What are the benefits of the Cambridge Program and taking Pre-AICE and AICE classes?

• The Cambridge AICE courses are equivalent to those of Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB). 

• AICE not only prepares students to get into a university with up to a potential 45 hours of college credit already earned, but it also provides students with the skills required to be successful once there.  Students earn college credit for each examination they pass.   

• Students also have an opportunity to earn the AICE (Advanced International Certificate of Education) Diploma through the Cambridge advanced level courses offered at RHS. The AICE Diploma is an award for the completion of a specific number and type of classes that are recognized at many universities throughout the US. Students who reside in Florida, earn an AICE Diploma (and complete the required number of community service hours) are eligible for the Bright Futures Scholarship, regardless of GPA and SAT/ACT scores.  

• Colleges look for students who take academically challenging classes, and the pre-AICE and AICE courses at RHS offer students an opportunity to pursue a rigorous course of study. The Pre-AICE courses help to develop the foundational skills needed to be successful in the world outside of RHS - regardless of their anticipated career path after high school.  The AICE courses and their corresponding examinations are equivalent to first year college and university courses.

• Students do not have to pursue the AICE Diploma in order to take AICE classes at RHS; any student who wants to work at the AICE level – even for one class – has the opportunity to do so.

• All AICE and Pre-AICE courses strictly follow a course syllabus that is designed by Cambridge Assessment International Education.

• The best advantage of the Cambridge program is that students are given the flexibility to choose a course of study that best meets their abilities and interests. Students determine which courses they want to take and are able to create a schedule of courses that are relevant to their future goals. 

How do students earn an AICE Diploma?

• To earn an AICE diploma, students must pass seven credits worth of AS or A Level examinations. At least one examination must come from each of the three subject groups: Mathematics & Sciences, Languages, and Arts & Humanities. Additionally, students must also take the pass the AS Level Global Perspectives and Research exam. 

• Advanced Subsidiary (AS) Level courses are one-year classes. A passed examination for an AS-Level course counts for one credit toward an AICE diploma. Advanced (A) Level courses are two-year classes. A passed examination for an A-Level counts for two credits toward an AICE diploma. Students can use 7 different AS-Level courses or use a mixture of AS-Level and A-Level courses to meet the requirements for the AICE Diploma. 

•  The categories of classes that students can take at RHS to earn the AICE Diploma are:

  • Required Core Class: AS Level Global Perspectives and Research (All AICE Diploma candidates must take and pass this AS Level examination.)

  • Group A – Mathematics & Sciences

    • Biology

    • Environmental Management

    • Information Technology

    • Marine Science

    • Mathematics

    • Physics

    • Psychology

  • Group B – Languages

    • English

    • Spanish

• Group C – Arts & Humanities

  • Art & Design

  • Business

  • Drama

  • English Literature

  • Modern European History

  • Music

  • Psychology

  • Sociology

  • United States History 

• Group D - Optional Category (Students are not required to take any courses from this group, but they may choose to do so.  Students can use a maximum of 2 points from this category towards the 7 needed to earn the AICE Diploma.)

  • English General Paper

  • Thinking Skills

Do students have to earn the full AICE Diploma in order to earn college credits?

• No. Students earn college credit for each AS or A Level examinations passed.

• AS and A Level exams are graded on an a-e scale.  All scores in that range a, b, c, d, and e are considered passing scores.  The only non-passing score is a "U." 

• Public colleges and universities in the state of Florida have a state-mandated system they follow for awarding students 3 college credits for each passed AS Level exam and a minimum of 6 college credits for each A Level exam passed.  Private colleges and universities in Florida and colleges and universities outside the state of Florida award credit on a subject–by-subject basis according to grades earned on the individual examinations passed. 

Comparison of Cambridge and AP and IB Programs 

• Cambridge is equally rigorous academically. 

• Cambridge offers a well-balanced curriculum, high academic standards, practical real world applications and an international perspective.

• Cambridge emphasizes the development of higher order thinking, including problem solving and creativity.

• Cambridge has an extremely flexible curriculum that can be tailored to the abilities, interests and plans of the students.

• Cambridge and IB offer international high school diplomas through their programs that are considered to be automatic qualifiers for the Bright Futures Scholarship (with completion of the required number of community service hours).

• Cambridge, AP, and IB credits are widely accepted among US colleges and universities around the country. 

Do many universities give college credits for AICE exams passed?

• Yes. Cambridge Assessment International Education publishes a list on the recognition page of their website of U.S. universities that have provided written statements of their AICE (which includes AS and A Levels) recognition policy. All public universities and community colleges in Florida award up to 45 hours of college credits for AICE exams passed. Private universities in Florida and universities outside of the state of Florida may have specific admission requirements for some courses and will vary in the amount of credit given to AICE students, so it is advisable to contact the university directly for information on credits students can earn. 

• In addition, the Florida Department of Education recognizes the AICE program as an official acceleration mechanism and is included in the Bright Futures Scholarship Program as an additional means to earn scholarship monies. Students who earn the AICE Diploma and have 100 community service hours are eligible to receive the Academic Scholars Award. Students who complete the diploma program but do not earn the diploma can still earn the Academic Scholars Award with appropriate SAT and ACT test scores. 

Why AICE at RHS?

• Rockledge High School is a University of Cambridge International Fellowship Centre. This status recognizes the close relationship that our Centre has with Cambridge International Examinations.  Less than 100 out of 5,900 Cambridge Centres have attained this status. 

• RHS is a Cambridge International Demonstration school.

• Anyone planning to attend a four-year university or to enter the world of business will benefit from studying this broad and balanced curriculum and the skills that they will gain from it.

• RHS started the AICE Program in 2005. In our most recent testing session, our overall exam pass rate was 68%.  Since its inception at RHS, over 900 students have earned their AICE Diploma.

• The typical AICE Diploma student leaves RHS with more than 24 college credit hours, and many finish with enough coursework to complete their first full year of collegiate study.  

What schools are RHS AICE students attending?

• Auburn University

• Brigham Young University

• Brown University

• Cornell University

• Duke University

• Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University

• Florida Atlantic University

• Florida Gulf Coast University

• Florida Institute of Technology

• Florida State University

• Long Island University

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology

• University of Central Florida

• University of Florida

• University of North Alabama

• University of North Carolina

• University of North Florida

• University of South Florida

• Xavier University