In our portal, each course is structured to provide a comprehensive learning experience. Here's what you can expect:

• Our Self-Learning Courses offer flexibility, enabling you to choose when and how quickly you wish to learn. Our courses are designed for self-study, and most students find them manageable without external assistance. However, we recognise that every student is unique, so our courses include email support for 12 months for GCSE/IGCSE and 24 months for A-Level.
• Throughout the course, you will engage with the content through reading, video (if available), and various activities and assessments.
• Each course includes all assessments, allowing you to assess your understanding as you progress through the material. At the end of each module or unit, you will be required to complete an assessment test. These tests are automatically graded, giving you immediate feedback on the correctness of your answers.
• You can retake these assessment tests as many times as you like, provided you have login access — for free.
• Upon completing all activities and assessment quizzes, you have the option to download past papers or practice papers for self-testing. Each practice paper includes a marking scheme, allowing you to evaluate your performance and readiness before taking the final exam. Alternatively, you can request our teacher to mark your papers and provide feedback, though this service may incur an additional charge based on the number of papers and teacher hours required. Most of the time, students do not need additional help as the answer sheet is also attached.
• Once you complete the full guided learning hours (120 for GCSE/IGCSE and 360 for A-Level) and finish reading, video (if available), and all activities and assessments, with all assessments and past papers marked as complete, the system will generate a course completion certificate. Please note that the course completion certificate is not a final certificate; to gain the final certificate, you need to sit for the board exam and pass it.
• We are proud to be authorised partners for many exam centres, with a network of 10 exam centres nationwide. This means our students can conveniently sit for their exams at one of our accredited centres, ensuring a seamless examination experience.
• We can assist our overseas students in booking their exams with the British Council in their home country.

Science Practical Endorsement: A-Level Science Practical Endorsement (PDF) · Exams information

Additional benefits of our courses include:

• Interest-free payment plans
• No hidden costs
• 14-day free trial with no obligation and no credit card required
• Free fast track available
• Pass-guaranteed
• Learn on any device, 24/7
• We have a physical campus in the UK
• Start any time and study at your own pace
• Certificate from: CIE, Edexcel, AQA, OCR
• We can guide you and help you book your exams
• Reach us via email, WhatsApp or live chat

Enrolling with OCE couldn't be easier:

• A — Choose your course: GCSE, IGCSE or A-Level
• B — Add to cart
• C — Complete purchase at checkout
• D — You will receive a unique login key within 24 hours to start immediately

You will receive a unique login key within 24 hours to start immediately.

None of our courses have a deadline for enrolment. So you can start at any time.

We advise studying on a laptop or computer so that you can see everything on a big screen, and it is more visible. However, you can study our course with any other device, such as a mobile phone, iPad, or tablet.

You will receive your login details within 24 hours (within working days), giving you access to all your course materials anytime, anywhere.

Our courses are entirely digitised and available online through our portal. Please check the course page, or why not try our free trial for your satisfaction?

Most of our courses are open to everyone and don't have any entrance requirements. Some higher-level courses may require a previous level of study — if this is the case, it will be detailed on the course page.

All of our GCSE and A-Level courses are online, which means that you can study whenever and wherever you want. At OCE Online Learning, we believe that convenience is the future of learning and our courses have been designed around that principle.

You will read, watch the video (if there is any), and complete activities and assessments. Our system will tell you how many activities and assessments you have done and how many remain. After completing all the activities and finishing all assessment quizzes, you can download the past paper / practice paper and do the test yourself.

Every practice paper has a marking scheme, and you can mark yourself after finishing the test to judge your level and capacity before sitting for the final exam.

The course is primarily an online course using a Learning Management System (LMS), with features that cannot be printed — such as embedded videos, forums and interactive tests.

Yes. Learning online has become part of the "new normal" for delivering high-quality education.

Our online platform is designed to provide educators, administrators and learners with a robust, secure and integrated system to create personalised learning environments. Many universities use the same platform.

You have 12 months from the date of purchase to complete the course. Within this timeframe you can move through the course as quickly or as slowly as you want. You can extend your course for a further period for a nominal fee.

Course extensions are available at an additional cost: £70 for 6 months, £99 for 12 months, or £150 for 24 months.

You have 24 months from the date of purchase to complete the course. Within this timeframe you can move through the course as quickly or as slowly as you want. You can extend your course for a further period for a nominal fee.

Course extensions are available at an additional cost: £70 for 6 months, £99 for 12 months, or £150 for 24 months.

This depends on how much time you are willing to prioritise. Each course has a recommended study time, which we believe is imperative to complete in order to guarantee a pass in the final exam.

