Studying the A-Levels in Malaysia at the Best Colleges and Universities
After SPM, students can choose the popular A-Levels before going on to university studies. The A-Levels is short form for Advanced
Level which the higher level General Certificate of Examinations taken by students in the UK. It is recognised worldwide for entry into universities.
The A-Levels is a rigorous programme and prepares students well for studies such as medicine, pharmacy, engineering, law and more.
Generally, it is 15 or 18 months in duration depending on which college and intake. There are two types of A-Levels offered by the colleges, one is the Cambridge A-Levels and the other is the Edexcel International Advanced Levels A-Levels.
Students generally take 3-4 subjects for the A-Levels and it is important to take the right combination of subjects depending on what you want to take up for your degree studies.
If you choose the wrong combination of subjects, you may not be able to enter into the degree course of your choice. Please talk to the college counselor and choose carefully.
How to choose the Best College or University for the A-Levels in Malaysia?
To succeed in the A-Levels, it is important to choose the best college or university in Malaysia that fits you. A-Levels is a tough programme and if you just choose the cheapest or nearest to your house, you may well just not do well in the exams. To choose the best college or university for A-Levels in Malaysia you should consider the following:
- Experience of the lecturers. A-Levels is about the lecturers and not the college. The lecturers are the ones who will help you to succeed. The more experienced they are, the better they are at helping you to understand the concepts and principles of the course, so that you are able to answer properly.
- Length of time the lecturers have been with the college. How long the lecturers have been with the college is also important. the longer they have been with the college, the better because they would be familiar with the systems in the college, scholarship and university applications to top overseas universities. They will know how to prepare you from the beginning to make sure you fulfil the requirements for the scholarships and the applications.
- Personal attention. If the classes are too big, you would not have personal attention from the lecturers to help you in your studies. Just like a Tae Kwon Do class, if the class has 100 students, do you think you would be able to improve your skills?
- Facilities. Top colleges and universities for A-Levels in Malaysia will have good facilities so that you can perform the experiments well and gain in-depth understanding of the course.
- Student culture. If you join a university or college where there is too much distraction, you may not be able to focus. A-Levels is a tough course and if you join a college where most students are partying or playing around, your dream of being a doctor or dentist may just fly away.
- Award-winners. Awards won by students are an indication of the quality of the course at the college.
- Student support. The university should have student support in place to help you to study and to focus on your studies. The student support will also help you in your university applications and scholarship applications.
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Entry Requirements into the A-Levels in Malaysia
Generally you will need at least 5 Credits in SPM to enter into the A-Levels. However, if you plan to study Pharmacy or Dentistry, you will need at least 5Bs in the science subjects while the entry requirements for Medicine could be raised to 5As in the science subjects.
Why take the A-Levels in Malaysia?
- Not sure yet of what to study for your degree
- Score and get scholarships to top universities in the world
- A challenging course to prepare you well to take on degree studies sucessfully
- Good A-Level grades are key to admission into the world’s leading universities and institutions of higher learning.
- Good A-Level grades can also result in one full year of advanced standing at universities in the USA and Canada.
Cambridge A-Levels
Fact | Details |
Duration and Intakes | 1.5 years of 3 semesters: January March July |
Entry Requirements | SPM, O Levels or equivalent 5 credits including English and Mathematics/Science Subject pre-requisites apply |
No. of Subjects | A minimum of 3 or a maximum of 4 A Level subjects |
Subjects Offered | Mathematics Further Mathematics Chemistry Physics Biology Economics English Literature Law Accounting |
Examination Sessions | May / June October / November |
Assessment Style | 100% external examinations in 2 phases: Advanced Subsidiary Level (AS Level) and A2 Level |
Awarding Body | University of Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) |
Cambridge GCE A-Levels (CIE or CAL) in Malaysia
Cambridge GCE A-Levels is the ‘gold standard' qualification, which is based on rigorous, academic syllabus that optimises the abilities of talented students with a wide range of abilities and stretches the full potential of the most able students.
The GCE A Level qualification places emphasis on in-depth knowledge, deep understanding, strong reasoning abilities and critical thinking.
It is arguably the most widely recognised pre-university qualification in the world, readily accepted as proof of superior academic ability for entry into world-class universities around the world.
The Cambridge A-Level curriculum provides a firm bedrock of fundamental knowledge by guaranteeing comprehensive coverage in the breadth and depth of each subject offered.
Students are assessed for their mastery of subject matter, their application of knowledge and understanding to everyday scenarios and their ability to think critically in unfamiliar situations. In the Sciences, a fair part of the assessment involves the demonstration of lab-based skills.
