The Student Room Group
Original post by omar saffo
I am 16 years old and I am moving to the uk after 2 months from now, currently I am in jordan and i am studying year 11 but we do not have GCSE's here so I am wondering if I can go straight to A levels when i move or retake year 11 to get GCSE's


Moving to the UK right after the summer when you're 16 is not going to do you any favours.

Do you have any equivalent qualifications to GCSE in Jordan? If you don't, you should take them. I would recommend trying to see if a secondary school would be willing to allow you to sit a year in Year 11, but this is not necessarily likely.

Whilst there are strictly no entry requirements for A Levels, the colleges that teach A Levels will require you to have GCSEs in certain subjects at specific grades before they allow you to enroll onto some of their courses. If this is the case, then you have 2 options:

Attend an adult college and do courses "equivalent" to A Levels (equivalent, but they aren't regarded as such by universities)

Do A Levels privately, usually at significant cost.


You can try to do the necessary GCSEs at the sixth form college, if they allow it, along with the other students who are resitting their GCSEs due to insufficient grades. I don't know how likely this would be considering your background though, so you would need to check with the individual college.

If you're going to do A Levels, I presume you have some plan for what you want to do afterwards. University, apprenticeship, work? If you can be specific about your intentions, I would be able to point you in the right direction (or at least a more efficient way of going about it).
Reply 2
Original post by MindMax2000
Moving to the UK right after the summer when you're 16 is not going to do you any favours.

Do you have any equivalent qualifications to GCSE in Jordan? If you don't, you should take them. I would recommend trying to see if a secondary school would be willing to allow you to sit a year in Year 11, but this is not necessarily likely.

Whilst there are strictly no entry requirements for A Levels, the colleges that teach A Levels will require you to have GCSEs in certain subjects at specific grades before they allow you to enroll onto some of their courses. If this is the case, then you have 2 options:

Attend an adult college and do courses "equivalent" to A Levels (equivalent, but they aren't regarded as such by universities)

Do A Levels privately, usually at significant cost.


You can try to do the necessary GCSEs at the sixth form college, if they allow it, along with the other students who are resitting their GCSEs due to insufficient grades. I don't know how likely this would be considering your background though, so you would need to check with the individual college.

If you're going to do A Levels, I presume you have some plan for what you want to do afterwards. University, apprenticeship, work? If you can be specific about your intentions, I would be able to point you in the right direction (or at least a more efficient way of going about it).

well i was planing to go to birmigham university and study computer science and for that i was planning to study math, business and any other subject but in my case now i am wondering if i can study gcse's at home for a year then take the test would that work?
Original post by omar saffo
well i was planing to go to birmigham university and study computer science and for that i was planning to study math, business and any other subject but in my case now i am wondering if i can study gcse's at home for a year then take the test would that work?


You can take GCSEs at home, but I don't think that would be necessary.

In the ideal scenario, you would be doing your GCSEs with the local secondary school by staying behind for a year.
If that doesn't pan out, you could always go to an adult college where you would be do the required maths and English Language GCSEs for free, if you're a UK citizen. These 2 GCSEs would be standard if you ever apply for work or further study beyond A Level or bachelor's degree.

According to the entry requirements for Birmingham's computer science degree (https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/computer-science/computer-science.aspx#EntryRequirementsTab), you would only need the A Levels/IB/BTEC+A Level. The GCSEs aren't necessary for some reason.
Do note, if your residential status is not that of a UK citizen, then you would need to have the English proficiency test, which is the equivalent of a GCSE in English Language (I prefer doing the GCSE since it's cheaper and it's valid anywhere in the UK).

If the college that you are available in your surrounding area won't allow you to do the A Levels without the GCSEs, you can do the A Levels privately. However, this is more of a last resort since I opine it's always better to do your A Levels in class. The standard requirement to do A Level Maths (which doesn't have any entry requirements according to the exam boards) is GCSE Maths of at least grade 6 (sometimes higher, depending how snobby the college is). If the college offers IB, they would have similar requirements in terms of GCSE grades.
If you want to apply to a sixth form college after 16, you need to do so before you are 17, otherwise it's going to be very difficut to get into a 6th form and you would have to attend adult colleges that only offer A Levels.

Doing GCSEs and A Levels privately can cost quite a bit (in the thousands) and this is very unnecessary. Where possible, I would also look into the Advanced Learner's Loan (call to check if you're eligible) to help with funding, especially when you haven't done such qualifications before.

