The General Certificate of Education or GCE is a secondary-level academic qualification, which is used in Britain as well as in some former British colonies. It is often divided into two levels: Ordinary level (O-level) (replaced in 1986 by the GCSE in certain countries) and Advanced level (A-Level), although other categories exist. Since 1999 when it was introduced, the Advanced Subsidiary level (AS-level) has also come into wider use. The qualifications are administered by examination boards. History The GCE was originally introduced in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in 1951, replacing the older School Certificate (SC) and Higher School Certificate (HSC). It was intended to cater for the increased range of subjects available to pupils since the raising of the school leaving age from 14 to 15 in 1947. The examinations were graded into ordinary level for 16-year-olds, and advanced level for 18-year-olds. There was also an intermediate level alternative ordinary level (AO-level)

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O Level
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