Original post by EOData
What sort of online course? GCSE? A level? Open University? Something more vocational
GCSE courses would be great
Original post by Jasyy
GCSE courses would be great
OK, well the first thing to say is that for most subjects there's no need to sign up to an online course if you think you can self teach from You tube, other online resources and a textbook. This would save £2-300 which you might then use on some focused one to one tuition on exam technique - or just not spend. You have to pay for the exam entry separately and that doesn't come cheap.. What subject(s) where you thinking of doing?
Original post by EOData
OK, well the first thing to say is that for most subjects there's no need to sign up to an online course if you think you can self teach from You tube, other online resources and a textbook. This would save £2-300 which you might then use on some focused one to one tuition on exam technique - or just not spend. You have to pay for the exam entry separately and that doesn't come cheap.. What subject(s) where you thinking of doing?
can I just ask (sorry OP) - would you recommend the same thing for A level? I was gonna start a thread just like this one except for A levels, I'm thinking of doing A level Chem alone within one year on a gap year. What options could you suggest to me?
Thankyou!! (and should I post this on a separate thread?)
Original post by blueham1
can I just ask (sorry OP) - would you recommend the same thing for A level? I was gonna start a thread just like this one except for A levels, I'm thinking of doing A level Chem alone within one year on a gap year. What options could you suggest to me?
Thankyou!! (and should I post this on a separate thread?)
Thankyou!! (and should I post this on a separate thread?)
It depends a lot of the individual but it's worth considering whether what you'd gain for paying for an online course is worth the money. For Chemistry there is the added problem of the assessed practicals - are you intending to take these or not?
(sorry OP i would pm @EOData but i feel like this might help someone later so ill stay on this thread)
I'm not intending to undertake practicals, no. They are a LOT more expensive, and the degrees I was looking at said private candidates did not require a Pass in practicals, so that was a massive relief. I'm hoping my current sixth form will let me come back every now and then to try a few practicals to help my understanding of them - still need to sit down and have a proper chat if this is possible but i've mentioned it to them. IN terms of paying for the online course though - many are £600+, and I went to an A level Chem teacher at my sixth form who gave me loads of online resources, i think there are lots of tutoring services online that I could invest the money into, I could always get a textbook too. SO I'm not sure. Would I have to think about what board I want to do now so that I can sort out what school/exam centre I'm paying to do the actual assessment at??
Original post by EOData
It depends a lot of the individual but it's worth considering whether what you'd gain for paying for an online course is worth the money. For Chemistry there is the added problem of the assessed practicals - are you intending to take these or not?
I'm not intending to undertake practicals, no. They are a LOT more expensive, and the degrees I was looking at said private candidates did not require a Pass in practicals, so that was a massive relief. I'm hoping my current sixth form will let me come back every now and then to try a few practicals to help my understanding of them - still need to sit down and have a proper chat if this is possible but i've mentioned it to them. IN terms of paying for the online course though - many are £600+, and I went to an A level Chem teacher at my sixth form who gave me loads of online resources, i think there are lots of tutoring services online that I could invest the money into, I could always get a textbook too. SO I'm not sure. Would I have to think about what board I want to do now so that I can sort out what school/exam centre I'm paying to do the actual assessment at??
Original post by blueham1
(sorry OP i would pm @EOData but i feel like this might help someone later so ill stay on this thread)
I'm not intending to undertake practicals, no. They are a LOT more expensive, and the degrees I was looking at said private candidates did not require a Pass in practicals, so that was a massive relief. I'm hoping my current sixth form will let me come back every now and then to try a few practicals to help my understanding of them - still need to sit down and have a proper chat if this is possible but i've mentioned it to them. IN terms of paying for the online course though - many are £600+, and I went to an A level Chem teacher at my sixth form who gave me loads of online resources, i think there are lots of tutoring services online that I could invest the money into, I could always get a textbook too. SO I'm not sure. Would I have to think about what board I want to do now so that I can sort out what school/exam centre I'm paying to do the actual assessment at??
I'm not intending to undertake practicals, no. They are a LOT more expensive, and the degrees I was looking at said private candidates did not require a Pass in practicals, so that was a massive relief. I'm hoping my current sixth form will let me come back every now and then to try a few practicals to help my understanding of them - still need to sit down and have a proper chat if this is possible but i've mentioned it to them. IN terms of paying for the online course though - many are £600+, and I went to an A level Chem teacher at my sixth form who gave me loads of online resources, i think there are lots of tutoring services online that I could invest the money into, I could always get a textbook too. SO I'm not sure. Would I have to think about what board I want to do now so that I can sort out what school/exam centre I'm paying to do the actual assessment at??
Even if you don't want to take the practical endorsement, the centre has to offer it to you, and the exam board will need evidence (e.g. a letter from you to the centre) that this has happened and that you turned it down. If you're in a school, even if they have the space, child protection rules may be an issued for you dropping in to practicals - once you're no longer on roll you'd have to be escorted to and from any lessons and supervised all the time which is just a pain for the centre.
The cheapest option for an exam centre would almost certainly be your current school if they'll let you sit it there, so ask them and pick their exam board if they say yes. If not then it's up to you. I think AQA is the most popular option.
Original post by EOData
Even if you don't want to take the practical endorsement, the centre has to offer it to you, and the exam board will need evidence (e.g. a letter from you to the centre) that this has happened and that you turned it down.
Ooo thats a big thing I didn't know about, thanks loads!!
And you make a good point about the child protection rules - I'll have to bring this up, thankyou!! Most likely like you've said, they will refuse.
I think you're right that AQA is the most common, but my school just has to be *unique* and go for Edexcel
but I'll ask them if they'd let me sit there privately. If no it makes choosing my exam board a lot easier, I think most others offer AQA too but ofc i need to look at them.Do you have any other tips and things I should be thinking about??
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