Navigating US University Admissions: What Is the Equivalent of A-Levels?

In the UK and internationally, A-Levels are a staple of secondary education for students bound for university study. This means many students outside the US aspiring to attend a US university may wonder what the US equivalent of A-Levels would be. In this post, Crimson Education admissions strategist Tze Kwang Teo explains why in the US Advanced Placement (AP) courses and exams are the closest equivalent to A-Levels. Teo also highlights similar features the International Baccalaureate program offers and explains some important if nuanced differences between A-Levels and Advanced Placement that students should bear in mind if they want to position themselves to be top applicants to leading US universities.

A-Levels play a very prominent role in helping students navigate and qualify for admissions to leading UK universities. In fact, UK students and international students eyeing UK universities or other leading institutions around the globe often pursue these widely respected qualifications to achieve and demonstrate exceptional academic readiness on their way to university study.

As such, students looking to apply to selective US universities are likely to wonder do A-levels have an equivalent in the US, and if so, what is it?

Advanced Placement (AP) courses and exams, administered by the College Board are widely used in the US and have many features and functions similar to A-Levels, making the AP Program the most equivalent to A-Levels.

But there are also some important differences in how APs fit into secondary education and in the role they play in the admissions process — important but less central than the role of A-Levels in UK admissions.

If you're eyeing US admissions, it's important to understand both what traits these qualifications share and some of the nuanced differences — especially how they fit into secondary education and the admissions process in the US, where a larger mosaic of standardized exams and other academic measures are also given considerable weight for admissions.

Key Features of A-Levels

In the UK, A-Level courses offer secondary students with advanced subject-matter curriculum, culminating in an exam. As such, A-Levels are a staple of the UK education system, but almost exclusively for university-bound students:

• Students typically take A-Level courses and exams only in the final two years of secondary education, during “6th Form” in the UK system, to qualify for university admission.
• A-Levels cover subject matter concepts and skills in depth, and the subjects are aligned with UK university courses (degree tracks and majors).
• They provide a uniform metric for UK university admissions providing students an achievement target specific to the university and university program they're seeking to qualify for.
• Students specialize in 3 or 4 subjects that are specifically relevant to the course of study they plan to follow at university.
• Exam preparation typically involves a two-year period of study with a culminating exam in each subject area.
• Each student’s level of achievement or qualification is measured uniquely by the mark the student earns on each exam.

The US Equivalent: Advanced Placement (AP) Courses and Exams

The Advanced Placement program (AP) is a common curriculum offering at many public and private US high schools that shares many similarities with A-Levels.

In most high school settings, AP courses align with common required and elective subjects. However, the AP course and exam are often offered as an alternative to a less rigorous “regular education” course for the same subject.

This makes the AP course a way to fulfill specific subject requirements for secondary school with accelerated and rigorous academic standards .

Some reasons US students pursue the more challenging AP courses is in order to earn post-secondary credits early and/or to benefit from the challenges of greater academic rigor and subject matter depth — making AP courses a way to stand out when they apply to a selective university.

A-Levels and Advanced Placement (AP) Courses: Key Similarities

✓ Both are subject specific

✓ Both are used to help secondary students develop and demonstrate university foundations and for "advanced placement" — to earn post-secondary credits early

✓ Both have standardized curriculum and external exams, offering objective metrics of subject-matter achievement and proficiency

✓ Both are recognized and administered  internationally, for university preparation and as uniform and rigorous qualifications for university admissions

Some Unique Features of the AP Qualification

• Students receive course grades in each AP course and have internal exams, so they can earn credit for their learning without sitting for the external exam (making the external exam an optional qualification).
• A student can register and sit for an AP exam without taking the corresponding AP course, so some students opt to prepare for an AP exam through self-study, perhaps with help from a tutor or other resources, or electing to take the AP course online, as a supplement to their regular secondary education coursework.
• AP courses can impact students’ grade point average (GPA), because a grade earned in an AP course is “weighted” compared to the equivalent regular education course.
• A single AP course is generally taught over the course of one year on a high school class schedule and often represents about a full semester of university-level material. However, in some cases a school may teach an AP course in one semester, depending on the subject and scheduling needs of the school design.

As you can see, some important ways AP courses and exams fit into the school design differ from A-Levels, even if APs are clearly the closest US equivalent.

Let's take a closer look, providing a side-by-side comparison of A-Levels and AP.

Comparing A-Levels with AP

1. Academic Scope and Focus

• While both A-Levels and AP are designed to help students build deeper subject-matter mastery, A-Level achievements generally represent a deeper level of subject mastery compared to AP courses and exams, on account of their longer course duration and exam formats.
• AP courses are more broadly integrated into the curriculum beginning with the second year of high school in the US, whereas A-Levels in the UK tend to be reserved for the very final years of secondary school and almost exclusively for preparing for university admissions.
• Different emphasis on specialization: A-Levels are primarily for academic specialization with high relevance for one's planned university course of study. APs reflect an interest in accelerated learning within a more universal high school course progression that emphasizes subject matter breadth and exploration.

2. Exam Scoring

Both A-Level exams and AP exams have formal, standardized exams and exam formats, with scores used as objective indicators of a student's level of achievement in the subject.