• An IGCSE or GCSE has a recommended study duration of 120 hours. If you can commit 10 hours of studying per week, the course can be completed in 12 weeks.
• An A-Level has a recommended study duration of 360 hours. If you can commit 10 hours of studying per week, the course can be completed in 36 weeks.

OCE offers the perfect courses for anyone who is looking to home-school their child. All our GCSE, IGCSE and A-Level courses follow the awarding body specification, so you can be reassured that you are teaching your child the relevant content for their final exam.

GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) and IGCSE (International General Certificate of Secondary Education) are both academic qualifications typically taken by students in the UK and other countries. While they share some similarities, there are also key differences between them:

Curriculum: GCSEs are qualifications offered in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, based on the national curriculum for each region and regulated by their respective examination boards. IGCSEs are international qualifications recognised worldwide, not tied to a specific national curriculum, and often chosen by schools that follow various educational systems, including the British curriculum. IGCSEs are typically considered more flexible in terms of content and assessment methods.

Assessment: GCSEs often have a greater emphasis on coursework and controlled assessments, in addition to final exams, and the structure can vary between subjects. IGCSEs typically rely more heavily on final exams, with the assessment approach generally more exam-oriented.

Grading system: GCSEs in England, Wales and Northern Ireland traditionally used letter grades (A*, A, B, C, etc.); numerical grading (9 to 1, with 9 the highest) has largely replaced letter grades for some subjects in England. IGCSEs usually use letter grades without the numerical system used in the reformed GCSEs.

Recognition: GCSEs are the standard qualification and widely accepted in the UK. IGCSEs are recognised and accepted by universities and employers globally, and are often chosen by international schools and students planning to study abroad.

Flexibility: GCSEs are tailored to the specific national curriculum of England, Wales or Northern Ireland. IGCSEs offer more flexibility in subject choices and can be adapted to suit different educational systems.

Regulatory bodies: GCSEs are regulated by examination boards such as AQA, Edexcel and OCR. IGCSEs are often offered by Cambridge Assessment International Education (CIE) and other international examination boards.

In summary, GCSEs are more region-specific and tailored to the UK national curriculum, whereas IGCSEs are designed to be more internationally recognised and adaptable. The choice between the two depends on a student's educational goals, school curriculum, and location.

The GCSE and the IGCSE are very similar and are accepted as "equivalent" qualifications by the vast majority of universities, sixth form colleges and other independent schools around the world.

Yes — both IGCSEs and GCSEs are accepted for entry to universities in the UK.

The differences between GCSEs and IGCSEs are so minor that neither option should be perceived as "better" or "worse" than the other. Both are highly regarded high school qualifications that are universally accepted by top-ranking universities and other educational institutions, both in the UK and beyond.

If you want to change your course, you can do so within the first 14 days of purchase. Please bear in mind that courses differ in price and you will be expected to pay the difference should that apply.

GCSE/IGCSE are commonly for children between 12 and 16 years old; however, they can be taken by anyone at any age. GCSEs have no formal entry requirements and no educational prerequisites — although if you're not prepared, you're unlikely to do very well in the exams.

A-Levels are studied across two years — usually by 16–18 year old students, in their AS year (Year 12) and A2 year (Year 13). However, it doesn't matter if you're 16 or 65; you can still take your A-Level exams.

Because all our learning material is delivered online, you will need to ensure you have a working device — such as a tablet, smartphone or laptop — with satisfactory connectivity to the internet.

Yes. As long as you have access to the internet, our courses can be displayed on all devices.

Most of our course packs include all of the learning materials you need to complete your studies, including study guides and even software where necessary. However, particularly with A-Level courses like English Literature, it may sometimes be necessary for you to purchase additional texts. Please contact us for any specific questions.

Our self-learning courses let you choose when you want to learn and how fast you want to go. Our courses are designed for the self-study method, and most students are fine without help. However, we understand every student is not the same, so our courses come with email support for 12 months (GCSE/IGCSE) and 24 months (A-Level). Don't hesitate to contact us by email at admissions@oxfordce.co.uk if you have any specific questions.

A course advisor will support you with any administrative and technical issues, and an academic tutor will support you with any course-related questions you might have.

You can contact your tutor by email 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and they will aim to get back to you as soon as possible.

Although we do not offer face-to-face IGCSE/A-Level classes on campus, as this is a self-study course, we are aware of the difficulties that students may face in terms of concentration and motivation. Therefore we will assist and supervise students by providing access to facilities such as our classroom, library, internet and computers on campus.

