A level requirement

[tfj 0]

Hello everyone.

 

I'm from Malaysia and I finished my secondary school here in Malaysia. After some research, I found out that my secondary school certificate (SPM) is not even sufficient to apply for studienkollegs. So, now I am considering to study the Cambridge International A level. Right now, I'm looking into German universities that have medicine studies (I've emailed quite a number of them) like Heidelberg uni, RWTH Aachen, LMU Munich and a few more. As you can see these are some of the top universities that offer Medicine studies... And I know the competition to get in is very high, especially not being a citizen of an EU country (was like like less than 5%?) but if I don't try, I would never know right? 

 

So, I need help, for example

1. What are the best subject combination for CIE A-level? From DAAD Malaysia, it seems like Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and a language subject are necessary.

-The thing about DAAD Malaysia, I feel like their information is outdated. They told me that A level English Literature subject are accepted by the unis in Germany, but when I searched the net, I found a recent document uploaded by Cambridge International saying that Literature will not be accepted. (Therefore, I do not know how much info I receive from DAAD Malaysia can be used)

-the subject combination, if I were to do all the subjects mentioned to A2 level, will that be sufficient to most universities? Or does physics have to be in the picture too?

-in Malaysia, the colleges do not seem to offer A levels English subject. only English literature (I have no idea why!) so it's either I do English subject as an external subject or if any of you have done something else that worked? Such as taking the IELTS? 

 

Any help will be much appreciated. Thank you in advance!

[engelchen 13,040]

On 01/02/2017, 06:35:31, tfj said:

After some research, I found out that my secondary school certificate (SPM) is not even sufficient to apply for studienkollegs.

 

Have you checked out the anabin website? With an STMP you can under certain circumstances be directly admitted to German university. 

 

On 01/02/2017, 06:35:31, tfj said:

Right now, I'm looking into German universities that have medicine studies (I've emailed quite a number of them)

 

Why are you emailing them? 

 

On 01/02/2017, 06:35:31, tfj said:

I know the competition to get in is very high, especially not being a citizen of an EU country (was like like less than 5%?) but if I don't try, I would never know right? 

 

Actually 5% of all places for medicine are reserved for non-EU students. You'll only be competing for a spot with other foreigners (or rather with those who have a foreign Hochschulzugangberechtigung). 

 

How high is your average? If it translates into anything worse than 2.5 on the German scale there is not any point in applying. On the other hand, if your average is better than 1.3 your chances are quite good. 

 

On 01/02/2017, 06:35:31, tfj said:

The thing about DAAD Malaysia, I feel like their information is outdated.

 

The Anabin website is updated twice a year when there are changes and is probably the most accurate source available. 

[tfj 0]

1 hour ago, engelchen said:

Have you checked out the anabin website? With an STMP you can under certain circumstances be directly admitted to German university. 

Yes, I have check the anabin website. I understand that with STPM, I can gain direct admission too. But I do not want to do STPM. 

 

1 hour ago, engelchen said:

Why are you emailing them?

Because I need to know which A-level subjects would they want me to do, so I can maximise my chances of getting in. For example, do they accept English Literature subject or do they only accept English Language subject. Do they want me to take Physics too?

 

1 hour ago, engelchen said:

How high is your average? If it translates into anything worse than 2.5 on the German scale there is not any point in applying. On the other hand, if your average is better than 1.3 your chances are quite good. 

I have no average whatsoever now. I finished my high school and I have not started with any pre-universities studies, which in my case, I plan to study A level. And my high school qualification, as I mentioned above, it's insufficient

1 hour ago, engelchen said:

The Anabin website is updated twice a year when there are changes and is probably the most accurate source available. 

Yes but it does not specify which A-level subjects are required. I've tried looking for it multiple times. 

[Joe-K 124]

On 1/2/2017, 06:35:31, tfj said:

Hello everyone.

 

I'm from Malaysia and I finished my secondary school here in Malaysia. After some research, I found out that my secondary school certificate (SPM) is not even sufficient to apply for studienkollegs. So, now I am considering to study the Cambridge International A level. Right now, I'm looking into German universities that have medicine studies (I've emailed quite a number of them) like Heidelberg uni, RWTH Aachen, LMU Munich and a few more. As you can see these are some of the top universities that offer Medicine studies... And I know the competition to get in is very high, especially not being a citizen of an EU country (was like like less than 5%?) but if I don't try, I would never know right? 

 

So, I need help, for example

1. What are the best subject combination for CIE A-level? From DAAD Malaysia, it seems like Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and a language subject are necessary.

-The thing about DAAD Malaysia, I feel like their information is outdated. They told me that A level English Literature subject are accepted by the unis in Germany, but when I searched the net, I found a recent document uploaded by Cambridge International saying that Literature will not be accepted. (Therefore, I do not know how much info I receive from DAAD Malaysia can be used)

-the subject combination, if I were to do all the subjects mentioned to A2 level, will that be sufficient to most universities? Or does physics have to be in the picture too?

