CAMBRIDGE AICE Frequently Asked Questions & Key Terms

WHAT IS AICE? The Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) is an international diploma. Students can earn the AICE diploma via an advanced academic curriculum and assessment program written and administered by a non- profit department – Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) – of the University of Cambridge in England.

WHAT IS PRE-AICE? There is an optional pre-AICE - or International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) - curriculum and assessment program available for grades 9 and 10. These courses are suitable for honors level high school students.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF AICE? AICE curricula provides the rigorous academic experience required for admittance to competitive universities and the critical thinking skills needed to be successful in this environment. A study done by the Director of Admissions found that AICE program graduates attending the University of Florida had an average end-of-freshman year GPA of 3.46 whereas students coming from other acceleration mechanisms such as Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) had an average GPA of 3.12 and 3.10 respectively. Cambridge qualifications are recognized and accepted by over 450 universities in the United States, including all Ivy League universities, MIT and Stanford.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AS AND A LEVEL? Advanced (A) Level syllabuses and exams cover approximately two years of college-level curriculum in a subject. The Advanced Subsidiary (AS) Level syllabus and exam cover the first year of the two-year Advanced (A) Level curriculum.

HOW DO I EARN THE AICE DIPLOMA? Students must earn seven credits within a twenty-five month period. Credits are earned by passing examinations administered at the end of each course. At least one examination must come from each of the four subject groups: Mathematics & Sciences, Languages, Arts & Humanities, and AS Level Global Perspectives. An AS Level exam counts for one credit towards the AICE Diploma; the A Level exam counts for two credits.

CAN I STILL GET COLLEGE CREDITS IF I DON’T EARN THE FULL AICE DIPLOMA? Yes. Students receive General Certificate of Education (GCE) subject certificates for AS and A Level examinations passed. Colleges award credit on a subject-by-subject basis according to grades earned on individual exams passed.

HOW DO CAMBRIDGE GRADES COMPARE TO THE US GRADING SCALE? Passing grades available on AICE exams range from A* to E with A* being the highest. Performance of students below the threshold of a CIE grade of E receives a grade of U, ungraded, which is not considered passing. A Department of Education AICE program study found that a CIE grade of E most closely correlated with an Advanced Placement exam grade of 3 and a United States grade of C.

CIE GRADING SCALE EXPLAINED AS LevelA Level a* = Highest passing ScoreA* = Highest Passing Score aAaA bBbB cCcC dDdD e = Lowest Passing ScoreE = Lowest passing Score u = UngradedU = Ungraded “Ungraded” indicates the candidate’s performance fell short of the standard required for a passing grade of “e” (AS Level) or “E” (A Level).

DO UNIVERSITIES GIVE COLLEGE CREDIT FOR PASSED AICE EXAMS? Yes. The Cambridge program is recognized worldwide. The following video provides comments by admissions officers of respected universities throughout the United States:

KEY TERMS & BRITISHY LINGO Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a collegiate public research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, Cambridge is the second-oldest university in the English-speaking world and the world's fourth-oldest surviving university.

KEY TERMS & BRITISHY LINGO CIE Cambridge International Examinations. This is the division of the University of Cambridge which administers all global academic programmes. AICE Advanced International Certificate of Education. This is the American education term for the CIE program. It is recognized by Cambridge and universities worldwide. IGCSE International General Certificate of Secondary Education. These are Pre-AICE courses equivalent to an honors level class. AS Level Advanced Subsidiary Level. This is full AICE level coursework generally equivalent to one year of university study. A Level Advanced level. This is full AICE level coursework generally equivalent to two years of university study.

KEY TERMS & BRITISHY LINGO Centre Your school, in this case NMHS. Cambridge curriculum is available in centres across the globe, spanning 160 countries. Candidate You. Cambridge refers to students enrolled in the AICE program as AICE diploma candidates. Scheme of Work Course-specific guides to the Cambridge curriculum.

KEY TERMS & BRITISHY LINGO Paper The term Cambridge uses for AICE exams. When you hear “paper,” think exam. There are a total of 4 papers for English Language (2 at AS Level and 2 at A Level). Mark Points. When Cambridge grades your papers, you receive marks, not points. Marks are only added, not deducted. Papers are worth either 25 or 50 marks, with each prompt carrying a different mark value. Mark Scheme Grading Rubric. This is the rubric used by Cambridge to grade your papers. Sections of the rubric, called bands, have corresponding mark values. The sum of these values are used to determine the overall band (grade) for the paper.

KEY TERMS & BRITISHY LINGO Specimen Paper A sample exam. This is a practice test paper presented in the exact format of the AICE exams. Content is usually derived from past exams, enabling candidates to get a practical idea of what to expect. Specimen Mark Scheme The mark scheme (grading rubric) used to score corresponding specimen papers. These are used by students during peer grading.

KEY TERMS & BRITISHY LINGO Mate Pal or buddy. Cheers Thanks! Hunky-Dory Cool, normal. The Bee’s Knees Something you are quite fond of or impressed with. Bollocks Used to indicate dismay or disbelief. “Ah bollocks!” (Aw shucks). Fortnight Two weeks. Kerfuffle A civil debate or argument. Rubbish Garbage. “Your writing is complete rubbish.” Wanker A jerk. I was caught in a kerfuffle with a man from Oxford for nearly a fortnight. I said Cambridge is the bee’s knees, but he claimed Oxford was better and Cambridge was rubbish. “Bollocks!” my mate said. “Buzz off you wanker.” I slapped my mate on the back. “Cheers, mate,” I said. Everything was hunkey-dory.