What are AEAs?

Advanced Extension Awards (AEAs) were introduced in 2002 to test the most able GCE students against standards comparable with the most demanding ones found across the world.

AEAs are aimed at the top 10 percent of GCE students. They allow students to demonstrate:

their knowledge;
depth of understanding;
ability to think critically and creatively; and
ability to show an understanding of the connections between the different elements of the subject.

AEAs are based on the Advanced GCE subject criteria, and they do not require additional teaching or resources. They are designed to be accessible to all able students, whatever their school or college and whichever specification they are studying. They require no extra content to be taught.

Students take an AEA qualifications in addition to the GCE award. Students are awarded a grade on a two-point scale: Distinction and Merit, with Distinction being the higher award. Students who do not reach the minimum standard for Merit are recorded as ungraded. A Distinction is worth 40 UCAS points, and a Merit worth 20 points. Assessment is by external examination.

AEAs also help universities differentiate between the most able candidates, particularly in subjects with a high proportion of A grades at Advanced Level.