Where to study GCSE and A-Levels in Maths and English as an adult

[Deleted User]

Hello!
I need to study GCSE and A-Levels in Maths and English as an adult.

Below my background and objectives:

I am 32, with a MSc in Business Administration, work in sales but want to jump to the financial advice sector, where most employers require candidates to have both A-Levels in Maths and English, plus a Level 4 Diploma in Financial Advice.

Here are my questions:
1) Is there any option to study these GCSE for free? This is important as the Level 4 Diploma will leave me with no spare money.
2) Which is the best way to get both GCSE? In a Colleague? Online? Self-studying?
I live in Manchester, so any information regarding a study place in Manchester will be much appreciated.
3) If I choose the self studying method I know I have AQA, OCR and Edexcel as options. But what will be the best among them in order to smoothly get the scores/rates that will allow me to study the A-Levels afterwards?
4) As far as I am concerned, each GCSE / A Level should be studied during two years before sitting the exam. But, is there any way to speed up the process and study them in just one year?

Many thanks in advance for your answers!

Doshwaster

There is no way a Maths GCSE should take 2 years to study as adult if you are reasonably numerate. In fact there is a good chance you could pass with a Grade C if if you just sat down and did the paper today. If you want and A or B then some of your algebra and trig might need some brushing up.

The first place I would contact is your local 6th form college who should do evening classes for adult learners.

I'm just not sure how you managed to get an MSc without GCSE/A Levels in Maths and English. Do you have equivalent qualifications?

Neil_Jones

GCSE's do not do "Grade C" or whatever now, that was changed a couple of years ago to the 9 point scale. The old Grade A and A* is points 9-7, a B and a C is the new 6-4 and the old Grade D is 3 and below.

In fact that being said, a GCSE is equivalent to other things - a BTEC or NVQ often carries English and/or Maths skills in with them and usually tend to be a level 2 equivalent.

I wouldn't be surprised if the OP has a string of other qualifications to his name acquired over the years and since they're only 32 they would have had to take GCSE English and Maths at school so I can only presume they want to improve their grade(s) in this area? But then that base won them an MSc so they must have been good enough?

Doshwaster

Woops - quite right, I had forgotten the grading system had changed.

MovingForwards

As a mature job seeker the rules are a little different with qualifications!

They tend to ignore GCSE's and A levels and focus on your stand alone qualifications and experience.

I had a successful legal career, but with 3 GCSE'S, I had (have) a legal qualification, got through the door, gained experience and carried on with my legal qualifications.

If you are determined to redo GCSE'S and get A levels then look at night school for GCSE'S and college for A levels, all can be done at the same time as your other one. (Personally, I still wouldn't bother).

w06

Are you sure you need A level maths and english? That would generally be an unusual (but not unheard of) combination for somebody to take at A level

skint_chick

I am a qualified financial advisor with CII Level 4 qualifications, and don't have Maths or English at A level, just GCSE. It would be unusual to need English A level for financial advice, and I don't think I've ever seen a job ad requiring A level maths either TBH. Have you checked relevant job ads? I think an MSc would show an employer you can write analytically and fluently in English, and the A level maths syllabus is more for engineers and scientists with algebra and trignometry not being much use in financial services! Is it a specific training programme or graduate scheme you've found you want to apply for?

jonnygee2

1) Is there any option to study these GCSE for free? This is important as the Level 4 Diploma will leave me with no spare money.
2) Which is the best way to get both GCSE? In a Colleague? Online? Self-studying?

I did a maths A-Level a while ago, for recreational purposes. I took the exam at a local college who accept external candidates (at the same time as the kids, felt like a right goon!),

Maths is very easy to learn for free online. I started with Khan academy which is great, free, and you can learn everything you need (and more). I worked through about 100 hours of Khan academy as a starting point. It's obviously US based but the concepts are mainly the same.

Once I felt confident with calculus, statistics etc I started to look at the A-Level syllabus and some A-Level revision books. There were some terminology differences but generally the level wasn't challenging compared to what I'd been doing on Khan academy.

You could follow a similar process for GCSE maths, I imagine it would be a lot simpler though!

English I'm not sure about, I think you'd want a tutor or a night class, although I imagine you could still get 90% of the way there with self study through books.

zagubov

Are you sure the English and Maths GCSEs and A levels are needed for a mature applicant?

Trying to answer your questions, you may find a general FE college is more likely to offer evening classes than a sixth form college; and you don't get to choose the exam boards as the college will only prepare you for one they've chosen.

You couldn't take GCSE and A levels in the same subject at the same time and I don't think that's changed.

You'd almost certainly be charged a tuition fee and exam entry fees for the course.

You could certainly do a GCSEs part-time in a year.

The A level could be very challenging and I doubt that would work.

I hope somebody local to you can recommend colleges; down here in London, evening classes have been cut to the bone.

t0rt0ise

My son did English A level at evening classes in a year. I taught both my kids Maths GCSE using a book. The teaching they got at school was hopeless so we just worked through a book I bought. They both passed with good grades. It took us just a few months.

Neil_Jones

To be honest GCSE's are almost impossible to fail, you used to be able to pass them just by writing your name at the top of the paper (or so the story goes) and while there is probably a case for arguing that the older O-Levels were much harder (but you were more dependent on the exams for a good result), the modern courses introduced coursework which makes up a significant chunk of the grade but this has now gone back in the other direction.

TL;DR - GCSEs after the age of 16 are probably not worth perusing if you already have a decent set of them. The OP might do better to see if they can move in and study while on the job or there may be something on the Open University that could be of interest? There are a few free courses on there.