If you have asked all of your local sixth form and adult colleges what you're eligible for and you still can't do all of your GCSEs and A Levels that you want to do, come back to me and I give you pointers on how to do them privately (it's going to be a long winded essay).
(edited 1 year ago)
Reply 4
sorry to bother you but i have one last question, can I study gcse at home or attend a secondary school at year 11 then get into A levels? i was planning to go to cadbury college which can be attended if you are below 18 yrs old, so can i now study gcse for a year then attend a 2 year course of a levels? or i can do 1 year?
Original post by omar saffo
sorry to bother you but i have one last question, can I study gcse at home or attend a secondary school at year 11 then get into A levels? i was planning to go to cadbury college which can be attended if you are below 18 yrs old, so can i now study gcse for a year then attend a 2 year course of a levels? or i can do 1 year?


I am looking at their entry requirements for the college:
https://www.cadcol.ac.uk/index.php/entry-requirements
"At least 2 grade 6s at GCSE. At least a further grade 5s at GCSE. At least a grade 4 in GCSE English Language and Mathematics. If you do not have a grade 4 in one of these key subjects, you will be required to re-take this GCSE in addition to your A level studies."
They specify that you can take a GCSE in addition to your A Level studies, but you would need to confirm with the college whether they would be willing to let someone who hasn't taken GCSEs before to do it alongside the A Levels.

https://www.cadcol.ac.uk/courses/a-level/mathematics
"A minimum of five GCSEs at grade 4 and above, including English, with at least two at grade 6. You should have Maths at grade 7."
https://www.cadcol.ac.uk/courses/alevel/business-studies
"A minimum of five GCSEs at grade 4 and above, including Maths and English at grade 5, with at least two at grade 6."

So according to the specific A Levels, you would be looking at least 5 GCSEs, where your GSCE Maths is at least a grade 7, English grade 5, one other GCSE to be at grade 6( this can be your GCSE in English), and the other GCSEs at at least grades 4.

can I study gcse at home or attend a secondary school at year 11 then get into A levels?
You can study GCSEs at home, but it's likely to be expensive. Doing it at a secondary school or an adult college would be cheaper and quicker.

i was planning to go to cadbury college which can be attended if you are below 18 yrs old, so can i now study gcse for a year then attend a 2 year course of a levels? or i can do 1 year?
Strictly speaking, you would only need 5 GCSEs (Maths, English Language, 3 others). You can easily do these in a year if you want, but it might require quite a bit of hard work. If you intend to do GCSEs privately, try to pick the subjects where they can be done with 100% exams, because coursework invigilation for private candidates can be extremely expensive.
Whether the college would accept you after doing 2 years at GCSEs and then applying for your A Levels due to your circumstances would strictly depend on the admissions team/director of the college. I recommend you contact them to confirm: https://www.cadcol.ac.uk/index.php/contact-us
(edited 1 year ago)
Reply 6
Original post by MindMax2000
I am looking at their entry requirements for the college:
https://www.cadcol.ac.uk/index.php/entry-requirements
"At least 2 grade 6s at GCSE. At least a further grade 5s at GCSE. At least a grade 4 in GCSE English Language and Mathematics. If you do not have a grade 4 in one of these key subjects, you will be required to re-take this GCSE in addition to your A level studies."
They specify that you can take a GCSE in addition to your A Level studies, but you would need to confirm with the college whether they would be willing to let someone who hasn't taken GCSEs before to do it alongside the A Levels.

https://www.cadcol.ac.uk/courses/a-level/mathematics
"A minimum of five GCSEs at grade 4 and above, including English, with at least two at grade 6. You should have Maths at grade 7."
https://www.cadcol.ac.uk/courses/alevel/business-studies
"A minimum of five GCSEs at grade 4 and above, including Maths and English at grade 5, with at least two at grade 6."

So according to the specific A Levels, you would be looking at least 5 GCSEs, where your GSCE Maths is at least a grade 7, English grade 5, and the other GCSEs at at least grades 4.

can I study gcse at home or attend a secondary school at year 11 then get into A levels?
You can study GCSEs at home, but it's likely to be expensive. Doing it at a secondary school or an adult college would be cheaper and quicker.

i was planning to go to cadbury college which can be attended if you are below 18 yrs old, so can i now study gcse for a year then attend a 2 year course of a levels? or i can do 1 year?
Strictly speaking, you would only need 5 GCSEs (Maths, English Language, 3 others). You can easily do these in a year if you want, but it might require quite a bit of hard work. If you intend to do GCSEs privately, try to pick the subjects where they can be done with 100% exams, because coursework invigilation for private candidates can be extremely expensive.
Whether the college would accept you after doing 2 years at GCSEs and then applying for your A Levels due to your circumstances would strictly depend on the admissions team/director of the college. I recommend you contact them to confirm: https://www.cadcol.ac.uk/index.php/contact-us

I contacted the college, they said: apply online for now and we will have an interview to talk about your personal circumstances , so for now i am going to apply online and then when i get to the uk i will have an interview with them to talk about what I can do, anyways, THANKS ALOT FOR YOUR HELP, i really appreciate it🙏.
Reply 7
Original post by MindMax2000
Moving to the UK right after the summer when you're 16 is not going to do you any favours.

