The Advanced Extension Awards are a type of school-leaving qualification in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, usually taken in the final year of schooling (age 17/18), and designed to allow students to "demonstrate their knowledge, understanding and skills to the full".
They were introduced in 2002, in response to the UK Government's Excellence in Cities report, as a successor to the S-level examination, and aimed at the top 10% of students in A level tests.
Due to introduction of the A* grade for A level courses starting September 2008 (first certification 2010), they have since been phased out, with the exception of the Advanced Extension Award in Mathematics which continues to be available to students.
[2] This came after the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) decided that the new A* grade being offered at A level would overlap with the purpose of the AEA, rendering them unnecessary.
[7] In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, in summer 2020 AEA (mathematics) grades were awarded according to assessments made by teachers.