The Cambridge International AS and A-Levels courses are viewed as equivalent to the AS and A-Levels in the UK, and are accepted for entrance to all UK universities.
Cambridge A-Level Assessment
The Cambridge GCE A-Level programme follows a ‘staged' assessment, in contrast to the traditional linear A-Levels where all subjects are assessed in a single examination session at the end of the course.
The Cambridge A Level consists of two stages, namely the Advanced Subsidiary (AS) Level and the Advanced 2 (A2) Level. Its flexibility enables students to sit for the AS level in one examination and complete the final Cambridge International A-Levels at a subsequent session.
The A-Level subject syllabi are divided into the AS Level, which is the first half of the programme and form the foundations of A-Level, and the A2 Level, which is the second part of the syllabus and covers more difficult topics, with each level contributing 50% towards the final A-Level grade.
Students take the A-Level examinations conducted by the University of Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) in two phases: AS Level and A2 Level.
AS Level will account for 50% of the marks while Advanced Two (A2) Level the other 50%.
Students who complete the correct pattern of AS level units (usually 2 or 3 units at this level, depending on the subject) will be awarded an AS level certificate.
A2 refers to the final stage of A-Levels. Students who have successfully completed AS units in a subject move on to do A2, which are of a higher standard.
Completing the correct sequence of subjects at both AS and A2 level means students have finished a full A level in a subject.
University places often need a number of grades at A-Level (so both AS + A2 in a subject) but completed AS awards also attract UCAS points and are often counted towards university entrance.
There is also a performance feedback session where students who have completed the AS level will receive valuable feedback on their performance, thus identifying their own strengths and weaknesses that will help them set learning goals for the A2 level.
To score an A* in the Cambridge A-Levels in Malaysia, you require an average of 90% in your both AS and A2 units to qualify for an A*. If a student scored very highly in AS and only got grade A in A2, but overall uniform mark scale (UMS) is 90% or above, it's an A*
The examination papers at both the AS and A2 Levels are set and marked by examiners from Cambridge International Examinations.
18-month programme | AS examinations | End of Semester 2 |
3 semesters (1 semester = 6 months) | A2 examinations | End of Semester 3 |
The Cambridge AS and A2 Level examinations are conducted in May/June and October/November. Results are released in
August for the May/June examination and in January for the October/November examination. Students receive a certificate after completing the AS Level examination, and the A Level certificate after completing both the AS Level and A2 Level examinations.
Are Cambridge A-Level Students able to retake an exam if they are dissatisfied with the results?
- You can discuss your options with your subject lecturer. It is possible to retake subjects.
- However, students unsatisfied with any of their individual units must re-sit the entire level.
- Also, some university courses, such as medicine, sometimes require students to have taken all their AS or A2 units in a single sitting without any re-sits.
- It might be worth considering having the paper remarked.
Cambridge GCE A-Levels at UCSI University
UCSI University offers the Cambridge GCE A-Levels that has a well-established reputation for being excellent preparation for
university, employment and life. It develops in-depth subject knowledge and understanding for students - which universities and employers heavily emphasise on – and help students gain places at leading universities worldwide.
All universities in the United Kingdom and over 450 universities in the United States recognize the Cambridge International AS and A-Levels, including Harvard, Yale, MIT and Stanford.
UCSI University offers the 18-month Cambridge GCE A-Level programme, with examinations scheduled in June and November. Focus is placed on personalised student attention by the A-Levels team of dedicated lecturers.
UCSI University has an excellent track record of students with a high percentage of A*s and As achieved for each examination.
Over the years, the A-Level Academy has seen many batches of students through with excellent A-Level results. Some have chosen to pursue their degree programmes in top-notch universities worldwide like Imperial College London and Kings College London in the UK, University of Melbourne in Australia and National University of Singapore.
Many have also elected to further their studies through the various home-grown degree programmes offered by UCSI University, ranging from Medicine, Pharmacy, Nursing, Biotechnology, Food Science, Engineering, Psychology and IT, to name a few.
Countless numbers of UCSI students have obtained full or partial scholarships; for example, the Singapore ASEAN Undergraduate Scholarship, the Wesleyan Asian Freeman Scholarship and JPA scholarships.
Our best students have been awarded the Top A-Level Student Award for consecutive years. The fact that UCSI University's A-Level Academy produced more Top 10 Achiever Awards than any other institution in the world in 2010- clinching six awards for physics, five for biology and three for chemistry
Edexcel International Advanced Levels A-Levels in Malaysia
Why Edexcel A-Levels?