International students wanting to study for more than 6 months will need to apply for either a Short-Term Study Visa (for English Language courses, up to 11 months) — gov.uk/standard-visitor/visit-to-study — or a Study Visa — gov.uk/visa-to-study-english.

Our tutors are British and bright students/teachers who may study at top-ranked private or grammar schools, or teach in their field.

Yes. We have subject specialists who can help our students with one-on-one tutoring. Fees are between £25 and £80 per hour. Please get in touch with us for more information.

Your course will include all your assessments. As you work through your course you will complete each assessment as and when you get to it. At the end of each module/unit you need to complete an assessment test — these are marked automatically so you can see how many answers were correct. You can do this as often as you like, as long as you have login access.

Our system will tell you how many activities and assessments you have done and how many remain. After completing all the activities and finishing all assessment quizzes, you can download the past paper / practice paper and do the test yourself — every practice paper has a marking scheme so you can judge your level and readiness before sitting for the final exam.

To achieve a final certificate from the board/awarding body, you must sit an exam for every subject.

Students often get confused by the difference between the work they do during their course — tested by their Tutor-Marked Assignments — and board-examined coursework, which is entirely different.

Tutor-Marked Assignments (TMAs) are not coursework; they are progress checks for the student and the tutor. Every course will have several TMAs, but they do not contribute towards your final exam grade in any way.

Board-examined coursework is only required for certain subjects at A-Level. None of the GCSEs or IGCSEs we currently offer have coursework. Where included, coursework is very important as it can contribute up to 25% of your final marks and therefore substantially influence your grade. The process can be complicated and requires an amount of form-filling, but we have a lot of experience in this area and our Exam Officer is there to guide you through it.

It's very important that students recognise the difference between TMAs and board-examined coursework.

IGCSE and A-Level exams and practicals are sat at an exam centre local to you. On purchasing the course, OCE Online Learning will provide you with a list of recommended exam centres — all exam fees are paid by the student directly to their chosen exam centre.

• GCSE exams are sat annually in May–June, with resits available in November.
• IGCSE exams are available in November and January (for certain subjects) and also in May–June each year.

Please get in touch with us if you need further help finding your exam centre.

OCE Learning will provide you with everything you need to prepare for your exam. However, we cannot book your exam for you — this has to be done by the student themselves, via the awarding body website. If you need help with this, do not hesitate to get in touch.

• Edexcel — Exam timetables
• CIE — Exam timetables
• AQA — Dates and timetables
• OCR — Key dates and timetables

It's worth bearing in mind that exam dates are fixed, so you'll need to enrol early enough to complete all your assignments and any non-exam assessments in time. To avoid late fees, book at least 6 months in advance for GCSE and IGCSE, and 8 months in advance for A-Level.

• Edexcel — Where can I take Edexcel exams
• CIE — Find a Cambridge school
• AQA — Private candidates
• OCR — Private candidates

Practical assessments are taken at the exam centre you've chosen for your written exams. Not all centres offer this pathway, so you'll need to check availability in your area. If you're having difficulty locating a practical centre near you, let us know.

We do not conduct exams ourselves or at our campus. We advise candidates to talk to their current school or find an exam centre near them if they are private candidates. Exam registration: select your country/territory.

Exam fees are additional and are paid directly to the exam centre, not to OCE. Fees vary significantly, so we always recommend you "shop around" for the best deal. Awarding bodies charge from £45 for GCSE exams and from £115 for A-Level — centres then charge an administration fee on top.

• AQA — Entry fees and other charges
• Pearson Edexcel — Fees (PDF)
• CIE — Private candidates fees

The 9–1 grading scheme was brought in alongside a new GCSE curriculum in England. The highest grade is 9, while 1 is the lowest, not including a U (ungraded). The three number grades — 9, 8 and 7 — correspond to the old-style top grades of A* and A, designed to give more differentiation at the top end.

Yes — these courses are designed in parallel with the awarding bodies' specifications for A-Level, GCSE and IGCSE. The material you cover is the same as that which will come up in your exams. Moreover, the exam you sit is booked directly with the awarding body, so after successful completion you will be given an official qualification certificate from Edexcel/AQA/CIE — not from OCE.

Yes — once you have purchased the course and paid in full, we can send you an enrolment letter. Please get in touch with us at admissions@oxfordce.co.uk.

Once you complete all the activities, assessments and quizzes and complete the practice papers, we can issue a course completion letter. Remember, you need to spend all the guided learning hours as per the syllabus. A course completion letter does not count towards your final results or any credit — to get the final results or certificate, you must sit for the exam with the awarding body.

