Northern Irish Education in short...
Aged 4-11 you go to Primary School then you take a test called the transfer/11+ test. Depending on your grade on that you will be streamed into different schools, if you get an A you will most likely go to a posh grammer school, lower than an A you will go to a middle of the road grammer school, lower than that and you got to a secondary school which takes the focus away from academics and more so towards...working with your hands I guess.
In both secondary and grammer schools you do GCSEs in your 4th & 5th year, these tend to be 8-11 subjects depending on what you are capable and there is normally around 22 exams to sit. (GCSE = Standard certificate of secondary education)
After you get those results you are streamed again, if you get good grades and you go to a grammer school you simply move into what we call 6th Form where you will study for your A levels. If you go to a secondary school and you do very well in your GCSEs you can move to a grammer school. If you don't get the grades you either go into employment or go to a technical college.
A levels are a 2 year course, normally 3-4 subjects, going by the grades you get in your A level exams you may or may not get into university. ( A = Advanced)
For those who are interested I go to a top end grammer school, did fantastically in my GCSEs if I do say so myself and am in my last A level year. Already have offers from University so I am pretty darn happy
