Education System

Primary School [Ages 5 to 11]

• Six years
• 1st and 2nd Grades are called ""infants""
• 3rd to 6th Grades are called ""juniors""

Compulsory education begins at the age of five where students pass from Grades 1 to 6 learning subjects such as English, maths and science.

Secondary School [Ages 11 to 16]

• Five years
• Grade 10 students begin studying for "GCSE" exams (in nine or ten subjects)
• GCSEs are at the end of Grade 11

Students enter secondary school at the age of 11 and study for five years. As they progress with their education, students deepen their knowledge of the subjects they studied at primary school. In Grade 10, they begin preparing to sit for a series of examinations called the General Certificate of Secondary Education, or GCSE's. Students are normally tested on nine ot ten GCSE subjects, four of which are of their own choice, ranging from biology to history.

6th Form College [Ages 16 to 18]

• Two years
• 1st year called ""Lower Sixth""; second year called ""Upper Sixth""
• A level examinations take place at the end of both year 1 and year 2 with the combined score giving the final A level result.

After sitting the GCSE exams, secondary students may leave school to enter the workforce, pursue training programmes at technical or vocational schools, or continue studying for two more years to prepare for university entrance exams, called A-Levels. Typically, a university bound student prepares for three or four A-Level examinations often done at specialised schools known as Sixth Form colleges. The higher the A-Level examination grade, the better a student’s chances of getting into a top ranked university.

University GCSEs are at the end of Grade 11

• Three (occasionally four) years
• Years are divided into two semesters or three terms
• Bachelors degree is awarded upon completion
• Students take course subjects in their degree area and sit final exams

At the undergraduate level, students in the UK pursue Bachelors degree programmes in the arts and sciences. These usually last for three years, during which students complete courses and tutorials in their field of study. Graduating students are usually required to sit final examinations. Entrance requirements for international students include English (with a minimum IELTS level of 6.0)and an additional year of secondary school education studies, known as a University Foundation Year or A-Levels.

Postgraduate Studies Ages 21+

• One year (occasionally two years)
• A Masters degree is awarded upon completion
• Students must complete coursework, write a Masters thesis and sit final exams
• Masters students can continue studying for a doctoral or PhD degree

University studies can be continued at the postgraduate level. Traditional Masters degrees are either in the Arts (MA) or Sciences (MSc). An increasingly popular Masters degree is a Masters in Business Administration (MBA). Masters programmes last from one to two years and require both exams and a thesis to graduate. Some specialised academic, research and professional careers require the completion of a doctoral programme, or PhD, which may include four to five years of advanced study and research as well as a formal dissertation.

For most of these programmes, international students are required to have a recognised undergraduate degree and an English level of at least IELTS level 6.5.For MBA programmes, students are normally required to have at least two years of relevant work experience in order to be accepted.