You can pay using any debit or credit card, or pay directly into our account:

• Oxford College of Education Ltd
• Account No: 83428761
• Sort Code: 200206
• SWIFT Code: BARCGB22
• IBAN: GB40 BARC 20020683428761

Our aim is to make learning as affordable and easy as possible. If you require a payment plan, please email admissions@oxfordce.co.uk and we will do our best to arrange for you to spread your payments.

Please get in touch to discuss any additional fees — such as exam fees or registration fees — as each course is different.

Exam fees are an additional cost and are paid directly to the exam centre, not OCE. Fees vary significantly so we always recommend you "shop around" for the best deal. Awarding bodies charge from £45 for GCSE exams and from £115 for A-Level, and centres then charge an administration fee on top.

If you want to cancel, please email us at admissions@oxfordce.co.uk — you have the right to cancel within the first 14 days.

Summer exams typically have a booking deadline in January or February; winter exams have deadlines around September–October. This changes slightly each year — your exam centre will have its own deadline for accepting entries, typically December or early January.

If you miss the deadline, boards do accept late entries (with late entry fees), though it's up to the exam centre whether to accept them — you can always try another centre.

For A-Level science subjects, a Practical Endorsement records that you have carried out the required practical work. Please refer to your course page or contact us for subject-specific guidance, and see our booking deadlines above when planning your exam entry.

The Endorsement is reported separately to the grade for the subject, and so has no effect on the grade achieved.

Yes — although failing to pass the Endorsement could affect entry to university courses if a pass in the Endorsement had been stated in a conditional offer. Find out more about A-Level Biology, Chemistry and Physics Core Practical and CPAC: CPAC FAQs (PDF).

In the old system, AS-Levels were studied in the first year, with exams taken in May–June worth 50% of your overall A-Level qualification. Under the new system, all A-Level exams take place at the end of May/June, with no AS-Level marks contributing to the final grade.

We welcome international students — all our tutor support is by email and we can ship your course to you anywhere in the world. OCE is a great choice for those living abroad. IGCSE and A-Level exams can be arranged via the British Council in many overseas countries.

Oxford College of Education is accredited by the Accreditation Service for International Schools, Colleges and Universities (ASIC), an independent body providing accreditation services for independent, further and higher education colleges. ASIC accreditation helps students and parents make a more informed choice, and helps demonstrate to the international student body that we are a high-quality institution. More at asic.org.uk/affiliations.

We can issue a visa letter for short-term study (6 months) and, for English courses, 11 months — see gov.uk/visa-to-study-english and gov.uk/standard-visitor/visit-to-study.

No term times. With Oxford College of Education there are no term times, so you can begin your distance learning journey at any time of year.

No barriers. You can study from anywhere in the world — from your bedroom, in a café on your lunch break, or even in the bath. You set the agenda, and we provide the mobile learning platform to facilitate it. We welcome international students from across the world; do bear in mind some examinations require you to come to the UK to sit them — and we can help with that too!

• Facebook — facebook.com/oxfordce
• LinkedIn — linkedin.com/oxford-college-of-education
• Instagram — instagram.com/oxfordcollegeofeducation
• Twitter — twitter.com/oxfordcehw
• YouTube — YouTube channel

• Set aside regular time to study — make sure you know when in your week you'll study, whether on the bus, at home, early morning or late at night; dedicate some focused time to it.
• Let your friends and family know — constant interruptions and invitations can eat into your study time. Making the people in your life aware means they can support and cheer you on instead.
• Develop a study routine — prepare your favourite drink, set a timer, and plan regular breaks; most people find it hard to concentrate for more than an hour at a stretch.
• Build a revision plan as you go — pull out the important concepts from a topic as you're studying it. Clear notes highlighting the main points will steer your revision. Memory techniques like mind maps, mnemonics and word associations can also help.

For more advice, contact us at admissions@oxfordce.co.uk or WhatsApp +44 7494 913216.

Pass guarantee or money back — terms and conditions:

Mastery learning process: Our courses are meticulously designed to lead students through a mastery learning process, empowering them to effectively use our technological features and refine their exam strategies. This entails comprehensive engagement with each module and the successful completion of corresponding assessment quizzes — full immersion in all course components, including readings, videos, activities, quizzes and assessments.

Study hours and completion requirements:

• GCSE/IGCSE subjects require a minimum of 120 study hours per subject; A-Level requires a minimum of 360 study hours per subject. You must diligently cover the entire curriculum and engage in revision until confidently poised for a strong performance in the final exam.
• Active participation with course materials — readings, videos, activities, quizzes and assessments — is expected.
• Progress tracking is automated, so you can monitor completed and pending activities and assessments.
• Upon successful completion of all activities and assessment quizzes, you'll gain access to past papers / practice papers.

