Further education and training in Wales - Trailblazers

• AS/A Levels and Advanced Extension Awards
AS (Advanced Subsidiary) and A (Advanced) level
qualifications focus on in-depth study of particular subjects.
They are particularly useful for entry to higher education as
well as employment. A levels usually take two years to
complete full-time, and are made up of the AS level and the
A2. The AS level can either be taken as a single qualification
in the first year, or as the first half of the full A level. If you
decide to go on to the second year this is known as the A2.
If you are likely to get an A grade at A level in a particular
subject, you might want to consider taking an Advanced
Extension Award (AEA) in that subject. This allows you to
build on the knowledge you have gained during your A level
studies at a higher level, and is useful for university entry.
• Welsh Baccalaureate
This is a qualification for students in Wales. It combines
personal development skills with existing qualifications such as
A levels, NVQs and GCSEs to make one wider award that is
valued by employers and universities. You can study in
English or Welsh, or a combination of both, and there are three
levels:
- Foundation Diploma (for students likely to achieve mainly
D to G grades at GCSE or NVQ level 1 or equivalent).
- Intermediate Diploma (for students likely to achieve mainly
A* to C grades at GCSE or NVQ level 2 or equivalent).
- Advanced Diploma (for students likely to achieve A levels
or NVQ level 3 or equivalent).
To achieve the qualification you must complete a Core
Programme of key skills, along with your chosen ‘Options’ (for
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