A/L Section

The A/L Pathway

What changes at each grade

Advanced Level is two years built around one stream and three subjects, rather than the broader nine-subject spread of the O/L years. Grade 12 is where the stream is entered and the syllabus begins in full; Grade 13 is revision and exam year.

12Grade

Stream entry year

Students enter one of five streams and begin all three subjects from scratch, alongside the Common General Test and General English. This is the first full year of specialised study.

Stream begins here

13Grade

Examination year

The three subjects are completed and revised in full through structured model exams and past-paper practice. The year closes with the G.C.E. Advanced Level examination, sat in August.

G.C.E. A/L sat

Entry requirement: promotion to Grade 12 requires a pass in the G.C.E. O/L examination with at least six subjects at Credit (C) or better, including Mathematics and Sinhala or English.

Grade 12 · A/L Intake

Advanced Level admissions are now open.

Apply for admission

The A/L Pathway

What changes at each grade

12Grade

Stream entry year

Students enter one of five streams and begin all three subjects from scratch, alongside the Common General Test and General English. This is the first full year of specialised study.

Stream begins here

13Grade

Examination year

The three subjects are completed and revised in full through structured model exams and past-paper practice. The year closes with the G.C.E. Advanced Level examination, sat in August.

G.C.E. A/L sat

Entry requirement: promotion to Grade 12 requires a pass in the G.C.E. O/L examination with at least six subjects at Credit (C) or better, including Mathematics and Sinhala or English.

Grade 12 Stream Choice

One stream, three subjects

Every Grade 12 student joins one of five national streams and studies three subjects within it, alongside the compulsory Common General Test and General English. This is the national A/L structure set by the Department of Examinations.

Physical ScienceStream

choose three

Combined Mathematics Physics Chemistry Information & Communication Technology

Biological ScienceStream

choose three

Biology Chemistry Physics Agricultural Science

CommerceStream

choose three

Accounting Business Studies Economics Business Statistics

Compulsory

Common General Test — sat by every student regardless of stream.

Compulsory

General English — sat by every student; result recorded but not used in university selection.

a note on choosing

Which streams and subject combinations run in a given year depends on student demand and available teachers, so not every combination listed is guaranteed each intake. Students discuss their preferred stream with the career guidance teacher during Grade 11, and placements are confirmed before Grade 12 begins.

The stream chosen determines which state university degree programmes a student is eligible to apply for, so it’s worth deciding with an intended degree in mind rather than choosing on subject popularity alone. Class teachers can advise on which combinations best support a given career path.

Questions Parents Ask

Frequently asked

When is the A/L stream chosen?

Career guidance sessions run during Grade 11, once O/L results are close, and students submit stream preferences shortly after results are released. Final placement into a stream is confirmed before the start of Grade 12, subject to class capacity and the O/L results required for that stream.

Can a student switch streams after Grade 12 begins?

A switch is only realistic in the first few weeks of Grade 12, before the syllabus moves too far ahead, and depends on space in the new stream. Moving between streams after that point usually means repeating the year, so this is worth deciding carefully rather than changing later.

Do the Common General Test and General English count toward university entry?

Both are compulsory and a passing mark is expected, but neither result is used in the Z-score calculation for university selection — only the three subjects within the chosen stream count toward that.