Information about Curriculum 2000

Curriculum 2000 was a reform of the A-level examination in the United Kingdom. It was introduced in September 2000 (with the first AS-level examinations held in Summer 2001 and A2 examinations the following year), an A-level now consists of six units studied over two years. Normally, three units are assessed at the end of the first year, and make up a stand-alone qualification called the "AS-level" (or Advanced Subsidiary level). Another three modules are assessed at the end of the second year, which make up the "A2". A2 units do not form a qualification in their own right; the satisfactory completion of the AS and A2 units in the same subject is required to constitute a complete A-level.

Due to the modular structure, units can be taken in January and June of the year. Previously, each unit may be retaken once, however there is now no limit on the number of times a unit may be retaken. For example, if a student achieved satisfactory results in two of three AS units in his or her lower sixth year, he or she may choose to retake the examination in the following year alongside the A2 units. Some schools choose to sit all of their AS and A2 examinations at the beginning of the first or second year. In the first case, this means students complete the A-level in one year, which is possible for more academically able students. In the latter case, students do not have the opportunity to resit any units and have a more stressful workload at the end of their second year, although by reducing the amount of time taken for exam leave and conducting examinations, more time is available to study the subject in more depth.

Units are assessed by exam papers marked by national organisations and internally-assessed coursework. Four organisations set and mark exam papers in England and Wales (AQA, Edexcel, OCR and the WJEC). The CCEA sets them in Northern Ireland. International exams managed by Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) also have A-levels in a variety of subjects.

The reaction to the new style and structure of qualifications was mixed; whilst many schools and colleges welcomed the increased flexibility and the nature of the modules, the Key Skills courses were increasingly targeted as a failure. Many students were exempt from taking these courses as they had the relevant GCSEs, leaving some classes empty. General apathy towards the courses from UCAS and most universities meant that Key Skills was dropped from some LEA requirements by the end of 2003.