The English Advanced Extension Award: the twin crossroads

Warner, L. (2006) The English Advanced Extension Award: the twin crossroads. Changing English: Studies in Culture and Education, 13. (3). pp. 347-353. ISSN 1469-3585 doi: 10.1080/13586840600971893

Abstract/Summary

English is the most popular and successful of the subjects currently offered at Advanced Extension Award, a UK examination for the ablest 18-year-olds. Government plans for post-16 reform suggest that AEAs may not continue as a separate examination for much longer. This paper discusses the reasons for the popularity of AEA English, and two key issues for the future which its success raises: the way forward for curriculum reform of English subjects post-16, and whether AEA, or AEA-style assessment, can satisfy the demand of elite universities for a means of identifying top students.