Uk equivalent of Canadian education.
Aug 23rd 2002, 10:39 pm
#1
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Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 2
Uk equivalent of Canadian education.
Hi everyone. I'm a canadian citizen and i'm thinking of enlisting in the british army. If i want to be an officer, it says i need at least 5 GCSEs and 2 A levels. I'm a high school graduate who is just starting college. Do I have those?
Aug 24th 2002, 8:25 am
#2
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Uk equivalent of Canadian education.
anixon wrote:
> Hi everyone. I'm a canadian citizen and i'm thinking of enlisting in the british
> army. If i want to be an officer, it says i need at least 5 GCSEs and 2 A levels.
> I'm a high school graduate who is just starting college. Do I have those?
> --
> Posted via http://britishexpats.com
GCSEs and A-levels (Advanced levels) are exams (sort of like SATs and APs); if you
don't know what they are, then most likely you haven't taken them.
:-)
I don't know if they're offered outside of the UK: I think there is an international
GCSE, but I don't know anything about that.
> Hi everyone. I'm a canadian citizen and i'm thinking of enlisting in the british
> army. If i want to be an officer, it says i need at least 5 GCSEs and 2 A levels.
> I'm a high school graduate who is just starting college. Do I have those?
> --
> Posted via http://britishexpats.com
GCSEs and A-levels (Advanced levels) are exams (sort of like SATs and APs); if you
don't know what they are, then most likely you haven't taken them.
:-)
I don't know if they're offered outside of the UK: I think there is an international
GCSE, but I don't know anything about that.
Aug 24th 2002, 6:44 pm
#3
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Uk equivalent of Canadian education.
yep basicaly GCSE stands for General Certificate of Secondary Education and are taken
by pupils over their last 2 years of highschool and they then sit a million exams
befor ethey leave at 16. In the end you do one in each subject so for example you
have a GCSE in maths or physics or english etc. So a requirement of 5 GCSE's isnt
very high and a Canadian high school diploma is easily equivilant to 5. A levels are
more advanced adn are taken in furtehr education college (16-18) and are more
specific and really the only reason people do them is to get entry to university.
they jsut switched it al around thi slast year but basicaly in the old system peopel
did on average 3 a levels. there isnt really a north american equivilant, but id say
having gained admission into a university/college to do a degree is the equivilant
ebcause youd need at least 2-3 A levels to get onto degree course in the UK. i was
under the impression that to join as an officer you had to have a degree, your best
bet is to email the the recruitment office of which ever force you are interested in
(Army, Royal Navy, RAF) and jsut ask them, i am sure they will tell you what the
requirements are etc.
Drew
"Raghav Krishnapriyan" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:TxG99.226056$UU1.38307@sccrnsc03...
> anixon wrote:
> >
> > Hi everyone. I'm a canadian citizen and i'm thinking of enlisting in the british
> > army. If i want to be an officer, it says i need at least 5 GCSEs and 2 A levels.
> > I'm a high school graduate who is just starting college. Do I have those?
> >
> > --
> > Posted via http://britishexpats.com
> GCSEs and A-levels (Advanced levels) are exams (sort of like SATs and
APs);
> if you don't know what they are, then most likely you haven't taken them.
> :-)
> I don't know if they're offered outside of the UK: I think there is an
> international GCSE, but I don't know anything about that.
by pupils over their last 2 years of highschool and they then sit a million exams
befor ethey leave at 16. In the end you do one in each subject so for example you
have a GCSE in maths or physics or english etc. So a requirement of 5 GCSE's isnt
very high and a Canadian high school diploma is easily equivilant to 5. A levels are
more advanced adn are taken in furtehr education college (16-18) and are more
specific and really the only reason people do them is to get entry to university.
they jsut switched it al around thi slast year but basicaly in the old system peopel
did on average 3 a levels. there isnt really a north american equivilant, but id say
having gained admission into a university/college to do a degree is the equivilant
ebcause youd need at least 2-3 A levels to get onto degree course in the UK. i was
under the impression that to join as an officer you had to have a degree, your best
bet is to email the the recruitment office of which ever force you are interested in
(Army, Royal Navy, RAF) and jsut ask them, i am sure they will tell you what the
requirements are etc.
Drew
"Raghav Krishnapriyan" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:TxG99.226056$UU1.38307@sccrnsc03...
> anixon wrote:
> >
> > Hi everyone. I'm a canadian citizen and i'm thinking of enlisting in the british
> > army. If i want to be an officer, it says i need at least 5 GCSEs and 2 A levels.
