Re: Education Stuff (Split Off From "Journal Info" Thread)
@samboo, no we don't have A-levels, or GCSEs. What's a GCSE?
We do have other types of tests, though. The two main tests used to determine one's eligibility for college are teh ACT and the SAT; the mean nothing, or if they do it's pretty irrelevant because I don't know what they mean.
There is a council that gives each test, usually about five times per year. In your final two grades, 11th and 12th, you can take the tests as many times as you want, but generally you find out which your college of choice prefers, and take that one once or twice to get a good score.
That along with your high school grades, your extra-curricular envolvement, and some other stuff determine your eligibility for a university.
There's also a test called the AP test. This is where things get difficult. In each university, there's a set number of basic classes you have to take, regardless of what degree you choose to pursue. Many high schools offer these classes, but they're much more rigorous for a high school student, and are thus called AP, or Advanced Placement, classes. At the end of the year, you can take an AP test, and that is graded on a scale from 1-5. If you score a 3, 4, or 5, you can get college credits, or essentially test out of that class in your university, which serves time, money, and hassle.