Dual options for A-Levels
HELP University is the first centre in the country to offer both the Edexcel International Advanced Level (IAL) and the Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) programmes. Both top-ranked examination boards operate under guidelines for quality, standards and consistency specified by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) of the United Kingdom.
The IAL follows a modular system, which allows students to retake any module to improve their subject grade without having to repeat an entire level. Thus, only the highest mark scored in any sitting will be taken into account.
Unlike the IAL, the CIE follows a linear system. This requires students to take the exam in two phases, AS level and A2 level, to make up a full pass. While each level accounts for 50% of the total marks, any dissatisfied student must sit the entire level and the last score will be taken into account.
HELP A-Levels students continue to score high in both IAL and CIE and have an excellent track record for admission to top universities. Last year, Wong Tzer Chyuan, who scored A*s in mathematics and further mathematics and As in physics and chemistry, was admitted to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to study computer science.
MIT – along with Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Princeton, Cornell, Stanford and UCLA – are some universities in the United States that accept HELP students.
The number of admissions of HELP students to top UK universities such as the London School of Economics and Imperial College London has also increased substantially in the previous year.
Vigneesh Ravindra, who is currently pursuing his BSc in Actuarial Science at London School of Economics (LSE), scored A*s in maths, further maths and chemistry and an A in physics in his A-Levels exams.
Three students have been admitted to Cambridge University. Teh Kuok Ren, who obtained A*s in maths, physics, biology and chemistry, will be studying medicine. Cheyanne Xie will study chemical engineering while Andrew Foong will study electrical and electronic engineering.
“Admission to Cambridge University has become common for our A-Levels students. This is possible not only because of the quality of the teaching, but also the coaching and the nurturing provided by our lecturers,” says Datuk Dr Paul Chan, HELP University president and vicechancellor.
“Hundreds of students score straight As, but our students possess a certain edge over others; they display strong character, confidence and an intelligent mastery of the subject matter that goes beyond the mere regurgitation of facts,” says Dr Chan. “This is crucial when they face the interviewers from Cambridge who have to separate the wheat from the chaff.”
Jahn Cheah, dean of the HELP Faculty of University Foundation Studies and director of the A-Levels programme, is especially proud of HELP’s achievement in its first sitting of the Cambridge exams with 42% of students obtaining straight As.
“Our lecturers’ track record of achieving outstanding results in the Edexcel exams has now been strengthened with their success in the Cambridge exams,” says Cheah.
HELP’s A-Levels centre is part of HELP Education Group’s strategy in diversifying and reinforcing the modes of entry to higher education.
Last year, its status as a centre of first choice was reaffirmed when it was given a number of awards by Pearson Edexcel, the world’s leading A-Levels examining board.
Five of its top A-Levels students were given the Pearson High Achiever Awards for their exceptional overall performance in the 2013 Edexcel exams (out of 10 winners in the whole of Malaysia). They are Laura Oh, Lim Xiang Pei, Loi Kuan Jon, Ooi Wen Li and Melissa Chee.
In tribute to HELP’s A-Levels centre, Pearson honoured it with the Centre of Excellence Award in recognition of the outstanding academic performance of its students in receiving Pearson High Achiever Awards during the 2013 examinations.
For more information, visit www.help.edu.my