What's an AICE course?

I just heard about AICE courses from a friend. Can someone explain what these courses are and how they relate to AP or IB courses? Thanks!

An AICE course stands for Advanced International Certificate of Education course, and it's a program developed by the University of Cambridge International Examinations. Similar to AP (Advanced Placement) and IB (International Baccalaureate) courses, AICE courses are designed to offer rigorous, college-level curriculum to high school students, and students can sometimes earn college credit (depending on a particular school’s policy) based on their performance on final exams, which are typically scored on an A to E scale.

AICE is mainly recognized in the United Kingdom and in some Commonwealth countries, but has gained popularity in a few schools in the United States as well. One benefit of the AICE program is its flexibility—students can choose courses from various subject groups like mathematics, sciences, languages, arts, and humanities, which allows them to tailor the curriculum to their interests and strengths.

Like AP and IB, AICE courses can help demonstrate your academic abilities and challenge you to dive deeper into specific subjects. They are viewed positively by college admissions officers as they indicate a high level of course rigor. However, note that colleges may have different policies for awarding credit or placement for AICE, AP, and IB exams, so it's essential to research individual schools' policies to determine how these courses may impact your college application and future academic path.

I hope this information helps clarify what AICE courses are!