Do you have any equivalent qualifications to GCSE in Jordan? If you don't, you should take them. I would recommend trying to see if a secondary school would be willing to allow you to sit a year in Year 11, but this is not necessarily likely.

Whilst there are strictly no entry requirements for A Levels, the colleges that teach A Levels will require you to have GCSEs in certain subjects at specific grades before they allow you to enroll onto some of their courses. If this is the case, then you have 2 options:

Attend an adult college and do courses "equivalent" to A Levels (equivalent, but they aren't regarded as such by universities)

Do A Levels privately, usually at significant cost.


You can try to do the necessary GCSEs at the sixth form college, if they allow it, along with the other students who are resitting their GCSEs due to insufficient grades. I don't know how likely this would be considering your background though, so you would need to check with the individual college.

If you're going to do A Levels, I presume you have some plan for what you want to do afterwards. University, apprenticeship, work? If you can be specific about your intentions, I would be able to point you in the right direction (or at least a more efficient way of going about it).


Hiiii! I have a similar problem and would appreciate it if you could help me!
So I am turning 17 this summer and im moving to the uk in a month. Im currently living in turkey and have lived here for the past two years, I went to a Turkish public school in grade 9 and an international school in grade 10 (equivalent to british 11) which I just finished. Im originally from Sweden and finished up to 8th grade in school there. Because of the swedish school system where everyone starts grade 1 a year later than the rest of the world and graduates highschool the year they are turning 19, I'm already a year older than everyone in my grade.

As I have understood it im starting sixth form/college after summer but im unsure if I will be able to start school without GCSE's and are they mandatory to start A levels. I think the subjects I had are equivalent to GCSE’s as I had Math, English, Turkish, Arabic, Social studies, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Computer science, Physical education and Art. I'm also unsure about if they will let me start yr 12 as I will be one year older than everyone in my grade. And also I dont know how you apply for schools, do I just contact the schools I want to go to individually? or am I supposed to apply in a different way. Do I have to take any entrance exams?
Hiiii! I have a similar problem and would appreciate it if you could help me!
So I am turning 17 this summer and im moving to the uk in a month. Im currently living in turkey and have lived here for the past two years, I went to a Turkish public school in grade 9 and an international school in grade 10 (equivalent to british 11) which I just finished. Im originally from Sweden and finished up to 8th grade in school there. Because of the swedish school system where everyone starts grade 1 a year later than the rest of the world and graduates highschool the year they are turning 19, I'm already a year older than everyone in my grade.

As I have understood it im starting sixth form/college after summer but im unsure if I will be able to start school without GCSE's and are they mandatory to start A levels. I think the subjects I had are equivalent to GCSE’s as I had Math, English, Turkish, Arabic, Social studies, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Computer science, Physical education and Art. I'm also unsure about if they will let me start yr 12 as I will be one year older than everyone in my grade. And also I dont know how you apply for schools, do I just contact the schools I want to go to individually? or am I supposed to apply in a different way. Do I have to take any entrance exams?

As I have understood it im starting sixth form/college after summer but im unsure if I will be able to start school without GCSE's and are they mandatory to start A levels
If you have GCSE equivalents and your English is en par with that of UK students for colleges, then you should be fine. You will need to check with the individual colleges for international equivalence and to check that you meet the grade requirements though (this should be through Ecctis, but I can't be too sure though).

I'm also unsure about if they will let me start yr 12 as I will be one year older than everyone in my grade
To my understanding, you can still apply for sixth form colleges so long you are at most 17 years old by the time you apply. Once you are 18 or older at the time of your application, it's unlikely they will accept you. If this is the case though, it won't hurt if you do contact the individual colleges to check your eligiblity.
If you do not get accepted into 6th form and you lack the equivalent of A Levels for university purposes (or similar), then your other likely option is to apply to an adult college (some do offer A Levels, but many don't). Otherwise, you will likely be looking to do A Levels online through individual courses. which can be expensive and not ideal.
Having said that, there are online 6th form colleges that charge you significant fees for the education, although I don't know how good they are.
In any case, I would consider contacting the colleges you are interested to see what they say first.

