Not Sure How to Pick Your A/L Subjects? Here’s the Perfect Guide!
So, you’ve aced your O/Ls—congrats! Now comes the big step: A/Ls. Maybe you already have a solid plan, or maybe you’re still torn between Bio, Maths, Commerce… or “what even is Arts?” Either way, Don’t worry—I got you.
In this post we’ll discuss:
:- A breakdown of each A/L stream
:- Subject combinations available for each stream
:- What degrees you can apply to afterward
:- Key things to consider before you lock in your choices
Let’s dive in!
A/L Subject Streams & Subjects available in Sri Lanka
1. Physical Science Stream (Maths Stream)
- Compulsory: Combined Maths, Physics
- Pick one: Chemistry or Information and Communication Technology(ICT)
If you pick ICT instead of Chem, you’re in the Non‑ Stream category—No Island Rank, only Z‑ score & Results. You’ll miss out on most Engineering & Physical Science degrees but can still apply to tons of IT-related courses. So it's still a pretty much solid choice.
2. Bio Science Stream
- Compulsory: Biology, Chemistry
- Pick one: Physics or Agricultural Science
If you Skip Physics, you can’t apply for Medicine, Dental Surgery, or Veterinary Science
degrees—but you can go for Agriculture, Bio Sciences so on etc.
Pro Tip: Bio degrees (especially Medicine) demand killer dedication and sky high Z‑ scores. Choose
wisely!
3. Commerce Stream
- Must pick at least two(can pick all three if you want): Accounting, Business Studies, Economics
- Pick one more if you only selected two: from 11 options below.
1. Business Statistics
2. Geography
3. Political Science
4. History
5. The logic and the scientific method
6. English
7. German
8. French
9. Agricultural Sciences
10. Combined Mathematics
11. Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
Safe combo: Accounting + Business Studies + Economics—schools love it.
Heads‑up: Some degrees (like Banking & Insurance) require specific subjects, So—double‑check University Handbook if you have a clear career goal.(I’ve linked it down below too.)
4. Arts Stream
Arts subject stream has four subject categories, each with its own rules:
Social Sciences / Applied Social Studies
- Can Pick up to 3; must pick at least 1 overall (unless you do the “language only” method below)
- Economics
- Geography
- History
- Home Economics
- Elements of Political Science
- Logic & Scientific Method
- Accounting / Business Statistics
- Communication & Media Studies
- Information & Communication Technology
- Any one of the six Technological subjects
- Agricultural Science / Mathematics / Combined Mathematics/Higher Mathematics
Technology Subjects
- Civil Technology
- Mechanical Technology
- Electrical, Electronic and Information Technology
- Food Technology
- Agro Technology
- Bio-Resource Technology
- Can Pick up to 2 subjects.
- If you pick a religion (e.g. Buddhism), you cannot pick its civilization counterpart (Buddhist Civilization), but you can mix other ones.
- Buddhism / Buddhist Civilization
- Hinduism / Hindu Civilization
- Christianity / Christian Civilization
- Islam /Islamic Civilization
- Greek & Roman Civilization
- Can Pick 1 or 2—but not two that’re basically the same subject in different languages/cultures. (e.g. Drama & Theatre(Sinhala) + Drama & Theatre(English) is not possible).
- Art
- Dancing (a) Sinhala (b) Bharata
- Drama &Theatre (a) Sinhala (b) Tamil (c) English
- Music (a) Oriental (b) Carnatic (c) Western
- National Languages: English, Sinhala, Tamil
- Classical Languages: Arabic, Pali, Greek, Sanskrit, Latin
- Foreign Languages: Chinese, French, German, Hindi, Japanese, Malay, Persian, Russian, Urdu
- All‑language combo: 3 subjects from National (Sinhala/Tamil/English) or Classical languages (Pali/Sanskrit/Arabic) including at least one national language.
- Mixed method: 1–2 languages + the rest from Social/Religion/Aesthetics subject categories.
5. Technology Stream
- Must: Science for Technology (SFT)
- Pick one: Engineering Technology (ET) or Bio‑ system Technology (BST)
- Pick one more: from 10–11 options
- Economics
- Geography
- Home Economics
- English
- Communication and Media Studies
- Information & Communication Technology
- Art
- Business Studies
- Agricultural Science
- Accountancy
- Mathematics
University pathways:
ET students→ Bachelor of Engineering Technology Honours, BST students→ Bachelor of Biosystems Technology Honours, Plus many other degrees you meet entry requirements for.
Before You Finalize—6 Key Considerations
- Minimum O/L Requirements:
Your school sets O/L cutoffs for each stream. If you don’t meet them, you can’t pick that stream—so make sure you meet those first! - Z‑ Score & Competition:
Popular combos (like Physical Science) lead to competitive degrees (Medicine, Engineering). Make sure you’re ready for the dedication they demand. - Interests, Strengths & Career Goals:
Don’t pick subjects just because they’re “hard” or “prestigious.” Align them with what you love and what you’re good at. - School Resources & Availability:
Not every school offers every subject. Confirm what your school actually has before you commit. - Avoid the Trend:
Choosing a stream because “my friends are doing it” or “my siblings did it” is a recipe for regret. This is your future—make sure you own it. - Backup Plan:
Have a second-choice combo ready in case your top picks aren’t available or you don't meet requirements for.
Wrapping Up 👏
There you have it—your A/L subject selection, simplified! I made this guide because these are the
things I wished someone had told me before my A/L s, So I hope this guide cleared up the confusion
and helped you feel more confident about your choices. If you want more details, check out the links
below and watch full and now-online the step‑ by‑ step video guide on my youtube channel.
Good Luck for your A/L s and See you guys soon!
Useful Links & Resources:
Complete Video Guide: How to Pick Your A/L Subjects? Here’s the Perfect Guide!
University Handbook(2023/24): Click Here
Subject pre-requisites_for_courses_of_study: Click Here
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