Private Candidate A-Level Biology

Which exam board is best for a private candidate and how would i be able to do the practical endorsement? If there is one...

Long story short, how should I go about studying biology privately?

I'm currently in year 12

Reply 1

username2371841

would you say it would be easier to take AS Biology in year 13 at my school or study it outside of school through distance learning OR self-study A-Level Biology

Reply 2

dragonkeeper999

Original post by sfaraj

would you say it would be easier to take AS Biology in year 13 at my school or study it outside of school through distance learning OR self-study A-Level Biology

I'm by no means an expert on this, but from what I understand the practical component of the course makes it VERY difficult for private candidates to take - essentially it will cost a fair amount of money for you to take the practical exams at a private exam centre/ school. I'm not aware of any A level Biology courses without a practical component...

Your best option would definitely be to take AS Biology at your school, since then it's free and they will organise all your exams, teach you how to do the practical work, and mark your practical coursework, etc. :smile:

Reply 3

username2371841

Original post by dragonkeeper999

yeah i guess you're right, I think its because I want the whole 2 years. Maybe i'll do the AS Bio, and then if i still want to carry it on, i might take a gap year and carry on the rest somehow which will be cheaper as I would've done the practical part...

Reply 4

dragonkeeper999

Original post by sfaraj

Sounds like a good plan :smile:

Reply 5

jkbar1955

Original post by sfaraj

The CPAC (practical endorsement) is for the whole A level- so you could sit the AS exams (although you don't now have to do a separate AS at all) without any practical- it is when you do the final year that the CPAC will have to be signed off by your centre. So that won't work unless you actually do all 12 practicals - which no school will do in the AS year - and then they sign it off for you....

OCR exams are easy

Original post by jkbar1955

my school do the 12 practicals in the AS Year.

Reply 8

jkbar1955

Original post by sfaraj

my school do the 12 practicals in the AS Year.

Might work then if the place you are at now will provide all the records to the centre at which you eventually sit the written papers in year 2....

Reply 9

National Extension College

Official Rep

Hi I work at the National Extension College, We offer a distance learning course for the full A level Biology. The A level grade is made up from your written exams only, the practical endorsement is an addition pass/fail grade that you can take additionally if your university entry requires it. It is available at an additional cost at our centre in Oxford at approximately £1140, which is a lot I know. We hope to be able to offer it next year at our Coventry centre for a lower cost (around £750).
Kind regards
Jo

Reply 10

Philip-flop

Original post by National Extension College

Hi NEC (@National Extension College), is it possible to sit the practicals for the endorsement at a later date even after receiving A2 grades?

Reply 11

National Extension College

Official Rep

Original post by Philip-flop

Hi NEC (@National Extension College), is it possible to sit the practicals for the endorsement at a later date even after receiving A2 grades?

From AQA's Practical handbook for A-level Biology, "Carry forward and retakes :
... They cannot retake the practical science assessment without retaking exams. This is because practical skills should be developed as part of teaching and learning of the whole subject and the assessment is designed to assess students demonstrating the skills over a period, not just as a one-off."