- Widest options & opportunities
- Knowledge & strong preparation for further studies
- Students sit for the exams in the same time as UK students
- Worldwide recognition
- Modular System (curriculum 2008) allows student to retake any modules to improve subject grade
- Professional Recognition: recognised by Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA), UK and fully accredited by the Malaysian Qualifi cations Agency (MQA)
- Top ranked examination board
Edexcel International Advanced Levels at HELP Academy
HELP Academy is one of the best A-Level institutions in Malaysia with a strong reputation for producing top scorers. Their record
is as below:
- Record 70 World Top Awards in Accounting (23), Law (15), Chemistry (10), Physics (8), Biology (6), Maths (2), Further Maths (5), English Literature (1). (Most recently, 37 Top Awards in Malaysia)
- Toray Science Foundation Awards for 7 years running Declared “Best & Largest A-Levels Centre in the World” (Edexcel World Conference in Hong Kong, 16 March 2011)
- 47% straight As in one year alone.
- Increasing list of scholarship recipients for admission to top universities in the UK, USA and Australia.
- In 2013, HELP Academy was awarded by Pearson Edexcel in recognition as Top Performing Registered Training Centre.
In the January 2014 A-Level results, 27 students from HELP University obtained straight A's.
HELP University students constantly achieve excellent results to obtain scholarships from top universities in the world.
Chang Ruo Lin, who is a Bachelor of Business (Accounting) Year 1 student at HELP University has been awarded The Melbourne International Fee Remission Scholarship (MIFRS).
This Scholarship will cover part of her tuition fee at the University of Melbourne for the duration of her studies at the university. A point to note is that Ms. Chang Ruo Lin also scored 4 As in her A-Levels at HELP University.
In the June 2013 A-Level exam results, there was a dramatic increase in the number of straight A's from 40% last year to 46.5% this year was announced: a total of 135 students scored straight A's.
Many of HELP Academy's A-Levels students have received scholarships from prestigious bodies such as:
- Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam (JPA)
- Singapore Government Investment Corporation (GIC)
- Bank Negara Scholarship
- Maybank Scholarship
- CIMB Corporate Scholarship
- Yayasan Sime Darby Scholarship
- Maxis Scholarship for Excellence
- Khazanah Nasional Global Scholarship
- ASEAN Scholarship
- SHELL Scholarship
- Securities Commission of Malaysia Scholarship
- University Scholarship and many more…
Edexcel International Advanced Levels A-Levels Subjects Offered at HELP Academy
Minimum 3 or maximum 4 from different rows:
- Mathematics
- Economics
- Accounting
- Law
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Physics
Cambridge Board A-Levels Subjects Offered at HELP Academy
- Mathematics
- Further Mathematics
- Chemistry
- Physics
- Biology
- Economics
- English Literature
- Law
- Accounting
Why Study the Cambridge Board A-Levels and the Edexcel International Advanced Levels A-Levels at HELP Academy
- Getting The Edge (GTE) for Personal & Leadership Development: In order to cultivate leadership and organisational skills, students are encouraged to participate in the prestigious GTE program. Under this program, students get to work closely with our most experienced lecturers on various winning science projects, participate in creative writing and drama workshops, challenging yet fun mathematic workshops and to develop the technological skills through the multimedia workshops.
- Centre of Excellence: The Department of A-Levels at HELP University was accorded the Centre of Excellence award by Edexcel International, UK for exceptional delivery of the London Examinations GCE A-Levels, in recognition of HELP's superior facilities, outstanding quality of teaching by qualified and experienced lecturers, and for the excellent pastoral support available to their students.
- The A-team: HELP A-Level lecturers are not only experienced, but also dedicated. We have an indisputable great team of lecturers to guide and motivate our students to strive for excellence
- Superior Facilities: HELP offers state-of-the-art facilities, especially the Curie Science labs, which are equipped with top quality apparatus and safety features. These labs are acclaimed to be among the best in the world by the A-Levels Biology Chief Examiner from the UK.
- Outstanding Track Record: 39% of our students scored outstanding straight As and attained an impressive passing rate of more than 90%. Many are also admitted to prestigious universities worldwide with scholarships.
- University Placement Service Centre: Dedicated staff from this centre to assist A-Level students in their application for admission to universities worldwide and in their bid to secure scholarships.
- Unique Pastoral Care: Each A-Level student at HELP is assigned to a mentor, usually a lecturer, who serves to
- Critical Thinking Skills or Social Skills are basically subsidiary papers and non-traditional subject - not an entry requirement into universities.
