Industry News
Cambridge Pre-U is inaugurated
Posted on 28th February 2008
The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority accredited the first five subjects the new Cambridge Pre-U, an alternative to A-levels, this week.
Alone with the International Baccalaureate, which is now favoured by a number of top independent schools, the new qualification is challenging the dominance of the A-level system, the Independent reported.
Kevin Stannard, director of international curriculum development at Cambridge International Examinations, told the newspaper: "We think this package has a lot of purchase on what universities say they want from students."
Charterhouse, an independent school in Surrey, plans to offer the Pre-U in individual subjects from September, alongside A-levels.
Andrew Turner, assistant head at the school, said the Pre-U courses "are meatier" than traditional qualifications.
It is hoped that as more and more pupils achieve the top A-grade at A-level, the Cambridge qualification, with its three tiers of top grades, will help pupils stand out when it comes to university applications.
The UK's top universities, Oxford and Cambridge, have been criticised recently for not accepting enough state school pupils, but a spokesperson for Oxford indicated that the exams taken by students in the state sector are simply not taxing enough. 