And also I dont know how you apply for schools, do I just contact the schools I want to go to individually? or am I supposed to apply in a different way. Do I have to take any entrance exams?
To apply to individual colleges, you will need to apply to individual colleges. As far as I know, there is no central application service for college applications as they do for university application. You apply for the individual college based on your GCSE results, unless it's a private school where they request you to take certain entrance exams to distinguish the applicants (they have more applicants than they have places).
Reply 9
Hiiii! I have a similar problem and would appreciate it if you could help me!
So I am turning 17 this summer and im moving to the uk in a month. Im currently living in turkey and have lived here for the past two years, I went to a Turkish public school in grade 9 and an international school in grade 10 (equivalent to british 11) which I just finished. Im originally from Sweden and finished up to 8th grade in school there. Because of the swedish school system where everyone starts grade 1 a year later than the rest of the world and graduates highschool the year they are turning 19, I'm already a year older than everyone in my grade.

As I have understood it im starting sixth form/college after summer but im unsure if I will be able to start school without GCSE's and are they mandatory to start A levels. I think the subjects I had are equivalent to GCSE’s as I had Math, English, Turkish, Arabic, Social studies, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Computer science, Physical education and Art. I'm also unsure about if they will let me start yr 12 as I will be one year older than everyone in my grade. And also I dont know how you apply for schools, do I just contact the schools I want to go to individually? or am I supposed to apply in a different way. Do I have to take any entrance exams?


Not a useful reply. But I’m in the same boat as you. Good luck with your process!
Hiiii! I have a similar problem and would appreciate it if you could help me!
So I am turning 17 this summer and im moving to the uk in a month. Im currently living in turkey and have lived here for the past two years, I went to a Turkish public school in grade 9 and an international school in grade 10 (equivalent to british 11) which I just finished. Im originally from Sweden and finished up to 8th grade in school there. Because of the swedish school system where everyone starts grade 1 a year later than the rest of the world and graduates highschool the year they are turning 19, I'm already a year older than everyone in my grade.

As I have understood it im starting sixth form/college after summer but im unsure if I will be able to start school without GCSE's and are they mandatory to start A levels. I think the subjects I had are equivalent to GCSE’s as I had Math, English, Turkish, Arabic, Social studies, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Computer science, Physical education and Art. I'm also unsure about if they will let me start yr 12 as I will be one year older than everyone in my grade. And also I dont know how you apply for schools, do I just contact the schools I want to go to individually? or am I supposed to apply in a different way. Do I have to take any entrance exams?

Hey bro, i went to the college the other day, they said i should retake gcse's, and i am now taking english, maths, and science gcse's at cadbury college , it is really simple just apply online they will send u a form in the mail fill it and bring some papers which include : ur passport or id , a previous qualification like ur Turkish certificate and the form and then go to the college and talk to them about ur enrollment
(edited 1 year ago)
Original post by intjyn
Not a useful reply. But I’m in the same boat as you. Good luck with your process!

I replied to him, hopefully it helped
Ok so the final answer is that YOU CANT GET INTO A LEVELS WITHOUT GCSE'S, so u would have to take gcse's before going into A-levels, that may make u lose a year, u can take it in a college like what i did, and u can take it in a secondary school.
Goodluck to everyone 😊
Reply 13
Original post by omar saffo
Ok so the final answer is that YOU CANT GET INTO A LEVELS WITHOUT GCSE'S, so u would have to take gcse's before going into A-levels, that may make u lose a year, u can take it in a college like what i did, and u can take it in a secondary school.
Goodluck to everyone 😊


Just wanted to say, that it’s possible. I got in without GCSEs. My college had me take a test and I passed it. They might make you take GCSE maths and english whilst you’re doing your A levels, but it really depends on your situation. Talk to the school/college first and ask them what your choices are. As always good luck to everyone :smile:
Original post by intjyn
Just wanted to say, that it’s possible. I got in without GCSEs. My college had me take a test and I passed it. They might make you take GCSE maths and english whilst you’re doing your A levels, but it really depends on your situation. Talk to the school/college first and ask them what your choices are. As always good luck to everyone :smile:

I talked to so many colleges and schools and everyone said that i cant just go in without gcse's and i need to take them separately 🤷 idk maybe ur situation is dependent on what country u where studying in before
Reply 15
Original post by intjyn
Just wanted to say, that it’s possible. I got in without GCSEs. My college had me take a test and I passed it. They might make you take GCSE maths and english whilst you’re doing your A levels, but it really depends on your situation. Talk to the school/college first and ask them what your choices are. As always good luck to everyone :smile:

What college do I go to ?