Have you ever thought about doing a free A-level course? Whether it’s to learn a skill that could be useful in the future, help you while studying your A-levels or just to do something for fun, there are plenty of resources online that can help. While you have to pay for most options, there are some organisations that offer courses for free. So, that’s where I come in. While this won’t be an extensive list, here are some of the free a-level courses available to users in the UK.
Department For Education
On the Department for Education’s website, you can see that there are a number of different “courses for jobs”, where the government pays the fees for the course. To be eligible for these courses to be free, you must fulfil two criteria:
- You must be at least 19 years old.
- You must have either not achieved a Level 3 qualification (equivalent to an A-Level) or be earning less than the National Living Wage annually (£18,525, although this may differ depending on your region).
The list of courses covers a wide range of different subjects and on a number of different exam boards. Some of the A-Levels that are available include Accounting, Biology, Business, Chemistry, Computer Science, Design and Technology, Electronics, Further Maths, Maths, Physics and Statistics. It is perfect if you want to do a STEM-based subject. However, if you’re more of a creative person, it’s not ideal.
Check out this list to see if there is a provider near you, or if your course can be done online.
Reed
Reed, more known for being a job site, also has a number of different courses that you can take. While they may not technically be A-levels, these qualifications are equivalent to A-Levels. A quick search shows that there are more than 150 free courses available on Reed that cover many different subject areas. Like the government’s site, there are a lot of STEM-based courses. But, for us non-STEM people, there are other options. Some of these include ESOL courses, Digital Media Production and Food Safety & Food Hygiene. Why not check it out?
Free Courses Online
Free Courses Online, one of the providers funded by the government, specialises in courses to do with mental health, health and social care, business and digital skills. Like Reed, its courses aren’t exactly A-Levels, but will provide you with an equivalent level qualification, should you complete one. These qualifications are also nationally recognised, so that is always a plus. These courses are perfect if you want to study or work in psychology, with kids, in medicine or in business, or in any other field.
So, to summarise, are there free A-level courses available in the UK? Well, sort of. Outside of actually doing them at school, if you want to do a free A-level course, it’ll likely cost you about £400, based on the research I did while writing this article. But, all hope is not lost. While the organisations highlighted in this article may not provide courses exactly like an a-level, they come with the same qualifications. They also come with the benefit of being able to do it online, at your own pace and when you can, which I think is definitely positive. Plus, as these courses are more specific and relevant to the skills you need in life, it may honestly be better than doing an exact A-level course.
Last Updated on November 24, 2024
Published on July 29, 2022
A student from University of Nottingham.
