Is Studying A Levels Online Possible?

Is studying A levels online possible? The quick and simple answer is yes. Even with the growing popularity of online studying, people still think that the study of A Levels it’s possible online. Usually, when you think of studying A Levels, you don’t think of studying A Levels online. Traditionally, A Levels are studied at a school or college in the UK by students. With the advances and changes in online study and education though, it’s now possible for students to study A-Levels from anywhere in the world.

What are A Levels?

A-Levels are a UK qualification that are used worldwide by universities as a gauge for student performance. Ranked by both grades and the UCAS points they come with, they provide universities a quick and simple way to ensure that students joining their degree programmes hold the needed ability to successfully complete the course.

Growing in popularity worldwide, A Levels are now accepted in International universities. To make A Level subjects more relevant and relatable for International students, many subjects now come in an International version. For example, Edexcel’s International A Level Business focuses on global issues relating to business, rather than just the UK.

How do you Study A Levels Online?

So once you have decided to study A Levels online, the next steps are very straight forward:

First, you need to know the subjects you want to study. The best way to do this is find the Degree you want to study and see what A Level subjects are needed for it.
Next, you need to find an online college that offers the courses. A quick Google search should produce a healthy list of the colleges (like Open College) that offer your ideal A Levels.
Lastly, it’s just a case of enrolling on the courses to start your studies. It really is that simple.

What are the Course Materials Like?

If you’re new to online learning, you will be wondering what your actual course materials are like. Thankfully, online course materials are no longer just a massive eBook that you have to wade through with hours and hours of reading. Now, with courses materials things are much more varied. You get combinations of reading, interactive quizzes and written assessments to complete as you work through the syllabus.

The variation in the learning methods means that as a student, you’re going to be more engaged with your learning. So rather than dreading another chapter or module, you will be looking forward to the next challenge of the subject. This form of more interactive learning results in better understanding and therefore better final grades in the A Level.

With all the above said, you may think that you will be learning on your own. But that’s not the case either! All the way through your learning journey, you have a personal tutor there to help and assist when you want and need. The important thing to note here, is ‘when you want and need’. So in other words, your tutor isn’t going to be checking in with you every few days and chasing you over homework submissions. You are expected to be responsible for your own learning and progression, but able to reach out for additional support and help when you need.

What A Levels are Available for Studying Online?

The choices of A Levels is almost the same as you would get in a traditional school or college, with the exception of a few subjects (like Art or Drama). Believe it or not, you can even study subjects like Environmental Science and Geography online with ease. When it comes to the fieldwork, you just carry this out with your exam centre and they hold your results ready for submission with your written exams.

Examples of A Levels you can study online include:

As you can see, there really is a lot to choose from. Just make sure when picking your subjects, you ensure you can find an exam centre for them and that you can sit them where you are located. Certain awarding bodies, AQA and OCR, require students to sit the examinations in the UK only. That doesn’t mean if you live outside the UK you can’t do the course, it just means you have to go to the UK to take the exams.

How do you do the Exams?

OK, so we have covered what A Levels are, what subjects there are and what the course materials are like. But what about the examinations? Well they are straightforward too. When studying A Levels online, you effectively become a Private Candidate, so it’s down to you to find a local examination centre for your exams.

Although finding your own examination centre sounds daunting, it’s really not. All the awarding bodies have lists of centres around the world that accepts Private Candidates. So all you need to do is get in touch with the right Awarding Body and ask for that list, from there, you can find a few centres close to your home location and get in touch with them about registering as a Private Candidate.

Prices for sitting examinations at exam centres do vary greatly. It’s always worth having a bit of a shop around before deciding on your final centre. Once chosen, you just need to register with the centre and they will provide you with the times and dates to attend for your exams.