Oxford College

Oxford College, which also trades as Oxford Learning College, is a distance learning provider selling home-study A Levels, iGCSEs and accredited diplomas to students who want to study online instead of attending a school or college. Its homepage describes it as "one of the world's leading distance education providers" and says it "is proud to be celebrating 20 years of excellence in service to education." The site is open to learners of any age and stresses that its courses "are available to students all over the world", with a dedicated guide for international A Level students. Its readers are teenagers taking A Levels at home, adults retaking exams for university entry, and working adults collecting vocational diplomas.

Online A Levels

A Levels are the core of the offer. The A Level page explains the format: "The distance learning courses are of two years duration and come complete with full online course materials and tutor support via our online learning environment." The courses "include both the AS and A2 portion of the A-Level award", and learners need to complete both. Exams are taken outside the college: "Students are required to sit at an exam centre as private candidates", and "you need to complete all of the required examinations in one assessment period to gain the qualification." A separate Examination Centres page helps students find one. The certificate comes from the exam board, not the college: "On completing the course examinations you will receive a certificate awarded by an Awarding Body such as Edexcel, AQA, or OCR."

The subject list is long. Each full A Level is listed at 2 years and approximately 350 hours, and the page shows Biology, Chemistry (in both an Edexcel and an AQA version), Classical Civilisation, Economics, English Language and Literature, English Literature, History, Accounting, Ancient History, Business, Law, Mathematics, Physics (including an AQA version), Politics, Psychology, Sociology and Religious Studies. Students who can give more time have a faster route: "There's the option of taking the fast-track A-level online course, which has a one-year duration."

The FAQ answers the questions a parent or adult learner would ask. On entry: "There aren't any entry requirements for those of you wanting to take online A-levels. All that you need is a Wi-Fi-enabled device and commitment to your chosen course." On age: "There aren't any limitations or restrictions in terms of the age at which you may take your A-levels." On university entry, it says the standard and fast-track courses "are eligible for UCAS points", and that "Most universities, both within the UK and abroad, treat online A-levels in exactly the same way as physical A-levels."

Exam practice is sold separately. The A Level page sells past paper marking for individual AQA, Edexcel and OCR subjects, plus a marking bundle for external students. The page prices each subject's past paper marking at £40.00 and the External Students A Level Past Paper Marking Bundle at £150.00. A news post adds that "Oxford College tutors can mark your official NEA (Non-Exam Assessment) coursework for subjects such as History and English."

Diplomas, iGCSEs and short courses

Beyond A Levels, the catalog works as a broad vocational library. The course menu lists Edexcel iGCSEs and Level 2 diplomas, Level 3 diplomas, accredited Level 3, Level 4, Level 4+5 and Level 6 and 7 diplomas, AAT bookkeeping and accountancy, and short courses in business and management, counseling and coaching, healthcare and sport. Diploma subject areas include academic subjects, alternative medicine, animal studies, business, counseling and coaching, health and safety, health and social care, law, management, IT and healthcare management. Course bundles combine an A Level with a diploma.

The site gives specifics for a few of them. With an accredited Level 3 diploma, it says, "you have the option to pick the awarding body", and the Accredited Level 4 Diplomas "are equivalent to a BTEC HNC qualification." Among the popular courses on the homepage, the Accredited Level 3 Diet and Nutrition Diploma and the Accredited Level 3 Health and Social Care Diploma each run 1 year and approximately 200 hours. The Level 4 Accredited Sports Science Diploma runs 1 year and approximately 480 hours, and the Level 4+5 Accredited Business Studies Applications Diploma runs 2 years and approximately 800 hours.

Prices and payment

Prices are published per course. Every full A Level on the A Level page is £395.00, and an A Level Custom Bundle is £1,007.25. The two Level 3 diplomas above are £839.00 each, the Level 4 Sports Science diploma is £2,650.00, and the Level 4+5 Business Studies Applications diploma is £3,100.00. The A Level page can display fees in GBP, USD or EUR.

Payment can be spread at no interest: "We offer 0% APR on all instalment plans for all our online courses. We believe students should have the option to pay in flexible payments that suit them." The footer also links to an installment plan page and to company purchase orders. The pages do not say what an exam center charges a private candidate to sit A Level papers.

Tutor support and contact

Every course comes with a dedicated tutor. The homepage states: "All our online courses are supported fully by experienced and qualified tutors and you have a dedicated tutor that you can contact 24/7." Contact runs through email, WhatsApp, a UK phone line and a callback request form.

What students say

The homepage carries a long list of named student comments. Jonathan Mitchell, who took a Diploma in Biology, writes: "I have been given an unconditional offer to study Podiatry at the University of Salford which i start in September. The Level 3 Diploma's I studied in Biology and Anatomy and Physiology are the main reason I was accepted onto the course." Darcey, on the Fast Track A Level Psychology course, says that "in less than a year I have successfully passed my A Level Psychology exam." Joanna Tyson describes herself as "a mature student with family commitments and a full time job" and adds that "the instalment plan is very helpful." Penny C thanks "my tutor, Lucy, who was very positive and encouraging." One student from South Africa recommends having "a hard copy or printable study material".

Who it suits and who it does not

Oxford College suits a student who needs A Levels outside a school: a teenager learning at home, an adult resitting for a university place, or an international student who wants Edexcel, AQA or OCR A Levels. The flat £395.00 per A Level, the one-year fast-track option, the paid past paper marking and the 0% APR installments make the costs easy to plan. Its diploma range also suits adults building a vocational qualification in care, nutrition, sport, business or counseling.

The main caveat is the exam logistics. Because A Level students sit as private candidates at an outside exam center and must take all papers in one assessment period, they need to find an exam center in time, which the Examination Centres page helps with. Learners who want live lessons or a class cohort will find the independent, tutor-supported format a different experience from school.