Trade levels A, B, and C on EUX.
How academic subjects are structured in levels — and why that determines your further path
When you talk about secondary subjects, you constantly hear the letters A, B, and C. On EUX it's absolutely central to understand this level system because it's the subjects' levels—not just that you had a subject—that determine what your education gives you access to afterward.
§What do C, B, and A mean?
A subject's level indicates how comprehensive and in-depth the subject is — that is, how much of the subject you have been through and at what professional level. C is the least comprehensive secondary level, B builds on C, and A is the most comprehensive. An A-level subject typically assumes you have been through the material at the lower levels first.
| Level | Scope | Relationship to the others |
|---|---|---|
| C | Minimum comprehensive upper secondary level | The basic level, many subjects begin here |
| B | Mid-level | Builds on top of C and expands the material |
| A | Most comprehensive upper secondary level | Builds on top of B; the highest in a trade |
§How trades build on top of each other
Many subjects can be continued from one level to the next. If you have a subject at C level, for example, you can in some cases raise it to B and then A. This is one of the reasons the subject sequence in EUX is carefully compiled: some subjects are raised to a higher level precisely to provide the levels required for general study competence and access to certain higher education courses.
§Levels and specific access requirements
Most higher education requires in addition to general study competence also specific subjects at specific levels — the so-called specific entry requirements. A technical or scientific degree can for example require mathematics and physics at a certain level. It is no good to have taken the subject if it is not at the required level.
- 01Find out which subjects and levels your specific EUX contains
- 02Look up the specific admission requirements on the programmes you are considering
- 03Compare — is there a subject you're missing at the right level?
- 04Remember that a missing level can often be taken as supplementary afterwards
§If you lack a level
If you discover that a desired education requires a subject at a higher level than your EUX provides, it's rarely a dead end. Supplementary gymnasium courses make it possible to raise a subject from one level to the next after graduation. It takes time and effort, but it keeps the door open — that's why it's worth investigating admission requirements early so that any supplementary needs don't come as a surprise.
§The levels in everyday life at EUX
In practice, the level system means that you work more intensively and in depth with the subjects that have been raised to level B or A. This is where much of the EUX' academic requirements lie. Understanding why exactly these subjects have been raised — because they carry your academic competence — can make it easier to find the motivation when an A-level subject presses on.
“It is not enough to have had the trade — the decisive factor is what level you took it at. The level is the currency that further education counts in.”