> > I'm a high school graduate who is just starting college. Do I have those?
> >
> > --
> > Posted via http://britishexpats.com
> GCSEs and A-levels (Advanced levels) are exams (sort of like SATs and
APs);
> if you don't know what they are, then most likely you haven't taken them.
> :-)
> I don't know if they're offered outside of the UK: I think there is an
> international GCSE, but I don't know anything about that.
Aug 27th 2002, 12:07 pm
#4
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Uk equivalent of Canadian education.
"The Wizzard" <[email protected]> wrote:
> yep basicaly GCSE stands for General Certificate of Secondary Education and are
> taken by pupils over their last 2 years of highschool and they then sit a million
> exams befor ethey leave at 16. In the end you do one in each subject so for example
> you have a GCSE in maths or physics or english etc. So a requirement of 5 GCSE's
> isnt very high and a Canadian high school diploma is easily equivilant to 5. A
> levels are more advanced adn are taken in furtehr education college (16-18) and are
> more specific and really the only reason people do them is to get entry to
> university.
If you're in Ontario, you should have taken some exams/courses (OACs) which I believe
are not equivalent to either GCSEs or A-levels but rather more like the Scottish
Highers i.e. in between the GSCEs and A-levels. If this is the case (I'm just
supposing) then you will probably need three or four OACs in place of two A Levels.
> yep basicaly GCSE stands for General Certificate of Secondary Education and are
> taken by pupils over their last 2 years of highschool and they then sit a million
> exams befor ethey leave at 16. In the end you do one in each subject so for example
> you have a GCSE in maths or physics or english etc. So a requirement of 5 GCSE's
> isnt very high and a Canadian high school diploma is easily equivilant to 5. A
> levels are more advanced adn are taken in furtehr education college (16-18) and are
> more specific and really the only reason people do them is to get entry to
> university.
If you're in Ontario, you should have taken some exams/courses (OACs) which I believe
are not equivalent to either GCSEs or A-levels but rather more like the Scottish
Highers i.e. in between the GSCEs and A-levels. If this is the case (I'm just
supposing) then you will probably need three or four OACs in place of two A Levels.
Aug 27th 2002, 2:36 pm
#5
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Uk equivalent of Canadian education.
Bodza Bodza wrote:
> If you're in Ontario, you should have taken some exams/courses (OACs) which I
> believe are not equivalent to either GCSEs or A-levels but rather more like the
> Scottish Highers i.e. in between the GSCEs and A-levels. If this is the case
> (I'm just supposing) then you will probably need three or four OACs in place of
> two A Levels.
But, OACs are not really exams ... they are credits for grade 13 work (which has now
gone btw) ... yes, you need a minimum standard to get OACs, but it essentially
amounts to show up to all the classes and do reasonably well, and you'll get the
OACs. It's nothing like the challenge of GCSEs or A levels.
> If you're in Ontario, you should have taken some exams/courses (OACs) which I
> believe are not equivalent to either GCSEs or A-levels but rather more like the
> Scottish Highers i.e. in between the GSCEs and A-levels. If this is the case
> (I'm just supposing) then you will probably need three or four OACs in place of
> two A Levels.
But, OACs are not really exams ... they are credits for grade 13 work (which has now
gone btw) ... yes, you need a minimum standard to get OACs, but it essentially
amounts to show up to all the classes and do reasonably well, and you'll get the
OACs. It's nothing like the challenge of GCSEs or A levels.
Aug 28th 2002, 8:35 am
#6
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Uk equivalent of Canadian education.
Stuart Brook wrote:
> But, OACs are not really exams ... they are credits for grade 13 work (which has
> now gone btw) ... yes, you need a minimum standard to get OACs, but it essentially
> amounts to show up to all the classes and do reasonably well, and you'll get the
> OACs. It's nothing like the challenge of GCSEs or A levels.
I think you're probably right on a personal note. The original poster, however,
didn't ask "do you think OACs are as good as GCSEs or A levels" he asked "what will
the (army?) accept as replacement" and I gave him a link to a British University site
which appears to accept OACs as replacements.
The point is academic anyway. When I first came to Canada, I met tons of Canadians
with degrees and their quality of knowledge was POOR. I was disgusted. Ten years
later, when talking to some of the young kids in the UK with degrees it appears they
have experienced grade inflation because their quality of knowledge is ALSO
disgusting. So take your pick.
