cheap compared to the UK - I'm paying 4250kr/ month which equates to about £350... and that's quite expensive accomodation to the norm. usually it's between 3200kr-4000kr (but it's only because I live on a farm and not in proper student accomodation). Public transport is painfully cheap - everything is run though a centralised regional system "SkåneTrafiken" - if you want to get a feel for the price, download the app and mess about with ticket options, For a monthly ticket I'm paying about £50 per month for the entire region. And it's valid for Bus, Rail, Tram and ferry (albeit to one island). That said, you probably won't need public transport in Lund as you'll just cycle on a bike.
The real cost is food... dear god. Food and everything physical is very expensive. between 1.5x-3x more. Don't expect to go eating out often. But for buying basic ingredients and cooking at home, you'll probably be fine. Cheapest supermarket is Willis. ICA is midrange but better quality and then CO-OP is by far the most expensive.

Alcohol is also expensive... and you can't buy anything above 3.5% until you're 20. Then, you'll be allowed to shop at the state monopoly "systembolaget".

On balance, it's still significantly cheaper to study here - mainly because there is no tuition fees. And I would say that student life is very traditionally Swedish. alot more meaningful substance (for lack of a better term) than back at home.
Reply 16
Original post by SoonToBeExpat
I got into Lund with the exact same A-level grades for the BSc in Physical Geography. The requirements for Business are that of English 6, Mathematics 3b/3c and Social Studies 1b/1a1 + 1a2. Essentially, that convers to a c/4 in GCSE English Language and a pass at a humanities subject at GCSE. Level 1-2 stuff equates to GCSE equivalent. Level 3 is poorly defined and I struggled to find a UK conversion equivalent. Anything A-Level / UK level 3 is class as Swedish level 4. If it's of assistance, I got into my course with a C in AS maths and that was classed as level 4. I would guess if you've done some sort of post secondary maths then you should be fine. Best ring up admissions sweden and see if they can give you an answer.

Now if you fit the grades, do know that program is pretty competitive with about 1700+ applicants a year (and I think thats only the swedish applicants)
https://www.uhr.se/studier-och-antagning/antagningsstatistik/detaljsida/?utbildningId=762DE8BFE9527674C50FF93115C74E00&astasearchperiod=HT21&astasearchfor=LU-80417&astasearchcategory=
The link above goes to the admission statistics for the course (google translates it as Master's program but it does infact refer as the "Kandidatprogram" which means bachelors), just so you get a sense of what merit rating you require. Bare in mind that HT refers to Swedish applicants, IKHT (if I remember correctly) refers to applicants apply in the international application round (Nov-Jan with results in April).

below are some more links regarding the grades but you've probably already come across these.
https://www.uhr.se/en/start/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/qualifications-assessment-tool/?cid=30&eid=0
https://www.universityadmissions.se/en/apply-to-bachelors/provide-application-documents-bachelors/country-instructions/united-kingdom-england-wales-northern-ireland/

Hope this helps! Even if you're unsure, there's no harm in putting in an application - there's always a chance!

Thank you so much for your reply it was very helpful! Look forward to hopefully studying in Sweden ☺️
Original post by magjejq
Thank you so much for your reply it was very helpful! Look forward to hopefully studying in Sweden ☺️

Hey did you end up applying?
Original post by SoonToBeExpat
Ah very nice! Aye so I'm lucky enough to hold French citizenship - if it weren't for that I wouldn't be studying here. And yes I'm getting a loan from CSN, but I qualify for it because I have immediate family working in Sweden and I'm under 19. Next year to my understanding I won't be able to claim. Though have a look on the CSN website for the conditions.

In terms of living costs in Sweden... it's a mixed bag. Housing is dead cheap compared to the UK - I'm paying 4250kr/ month which equates to about £350... and that's quite expensive accomodation to the norm. usually it's between 3200kr-4000kr (but it's only because I live on a farm and not in proper student accomodation). Public transport is painfully cheap - everything is run though a centralised regional system "SkåneTrafiken" - if you want to get a feel for the price, download the app and mess about with ticket options, For a monthly ticket I'm paying about £50 per month for the entire region. And it's valid for Bus, Rail, Tram and ferry (albeit to one island). That said, you probably won't need public transport in Lund as you'll just cycle on a bike.
The real cost is food... dear god. Food and everything physical is very expensive. between 1.5x-3x more. Don't expect to go eating out often. But for buying basic ingredients and cooking at home, you'll probably be fine. Cheapest supermarket is Willis. ICA is midrange but better quality and then CO-OP is by far the most expensive.

Alcohol is also expensive... and you can't buy anything above 3.5% until you're 20. Then, you'll be allowed to shop at the state monopoly "systembolaget".

On balance, it's still significantly cheaper to study here - mainly because there is no tuition fees. And I would say that student life is very traditionally Swedish. alot more meaningful substance (for lack of a better term) than back at home.

Damn, I see Sweden is pretty cheap compared to other European countries tbf. How are you planning on funding yourself for next year then? Sorry for the late reply btw
Original post by Spla917
Damn, I see Sweden is pretty cheap compared to other European countries tbf. How are you planning on funding yourself for next year then? Sorry for the late reply btw


That is a very good question... I have no clue yet. It is something I'll be looking into at Christmas.
The university does do scholarships, as does the Swedish Academic Institute - those are worth looking into.

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