In fact, the scoring scales are also fairly similar, although A-Level exams assign a letter grade ranging from A*/A to E, and AP exams assign a number, in a range from 5 to 1.

3. Credits for Advanced Standing in College

In addition to qualifying you for admission, strong marks on A-Levels in the UK can also pave the way for a student to qualify for advanced in standing when they get to university.

AP courses and exams can offer a similar advantage. But, policies do vary widely by university and degree program, and it does require taking and the AP exam and scoring well — typically a 4 or 5 on the AP exam will be required.

4. International Profile & Currency

While A-Levels are a staple of UK secondary education and university entrance requirements, and Advanced Placement or AP courses and exams have similar popularity in US high schools, A-Levels and the AP Program also have significant international profiles.

Achievement on either A-Levels or AP exams is an almost sure-fire way to demonstrate your qualifications for university study, but A-Levels have the greatest international reach for sure, while the AP program tends to be offered primarily in international schools with a US curriculum.

A-Levels/AP vs. IB (International Baccalaureate)

Another way students commonly build and demonstrate advanced secondary qualifications is through a comprehensive curriculum model called International Baccalaureate (IB).

IB curriculum is also a comprehensive and challenging avenue for secondary students, and also comes with an international profile and reputation for quality.

This means IB exams, taken at the end of IB study, have essential features that make them similar to A-Level and AP exams. In the US, admissions officers will most likely see strong marks on IB exams, A-Level exams, or AP exams as roughly equivalent — recognizing that outstanding achievement on these exams requires an exceptional level of subject-matter mastery.

How Widely Recognized Are IB Qualifications in the US?

The popularity of the IBDP (International Baccalaureate Diploma Program) in the US rivals that of many other countries, with IBDP offerings at more than 900 US high schools. This number is relatively small however compared to the overall number of US high schools offering several or more AP subject courses.

In fact, about 80% of US high school students go to schools offering five or more AP courses. So while IBDP university prep curriculum and qualifications could also be deemed an equivalent for A-Levels in the US, the AP program popularity is more reflective of the superior reach A-Levels enjoy in the UK and internationally compared to IBPD.

Other US Scholastic Achievement Measures

In the UK system, students take A-Levels almost exclusively to prepare for and qualify for admission schools and programs they want to get into.

In the US system, there are other important academic measures for US admissions assessed alongside APs. These include other measures of academic rigor and other standardized tests, making room for some additional confusion for students trying to understand the role of A-Levels and their equivalent in US admissions.

Non-Academic Measures Used for US Admissions

In addition to academic measures, other more holistic indicators also tend to carry more weight in the US, compared to UK university entrance requirements.

• Level of participation in extracurricular activities — for demonstrating traits such as commitments to community service, aptitudes for leadership, sportsmanship, time-management skills, and so forth. These can include non-academic extracurriculars such as football, less-academic ones, such as drama or orchestra, and more academic ones, such as a research project or participating in high-level math competitions.)
• Personal statements and reflective essays — for helping admissions officers assess written communication skills, self-awareness and clarity about values and goals, readiness for university life, and an individual’s potential “fit” with an institution’s larger campus community or educational ethos.

A Note on Updates to the UCAS Application and Personal Statement Format

Beginning in application year 2025, an updated UCAS will have changes to the Personal Statement format, shifting to one that uses three more specific questions (prompts) to guide students' reflections.

As a result this application component will now more closely resemble some of the reflective essay formats and prompts common to US applications, in addition to putting more explicit emphasis on eliciting information about students' extracurricular activities.

How To Choose the Best Qualification?

We've looked at the ways A-Levels and the AP program are both similar and different. We've also pointed out that IB (the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme) also offers secondary students a rigorous foundational curriculum for university-bound students, and its own respected qualifications.

Which is best? That's hard to answer except with a more personalized approach. Top universities in the US recognize A-Level, AP, and IB courses and qualifications as exemplifying the kind of depth and rigor required for university foundations.

In general, we'd recommend students consider access — what options are available in their home country and school setting or online, and fit — how each option best supports their university goals, personal learning interests, styles, and preferences, and plans they're making to achieve those goals. If you're not sure, ask your Crimson strategist or another guidance counselor if you're not part of the Crimson network.

Final Thoughts

You now know that AP (Advanced Placement) courses and exams are the closest equivalent you’ll find in the US to A-Levels.

Both are also widely recognized and respected qualifications as metrics for university admissions in the US. In addition, a high mark on an A-Level exam will typically be regarded as demonstrating greater depth of subject matter knowledge and mastery than a similar mark on an AP exam.

However, because APs are not used as exclusively for meeting university entrance requirements as A-Levels are in the UK system, students in the UK or other countries aspiring to apply to US universities need to understand how these similar qualifications fit into the US admissions process.

If you have more questions about US admissions, or you’re eyeing universities in the UK or EU, let’s talk!

We have leading strategists for admissions who specialize in helping students applying to specific destinations, schools, and programs. Talking to someone in person is as easy as signing up here for a free feedback session and expert answers to your questions about the next steps of your university journey. Our friendly counselors want to hear how you're charting your path to a transformative university education — from anywhere in the world to anywhere in the world — and give you the insights and resources to help make you a top applicant!