-in Malaysia, the colleges do not seem to offer A levels English subject. only English literature (I have no idea why!) so it's either I do English subject as an external subject or if any of you have done something else that worked? Such as taking the IELTS? 

 

Any help will be much appreciated. Thank you in advance!

 

You should be aware of the fact that the German admissions system is very different from the one the Anglo-saxon world. Admission basically depends on (1) meeting formal requirements and (2) having a high-enough GPA for your intended field of study. There is no such thing as a admissions committee set up by each university to pore over applications to choose next year's student body. Instead of that, there's a database (Anabin) that decides ;-)

 

Going for British A-Levels (or their Cambridge equivalents) is a very good idea because you'll have minimal trouble getting them recognized in Germany. I don't know which specific A-Levels are required for medicine, but if you have Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Maths, I'm sure you'll be fine.

 

As for English, I think German universities will accept various different certificates. No need to do Literature.

 

PS: if you'll be coming with British qualifications, then the  applicable information on the DAAD/Anabin websites is the one for UK students, not the one for Malaysians. Academics is one thing, visas/immigration is another.

 

[engelchen 13,040]

19 minutes ago, tfj said:

Yes, I have check the anabin website. I understand that with STPM, I can gain direct admission too. But I do not want to do STPM. 

 

Why not?

 

19 minutes ago, tfj said:

Because I need to know which A-level subjects would they want me to do, so I can maximise my chances of getting in. For example, do they accept English Literature subject or do they only accept English Language subject. Do they want me to take Physics too?

 

The schools that use uni-assist probably won't even be able to accurately answer your question. Try sending a short specific email to uni-assist regarding the English course.

 

 

[tfj 0]

22 minutes ago, Joe-K said:

Going for British A-Levels (or their Cambridge equivalents) is a very good idea because you'll have minimal trouble getting them recognized in Germany. I don't know which specific A-Levels are required for medicine, but if you have Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Maths, I'm sure you'll be fine.

 

As for English, I think German universities will accept various different certificates. No need to do Literature.

Yeah, the thing is, I'm trying to get physics out of the picture if possible. As for English A level, colleges in Malaysia do not seem to have English subject. They only have English Literature subject. 

 

So, I found out there is this Cambridge English: Proficiency Exam that is equivalent to Cambridge A level English. Although it's equivalent, I'm still afraid if the german universities will not recognise this certificate. Anyone tried this before?

[tfj 0]

10 minutes ago, engelchen said:

The schools that use uni-assist probably won't even be able to accurately answer your question. Try sending a short specific email to uni-assist regarding the English course.

Have you tried to email uni-assist before? I was thinking they would not even entertain these type of questions. But I'll give it a try anyway. Thanks.

[Joe-K 124]

7 minutes ago, tfj said:

Yeah, the thing is, I'm trying to get physics out of the picture if possible. As for English A level, colleges in Malaysia do not seem to have English subject. They only have English Literature subject. 

 

I seriously doubt you need to have an A-Level in English literature to get into a German university. You certainly don't need an A-Level in English for admission to English universities, let alone German ones. 

 

Quote

So, I found out there is this Cambridge English: Proficiency Exam that is equivalent to Cambridge A level English. Although it's equivalent, I'm still afraid if the german universities will not recognise this certificate. Anyone tried this before?

 

If your English is good enough to take the Cambridge Proficiency exam (which is at C2 level on the European scale), then it's good enough to take any exam that will be accepted by German universities.

[engelchen 13,040]

1 hour ago, tfj said:

So, I found out there is this Cambridge English: Proficiency Exam that is equivalent to Cambridge A level English. Although it's equivalent, I'm still afraid if the german universities will not recognise this certificate.

 

No, you can't use the Proficiency Exam.

 

1 hour ago, Joe-K said:

 

I seriously doubt you need to have an A-Level in English literature to get into a German university. You certainly don't need an A-Level in English for admission to English universities, let alone German ones. 

 

 

If your English is good enough to take the Cambridge Proficiency exam (which is at C2 level on the European scale), then it's good enough to take any exam that will be accepted by German universities.

 

The requirement has nothing to with her level of English proficiency, but rather she needs one language A Level. 

[Joe-K 124]

I just had a look at the Anabin database. Here's what it says about the requirements for medicine for those coming from the British system:

 

Quote

• drei der folgenden GCE-Advanced Level-Fächer: Mathematik, Biologie, Chemie, Physik

Translation: 3 of the following A-Levels: Maths, Biology, Chemistry, Physics.

 

In addition, there are the general requirements that need to be met namely:

Quote

1.1  Grundvoraussetzungen
 
Nachzuweisen sind vier Prüfungsfächer, die voneinander unabhängig sein und allgemeinbildenden, nicht berufsbildenden Inhalt haben müssen. Unter diesen Prüfungsfächern müssen folgende Fächer vertreten sein:
 

• eine Sprache
• Mathematik oder eine der Naturwissenschaften Biologie, Chemie oder Physik.

