It’s been over two weeks since the School Leaving Certificate (SLC) examinations ended. Students are now focusing on their higher secondary level education. This is a critical time for them as they have to choose the appropriate course in good colleges.

Parents and students looking for the right college may want to choose Advanced Levels (A Levels). Students can get an international degree for an affordable fee. There is growing demand for this course as A Levels provides high-quality education after 10 years of school. Affiliation with the University of Cambridge means that students can take pride in joining a course of international standard in Nepal.

A Levels has a long history in Nepal. It began at Budhanilkantha School in the mid-1980s. By the early 2000s, private schools began offering the course which allowed the general public to access the programme. Since then, A Levels has become available at various colleges in the Kathmandu Valley and elsewhere in the country.

The records at the British Council—which monitors and evaluates the institutions that offer A Level education in the country—show that the number of schools that want to include A Levels has reached 41. Apart from the Capital city, the programme is now taught in Biratnagar, Chitwan and Butwal, among other places.

A Levels is a qualification that not just tests the knowledge of students but also their ability to apply that knowledge, to think independently, to solve problems and analyse given evidence, said Michael O’Sullivan, chief executive officer, Cambridge Internati-onal Examinations, in an interview with the Post last week.

“The students in Nepal have been doing well in the examinations for a long time. Indeed, five students among the 48 learners awarded today were world toppers,” he said. “This is fantastic not just for the students, their parents and teachers but also for the country.”

Students believe that A Levels is desirable because of its different academic system and curricula. A Levels inculcates critical thinking abilities in students, said Ural Singh Mishra from Rato Bangala School. “This is the only programme we have in Nepal that provides varied choices to students,” said Mishra, who received the Top in the World Award for scoring exceptionally high grades in English Language and Literature in the AS Level examinations held in June 2015. The GCE A Levels is a two-year pre-university programme that is accepted by over 500 universities across the globe. The first year of the course is called the AS Level, while the second year is referred to as the A2 Level.

A major component of the course is that it nurtures creativity in students and promotes their critical thinking and reasoning abilities. Many students say that the course has helped them become more confident, imaginative and reflective.

Sanskriti Timseena of Chelsea International Academy said students will get hooked on the course if they are truly interested in it. “A fair amount of support from family and teachers will easily help students to succeed,” said Timseena who bagged the World Topper Award for Sociology in the A Level examinations.

Another student, Pratik Chaudary, a coding enthusiast from Xavier International College, said his interest in coding was further enhanced by A Levels, fuelling his aspiration to become a successful programmer in the future. Chaudary bagged the Top in Nepal in Mathematics in the A Level examinations award and the Best Across Three Cambridge International A Levels award.

The diverse choice of courses from English to Physics and Economics also attracts students to A Levels. The different approach to education compared to traditional rote learning is what makes A Level a little more special, say a majority of the students. Furthermore, a wide blend of subjects and exposure to international curriculum makes learning exciting.

Sushant Tripathi, coordinator of A Levels at the Malpi Institute, said that students wishing to pursue studies abroad had also been choosing A Levels. “Our students are as competent as other students across the globe.

This helps them to be accepted by many reputed colleges in the world,” said Tripathi. “Also, an A Levels certificate is highly prestigious and is an added advantage when seeking placement in the best colleges.”