GCE Ordinary Level (United Kingdom)
The General Certificate of Education (GCE) Ordinary Level, also called the O-level or O level, was a subject-based academic qualification. Introduced in 1951 as a replacement for the 16+ School Certificate (SC), the O-level would act as a pathway to the new, more in-depth and academically rigorous A-level (Advanced Level), in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Later, the complementary and more vocational Certificate of Secondary Education (CSE) was added to broaden the subjects available and offer qualifications in non-academic subjects.
This article is about the secondary school leaving exam taken in the United Kingdom. For the O Level qualification worldwide, see GCE Ordinary Level.The O-Level and CSE were replaced in the United Kingdom in 1988 by the GCSE[1] and later complementary IGCSE exams. The Scottish equivalent was the O-grade (replaced, following a separate process, by the Standard Grade). An O-level branded qualification is still awarded by Cambridge International Examinations in select locations.
Structure[edit]
O-levels were predominantly exam-based; this had advantages for students in part-time or evening education. Some commentators criticised this mainly exam-based approach as offering only partial proof of the student's overall ability in comparison with other methods (e.g., coursework-based assessment). There was no summative 'school certificate': each subject was a separate O-level in its own right.
Madsen Pirie argued that the O-level was unfairly biased to boys because of the emphasis on exam-based learning, and therefore girls were placed at a disadvantage.[2] Pirie also observes that the GCSE focus on coursework has now disadvantaged boys, and has reversed the gender gap in attainment to the level where, in all subjects, girls outperform boys.
Exam boards[edit]
The O-Level syllabi, examinations and awards were made by 9 independent boards: Associated Examining Board, Durham University Examinations Board (dissolved 1964), Joint Matriculation Board, Oxford and Cambridge, Oxford, Southern, Cambridge, London, and Welsh Joint Education Committee.
Unlike CSE examinations the participating schools had a choice of syllabi and awarding body, and were not required to use a designated local board.
Later developments[edit]
The O-level qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland were replaced by the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE), phased in by 1986 with a couple of subjects, and completed for all subjects the following year. However, the O-level brand is still used in many Commonwealth countries, such as Bangladesh, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, and Singapore, instead of or alongside the IGCSE qualifications. The Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination was also benchmarked against the O-levels for comparable subjects. But it has switched to benchmark against the IGCSE. The School Certificate of Mauritius continues to use the O-level exams.
O-levels continue to thrive as well respected international qualifications for students in other countries, who use them for preparation for advanced study in their own country and/or access higher education overseas.. Institutions that offer O-levels include Cambridge International Examinations (CIE).[13]
Cambridge International Examinations offers curricula for approximately 40 different subjects.[14]