Mindestens drei der vier Fächer müssen auf dem Niveau des General Certificate of Education - Advanced Level (GCE AL) bestanden sein, für das vierte Fach ist das Niveau des General Certificate of Education - Advanced Subsidiary Level (GCE AS) hinreichend.

 

In other words, the OP needs the following 4 subjects to meet both the general requirements and the ones for medicine:

• 3 A-Levels out of the following 4: Maths, Biology, Chemistry, Physics
• One language. This may be at Advanced Level as well, but the General Certificate of Education - Advanced Subsidiary Level (GCE AS) is sufficient.

 

 

[Feierabend 1,136]

You could do a language A or AS level by distance learning. There seem to be several well-established providers. Shouldn't take too long to get an AS level if you're a focussed worker.

[tfj 0]

12 hours ago, engelchen said:

No, you can't use the Proficiency Exam.

Oh, that's a shame. Why not, though?

 

12 hours ago, engelchen said:

The requirement has nothing to with her level of English proficiency, but rather she needs one language A Level. 

Yesss, exactly. 

12 hours ago, Joe-K said:

In other words, the OP needs the following 4 subjects to meet both the general requirements and the ones for medicine:

• 3 A-Levels out of the following 4: Maths, Biology, Chemistry, Physics
• One language. This may be at Advanced Level as well, but the General Certificate of Education - Advanced Subsidiary Level (GCE AS) is sufficient.

Ah, I see. I still have no idea how you found that on the website when I tried many times. Thank you so much! It doesn't say anything about accepting English Literature instead of a normal language subject, does it?

[tfj 0]

8 hours ago, Feierabend said:

There seem to be several well-established providers

would you recommend any?

 

[Joe-K 124]

2 hours ago, tfj said:

Ah, I see. I still have no idea how you found that on the website when I tried many times. Thank you so much! It doesn't say anything about accepting English Literature instead of a normal language subject, does it?

 

Regarding how to get there, see the three screenshots below. Once you get to the text in the 3rd screenshot, you can copy-paste it into  google.com/translate to get an English translation.

 

 

 

 

[Feierabend 1,136]

Sorry, I have no personal experience but I'm pretty sure I remember seeing Wolsey hall, Oxford, for example, even years ago. Just google distance learning A Levels and check how long the providers have been around.

 

You asked

   14 hours ago,  engelchen said: 

No, you can't use the Proficiency Exam.

Oh, that's a shame. Why not, though

 

Where did you find that CPE=A Level?

My guess is that it is a misconception, because it appears as a Level 3 qualification, as do A and AS levels, on the Ofqual site, which is a comparison and rating of different qualification levels. This does not mean that universities have to accept any level 3 qual. as A Level equivalent. For example, practical music exams at Grade 6,7 and 8 are also level 3 but even Grade 8 certainly does not count as A Level music (otherwise I'd suddenly have an extra A Level!) though it may add points in the admissions scoring system.

Just my theorising though.

 

 

[Joe-K 124]

I don't see why the language requirement is such a big issue. After all, it's the least stringent of all requirements listed on Anabin: for sciences, they expect candidates for medicine to have a minimum of 3 out of 4 very specific science subjects, which should be at Advanced Level. Other than that, they simply say they require "a language", not necessarily at Advanced Level.

 

[Feierabend 1,136]

German Abi students have to do 2 foreign languages plus German! 

[tfj 0]

5 hours ago, Joe-K said:

Regarding how to get there, see the three screenshots below. Once you get to the text in the 3rd screenshot, you can copy-paste it into  google.com/translate to get an English translation.

That's wonderful of you. Thank you again.

 

4 hours ago, Joe-K said:

 

I don't see why the language requirement is such a big issue.

 

German universities seems to be very specific about this. I just don't want to hurt my chances of trying to get in one of the unis. 

 

2 hours ago, Feierabend said:

German Abi students have to do 2 foreign languages plus German! 

That explains why they want international students to have an extra language too. They want their students to have these whole 'package'

 

 

[Joe-K 124]

7 minutes ago, tfj said:

German universities seems to be very specific about this. I just don't want to hurt my chances of trying to get in one of the unis.

 

They're asking for "a language", and "not necessarily at Advanced Level".

That requirement doesn't sound to be either terribly specific or too hard to meet...

[tfj 0]

23 hours ago, Joe-K said:

They're asking for "a language", and "not necessarily at Advanced Level".

That requirement doesn't sound to be either terribly specific or too hard to meet...

No, I guess it's not. It's just that the colleges here in malaysia do not offer the English language a levels. So, I can consider self study/distance learning or I can consider doing IB. Any thoughts on that? is it equally accepted by universities like a levels? subject requirements?

 

@Feierabend @engelchen