- Some colleges impose this subject to have their lecturers fulfil their annual workload hours.
- At HELP, our A-Level lecturers have been trained to infuse the Critical Thinking Skills in each subject offered. This exposes you to real life scenarios via "stretch and challenge" approach adopted in the teaching and learning effort. Learning becomes much more interesting as you are able to relate to the knowledge acquired to real life application of it.
What's the difference between the Cambridge A-Levels and the Edexcel A-Levels in Malaysia?
Academic system: The Cambridge A-Level programme follows a staged assessment route to A Level by taking the AS Level inThe Edexcel A- Level programme follows a modular system. Most Edexcel A-Level students would sit for 1-2 papers per subject at the end of every 5 to 6-month period.
Examination board: Edexcel and CIE are both examples of UK examination boards which provide a range of exams and qualifications. All exam boards operate under the guidelines produced by the JCQ (Joint Committee for Qualifications).
There is no difference in the level or degree of difficulty between the examination offered by Edexcel and CIE. The specifications of syllabuses might differ but both of them are recognized by colleges, universities and employers all around the world.
The Edexcel International Advanced Levels A-Levels modular system aims to test you on the application of each unit, and hence a student can choose to repeat a single unit on its own, without having to repeat an entire level.
Only the highest mark scored in any attempt will automatically be taken into account.
The Cambridge Board, on the other hand, is linear-based. Students attempt to take the examinations in two stages, AS & A2 Level.
Students unsatisfied with any of their individual units must re-sit the entire level, i.e. either AS or A2, and only the last score will automatically be taken into account.
The best A-Levels Pre-Law course at KDU University College
KDU University College and KDU College Penang has been offering the A-Levels for more than 20 years.The A-Level programme at KDU UC is internationally recognised as the gateway to degree courses in various fields. KDUUC has
In the June 2012 Examination Session saw 40% of students scoring straight A’s in the Advanced Subsidiary exam.
Since 1983, KDU University College (KDUUC)’s A-Level students have readily gained acceptance into prestigious universities in the UK, US, Australia, and Singapore, based on their excellent results.
KDU students once again have done the university proud by winning top honours at the recent Outstanding Cambridge Learner Awards ceremony for June 2012.
Heading the list is KDU UC’s Best Overall Student, Jolyn Tan Lay Shian (Arts), a JPA-sponsored student, who garnered two awards in the June 2012 examinations.
She won the Top in the World award for Accounting (A-Level) as well as the First Place in Malaysia – Best Across 3 A-Level Subjects award. Jolyn is currently pursuing her Degree in Accounting and Finance at the University of Warwick, Coventry
Another notable high achiever is Wong Jian Eu, a home schooled student through O-Levels who won the Outstanding Cambridge Learner Award – Top in Malaysia forHistory (A-Level).
After much hard work and diligence, Wong Jin Eu is now living hisdreams after being accepted to read History at the University of Oxford.
Two others who made into KDU UC’s roll of honour are Yvonne Ng Ee Lyn, a JPA sponsored student and Song Cai Li, a Petronas sponsored student, who both won theOutstanding Cambridge Learner Awards-Top in the World for Mathematics (A-Level).
The best A-Levels Pre-Law course at KDU College Penang
KDU College Penang proves once again that it is the best college in Penang for the A-Levels with Cheah Chung Yin, scoring 8 A's in the GCE A-Level examination is an "unbelievableChung Yin who is an ex-SMJK Chung Ling Butterworth student, scored distinctions for his
Accounting, Biology, Business Studies, Chemistry, Economics, Further Mathematics,
Mathematics, Physics papers, as well as A stars in two of them.
KDU Penang takes pride in producing students with outstanding A-level results since its
establishment in 1996. Inter alia, the Centre for Pre-University Studies (CPUS) has amongst its records Top in Malaysia/Top in the World awards, 45% of straight-A’s.
"A lot of people advised me against taking so many papers but I always knew what I wanted to do," said Cheah, who obtained distinctions in Accounting, Biology, Business Studies, Chemistry, Economics, Further Mathematics, Mathematics and Physics, obtaining the coveted A star in two of the subjects.
With this stellar achievement which was a pleasant surprise for his lecturers at KDU College Penang, Cheah is considering pursuing his education in one of the prestigious higher learning institutions, either in Europe or Australia.
Other notable mentions for academic excellence in the examinations include Chua Ping Chan, Ho Shou Hao, Law JunHui, and Lee Zhui Shin, who all scored 4 A stars in the examination.
