Pre-searing?

Hello have seen many references to post and pre-searing Ascalon city-can some one please explain that to a clueless noob? (Tried a search to seek answers but no luck) Also curious as to what the level cap is for Guild Wars-thanks!

Pre searing is the newbie area for Prophecies.

The level cap is 20.

At what level do you make the transition to Post searing? Is it a quest you complete to make the transition? Thanks!

you can make the transition to post searing at any level. there's a title in pre searing if you get to level 20 in presearing but it takes a lot of time.

there's a quest in ascalon city to do it after you have selected your secondary profession.

Most players recommend getting to level 8 prior to entering the academy which is the transition to post-searing. As 2yrs will have passed after cutscene, you cannot go back to pre-searing.

You can travel to post-searing anytime after you have chosen a second profession. When you complete The Path to Glory quest by talking to Sir Tydus in Ascalon city you will end up in Post-searing. But remember, there is a lot to be learned in Pre-searing and a few skills that you can acquire quickly and for free. Be sure to take advantage of benefits early on.
As a new player you are probably eager to move into the meat of the game, but you might find it frustrating if you are under level 6 or 7 when you arrive in Post-searing. Plus, you are less apt to find folks willing to team up with you if you are too low level at that point.
But since you can always re-roll a character, you might as well move on up as soon as you feel comfortable with the mechanics of the game. This will give you an idea of what you will be facing.

Thanks for the info and advice all!!!