Exam preparation and sitting:

• Participation in the final exam should only occur once you're confident you've completed all learning hours, activities, assessment quizzes and past papers.
• IGCSE candidates must complete a minimum of 12 months, and A-Level students a minimum of 24 months, of course engagement.
• Thorough exam readiness requires thorough revision, extensive practice with past papers, and a targeted effort to achieve a minimum score of 80% before the final exam.

Contact and assessment: Prior to the final exam, proactive communication with us is advised — our OCE tutors will review your progress, evaluate your work, and provide guidance as needed. Failure to comply could result in disqualification from a refund claim. In instances of exam failure, you may be ineligible for a refund.

Refund policy: If you have conscientiously followed all instructions, attempted the exam, and still not achieved a passing grade the first time, we will grant an additional 6-month course extension, during which we anticipate your successful exam completion. OCE will rigorously assess your activities and evidence — in select cases, a full refund may be considered if it's ascertained that you adhered to guidance and instructions yet were unsuccessful even after a second attempt.

International students whose first language is not English must possess a minimum English proficiency level of B1 before enrolling in any GCSE/IGCSE course, and B2 before joining any A-Level course, to be eligible for a refund claim. This language requirement ensures students can effectively engage with course content and maximise their chances of success.

By enrolling in OCE courses, you acknowledge having read, understood and accepted these terms and conditions. If you dissent from any aspect of these terms, we kindly request that you refrain from enrolling in OCE courses.

• GCSE/IGCSE: awarding bodies charge from £45 or more
• A-Level: awarding bodies charge from £115 or more

Centres then charge an administration fee on top. For example: GCSE/IGCSE typically £150–£250 per subject; A-Level typically £250–£350 per subject.

Late fees: GCSE/IGCSE centres charge from £300; A-Level centres charge £450–£600 depending on the subject.

If you sit your A-Levels and don't get the grades you want or need, you can try to resit an exam. The cost will depend on the exam board, school/college and subject — please get in touch with us for guidance specific to your subject.

For official government guidance on grading exams and assessments, see: gov.uk — Grading exams and assessments.

Proposed changes to the assessment of mathematics, physics and combined science GCSEs: gov.uk — Proposed changes consultation.

Useful official resources on exam arrangements: Education Hub — everything you need to know and gov.uk — Supporting resilience in the exam system.

You can calculate your UCAS Tariff points using the official calculator at ucas.com/ucas/tariff-calculator.

Here at OCE, we place great faith in the training we provide our tutors and the value of their expertise. Our courses come with student guidance in our mastery learning process, which encourages you to maximise all of our technological features and perfect your exam technique.

If you study 120 hours for GCSE/IGCSE per subject (or 360 hours for A-Level per subject), read all the content, watch all available videos, and complete all activities, quizzes and assessments — our system logs everything, so you can see which activities and assessments you've done and how many remain. After finishing all activities and assessment quizzes, you can download the past paper / practice paper and test yourself.

Once you're confident you've completed all the learning hours and finished all the work, you can sit for the exam at your local exam centre. Students must complete the full 12 months for IGCSE and 24 months for A-Level, and once you meet the guided learning hours, you should revise and work through past papers in preparation for the final exam.

If you fail, please get in touch with us — we will check your activities and evidence, and you will receive a full refund if we find that you followed our guidance and instructions but failed.

A-Levels and AS-Levels are taught in a similar way, but A-Levels are more advanced and take longer to complete. AS-Levels are similar to the first year of an A-Level course.

AS-Level results used to count towards your final A-Level result; this has changed, so while you can still study an AS-Level alongside the first year of your A-Level course, your A-Level result is based entirely on the exams you take at the end of the two-year course.

AS-Levels involve 180 guided learning hours. They are equivalent to just under half an A-Level and, if studied full-time alongside other courses, generally take a year to complete.

A-Levels involve 360 guided learning hours and generally take two years to complete if studied full-time alongside other courses. Guided learning hours are the number of hours of supervised or directed study time you'll need for your A/AS-Level qualification.

Under the current system, A-Levels are worth 40 points with an E grade, and you earn an extra 20 points for each grade above that, up to 140 for an A*.

Under the newer tariff system, AS-Levels are worth 40% of an A-Level, an E is worth 16 points, and each grade above that adds 8 points to the total.

• Live chat — oxfordce.co.uk
• Telephone — +44 1494 256340
• WhatsApp — +44 7494 913216
• Email — admissions@oxfordce.co.uk