Dr. Chong Beng Keok, the CEO & Principal of KDU College Penang, who was clearly elated by the success of the students commented, “We have always been known for our students’ fantastic A-Levels results but this year’s achievement is extra special considering that we have managed to further increase our collective average percentage of A’s for all subjects in the recent examination. Overall, more than 45% of our A-Level students scored 3 A’s and above. I would like to commend the students’
The academic achievements of the students at KDU College Penang proves that KDU is the best college for A-Levels in Penang.
One year A-Levels Pre-Law Programme at KDU College Penang
absorb the lessons well.
Twelve years of past A-Levels examination paper compilation at KDU College Penang
All CPUS students are given complete compilations of course syllabi and past–year examination papers as from October/November 2002. Through practises and discussions among classmates and with lecturers, students at KDU Penang are well-prepared for the real scrutiny.
Superb laboratories and facilities at KDU College Penang
KDU Penang is a purpose-built campus equipped with the latest science laboratories and personalised workstations to facilitate its students’ learning needs.
The school insists on letting the students using individual apparatuses, running their own experiments during class.
Largest pool of full-time A-level academic staff in Penang
KDU Penang A-level students are being taught by committed, caring, full-time academic staff with around 12 years of teaching experience.
Each student is assigned a class advisor as the school understands that sound advice and good pastoral care is of paramount
There will also be parent-teacher meeting which is held every semester to communicate students’ tracked progress.
Dynamic learning experience at KDU College Penang
In CPUS, the students are not confined to the four walls of classrooms, they are given the opportunities to gain valuable
experiences and learn new things which are not taught in textbooks.
The extra curriculum activities help to enhance their soft-skills and build their portfolios.
KDU College Penang offers scholarships to deserving students who have done well in the SPM exams. Hostel accommodation is also provided for outstation students.
Student interested to register at KDU College Penang may go to this link.
KDU College Centre for Pre-University Studies ensures that besides the dissemination of theoretical knowledge, hands-on experiences are also introduced via projects.
In the 2013 A-Levels exams, the following KDU Penang students have achieved excellent results:
OCT / NOV 2013
No. | Name | Result |
1 | Lim Chun Jiat | 4A’s* |
2 | Chan Zi Xin | 2A’s* + 1A’s |
3 | Goh Song Jia | 1A’s* + 3A’s |
No. | Name | Result |
1 | Cheah Chung Yin | 2A's* + 6A's |
2 | Chua Ping Chan | 4A's* |
3 | Ho Shou Hao | 4A's* |
4 | Law Junhui | 4A's* |
5 | Lee Zhi Sin | 4A's* |
6 | Ho Ching Khai | 3A's* + 1A |
7 | Teoh Sheng Qi | 3A's* + 1A |
8 | Hoo Yu Heng | 2A's* + 2A's |
9 | Cassandra Tan Yee Ling | 2A's* + 2A's |
10 | Poh Wei Church | 3A's* |
11 | Chan Chun Sam | 2A's* + 1A |
12 | Choo Jia Hui | 1A* + 3A's |
13 | Lee Zhi Zhen | 1A* + 3A's |
14 | Yoon Tien Ming | 1A* + 3A's |
15 | Teh Xue Kai | 1A* + 2A's |
16 | Chan Hsu-Lynn | 3A's + 1B |
17 | Yip Swee Yan | 3A's + 1B |
18 | Leong Ven Han | 3A's + 1C +1b |
19 | Chong Yu Shen | 3A's |
20 | Gan Quan Hong | 3A's |
21 | Hooi Zi Yang | 3A's |
22 | Low Jia Jun | 3A's |
In the 2012 A-Levels exams, the following KDU Penang students have achieved excellent results:
1 | Lee Chun Sian | A*, A*, A*, A* |
2 | Justin Looi Su Min | A*, A*, A, a |
3 | Chew Li Ean | A*, A*, A |
4 | Bernard Yap Zhe Yang | A*, A, A, A |
5 | Cheah Xing Yi | A*, A, A |
6 | Quek Chia Ying | A*, A, A |
7 | Ahmad Fikri b. Anwar Fadzil | A, A, A, A |
8 | Loh Wan Jian | A, A, A, A, b |
9 | Seah Jo Ling | A*, A, B |
10 | Lim Ai Lynn | A*, A, B |
11 | Tan Wei Ming | A*, B, C |
12 | Yeoh Ann Jill | A*, B, C |
13 | Lee Shaun Rui | A, A, A, B |
14 | Loh Jing Ping | A, A, B, B |
15 | Tay Shiek Lin | A, A, B |
16 | Ching Ching Ming | A, A, B, D |
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