The only consolation is that, as bad as the Canadian and UK degrees are, the American
degrees (unless you go to Ivy league) are MUCH worse.
> But, OACs are not really exams ... they are credits for grade 13 work (which has
> now gone btw) ... yes, you need a minimum standard to get OACs, but it essentially
> amounts to show up to all the classes and do reasonably well, and you'll get the
> OACs. It's nothing like the challenge of GCSEs or A levels.
I think you're probably right on a personal note. The original poster, however,
didn't ask "do you think OACs are as good as GCSEs or A levels" he asked "what will
the (army?) accept as replacement" and I gave him a link to a British University site
which appears to accept OACs as replacements.
The point is academic anyway. When I first came to Canada, I met tons of Canadians
with degrees and their quality of knowledge was POOR. I was disgusted. Ten years
later, when talking to some of the young kids in the UK with degrees it appears they
have experienced grade inflation because their quality of knowledge is ALSO
disgusting. So take your pick.
The only consolation is that, as bad as the Canadian and UK degrees are, the American
degrees (unless you go to Ivy league) are MUCH worse.
Aug 28th 2002, 6:46 pm
#7
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Uk equivalent of Canadian education.
well at least it evens it out, if UK ones and Canadian ones are as bad as each other
then at least it's a parity of sorts. I guess thats why Masters degrees are becoming
the new standard rather than bachelors. However much as i would love to do a Masters
degree i simply can't afford it, ive already spent 19 years in full time education
just to get to a bachelors degree level and ive built up huge student loans doing
that etc so taking another 2 years to do a masters would just make it ridiculous,
especially being married etc. maybe if it was just me on my own here in the UK i
could live in a shared dive of a house and live on soup for another year or so.
Perhaps if i have the tiem and money ill take a correspondance or par time one once
im settled in Canada. you never know.
Drew
"Bodza Bodza" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected] o-
m...
> Stuart Brook wrote:
> > But, OACs are not really exams ... they are credits for grade 13 work (which has
> > now gone btw) ... yes, you need a minimum standard to get OACs, but it
> > essentially amounts to show up to all the classes and do reasonably well, and
> > you'll get the OACs. It's nothing like the challenge of GCSEs or A levels.
> I think you're probably right on a personal note. The original poster, however,
> didn't ask "do you think OACs are as good as GCSEs or A levels" he asked "what will
> the (army?) accept as replacement" and I gave him a link to a British University
> site which appears to accept OACs as replacements.
> The point is academic anyway. When I first came to Canada, I met tons of Canadians
> with degrees and their quality of knowledge was POOR. I was disgusted. Ten years
> later, when talking to some of the young kids in the UK with degrees it appears
> they have experienced grade inflation because their quality of knowledge is ALSO
> disgusting. So take your pick.
> The only consolation is that, as bad as the Canadian and UK degrees are, the
> American degrees (unless you go to Ivy league) are MUCH worse.
then at least it's a parity of sorts. I guess thats why Masters degrees are becoming
the new standard rather than bachelors. However much as i would love to do a Masters
degree i simply can't afford it, ive already spent 19 years in full time education
just to get to a bachelors degree level and ive built up huge student loans doing
that etc so taking another 2 years to do a masters would just make it ridiculous,
especially being married etc. maybe if it was just me on my own here in the UK i
could live in a shared dive of a house and live on soup for another year or so.
Perhaps if i have the tiem and money ill take a correspondance or par time one once
im settled in Canada. you never know.
Drew
"Bodza Bodza" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected] o-
m...
> Stuart Brook wrote:
> > But, OACs are not really exams ... they are credits for grade 13 work (which has
> > now gone btw) ... yes, you need a minimum standard to get OACs, but it
> > essentially amounts to show up to all the classes and do reasonably well, and
> > you'll get the OACs. It's nothing like the challenge of GCSEs or A levels.
> I think you're probably right on a personal note. The original poster, however,
> didn't ask "do you think OACs are as good as GCSEs or A levels" he asked "what will
> the (army?) accept as replacement" and I gave him a link to a British University
> site which appears to accept OACs as replacements.
> The point is academic anyway. When I first came to Canada, I met tons of Canadians
> with degrees and their quality of knowledge was POOR. I was disgusted. Ten years
> later, when talking to some of the young kids in the UK with degrees it appears
> they have experienced grade inflation because their quality of knowledge is ALSO
> disgusting. So take your pick.
> The only consolation is that, as bad as the Canadian and UK degrees are, the
> American degrees (unless you go to Ivy league) are MUCH worse.
