Persian

What is it? Persian is the language of Iran, and a dialect of it, Dari, is spoken in Afghanistan. It gives students the chance to delve into Iranian literature and culture.

Why do it? Most people do it because they have roots in Iran or Afghanistan.

What skills do you need? GCSE Persian is recommended. As long as you have an equivalent ability in the language, you can take the A-level.

Ratio of coursework to exams: No coursework.

Is it hard? "Not for the candidates who tend to enter," says Martin Nutton, subject officer for Persian at OCR.

Who takes it? A total of 140 students took the full A-level this year, almost all from an Iranian or Afghan background.

How cool is it? "Dead cool," says Nutton. "For many it's a great opportunity to take another qualification."

Added value: Getting in touch with your roots. Often young Iranians in this country need to speak Persian to communicate with older relations – or to understand what their parents are saying.

What subjects go with it? Anything.

What degrees does it lead to? Most students don't go on to study Persian at degree level but you can take a BA at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London.

What do the students say? "The most interesting aspect of the course for me was familiarising myself with Iranian culture," says Arian Farsian, 17, who has completed A-levels in Persian, maths, physics, French and economics. She is second-generation Iranian and studied Persian A-level for four hours on Saturday afternoons for two years.

Which awarding bodies offer it? OCR

How widely available is it around the country? Widely available at schools run by the Iranian community.

c.rudebeck@independent.co.uk