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	Using AS in critical thinking
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Choosing GCE or VCE qualifications


		11-16 schools

		6th form schools

		Colleges

Why have two types of qualification?

General and vocational qualifications provide different ways of learning and different ways of being assessed.

In the general AS and A level there is a stress on:

theory
external examinations (roughly two-thirds of the total assessment is normally external)

The vocational AS and A level concentrates on:

an applied, practical approach
internal portfolio-based assessment (roughly two-thirds of the assessment is internal).

Comparing general and vocational A level qualifications

The two types of A level qualification have complementary roles: almost whatever a student's interests, the subject matter can be approached through GCEs (general A levels) or VCEs (vocational A levels).

Common subject matter

General and vocational qualifications often deal with very similar subject matter, but in different ways. Sometimes the titles are the same, or very similar, as in business studies and performing arts. Sometimes the titles are quite different, but there is significant common subject matter. The vocational A level in health and social care, for example, contains aspects of human biology, psychology and sociology.

The table below shows some of the main areas of related subject matter.



	GCE AS and A level		Vocational AS and A level

	Art		Art and design

	Business studies		Business Retail and distributive services

	ICT		ICT

	Sociology Biology Psychology		Health and social care

	Business studies Geography PE		Leisure and recreation Travel and tourism

	Biology Chemistry Physics		Science

	Art Design and technology		Construction and the built environment

	Design and technology mathematics Physics		Engineering

	Design and technology		Manufacturing

	Home economics		Hospitality and catering

	Media studies		Media: communication and production

	Performance studies		Performing arts

Choosing general (GCE) or vocational (VCE) qualifications

Some students naturally tend towards theoretical and abstract learning. Some students are practically minded people who enjoy solving problems. Some students enjoy the variety of both approaches.

In deciding which qualifications to use, a sixth form or college has to decide which are likely to be the appropriate qualifications for their students and how much choice of qualification type they should offer.

Since the vocational and general AS and A levels often offer different ways of learning similar subject matter, there are several ways a student could choose between them and several reasons why a sixth form or college might want to offer one or the other or both.

Selecting the appropriate qualification - four ways of choosing



	Alternatives		Qualifications are chosen according to which learning and assessment styles are preferred. A student may take entirely one type of qualification, or a combination of both types - perhaps theoretical study in two areas and practical study in a third area.

	Route change		One style of qualification is chosen, but in the knowledge that if it proves unsuitable, the student can switch to the other. If three GCE sciences prove to be too abstract an approach, a student could switch to AVCE science.

	Reinforcement		The student studies both GCE and AVCE in a similar area. Study in one qualification reinforces learning in the other qualification. So, a student who might be naturally inclined to the more practical form of learning provided by VCE is nonetheless able to expand their range of achievement and their grasp of the subject matter by achieving both a vocational double award A level in health & social care and a general AS in human biology.

	Vocational commitment		The traditional vocational curriculum in further education has been 18 units in one vocational area. In Curriculum 2000 this can be achieved by combining general and vocational qualifications. So, a student could take a double award AVCE in art & design and a GCE A level in art. They would not be repeating the same learning because they would take different aspects of art in each qualification, perhaps ceramics in the AVCE and photography in the GCE.

Also see

> Guidance and support for 16-19 students

Case studies

> Using qualifications