7-day free trial · £0 today · cancel any time
Start your free trialUpdated
GCSE English Language online with Lift College follows the AQA 8700 specification, assessed by two written exams: creative reading and writing, and writers' viewpoints and perspectives, plus a separately endorsed spoken language assessment. Study fully online from age 14, with your exams booked for you at a partner centre on the +Exams plan.
| Qualification | GCSE English Language |
|---|---|
| Level | Level 1/2, grades 9 to 1 |
| Awarding body | AQA |
| Qualification number | 601/4292/3 |
| Exams | Exam entry and seat booking are through Tutors & Exams, and only on the +Exams plan. |
| Price | £39.99 a month, or £407.99 in total |
| Typical duration | 12 to 18 months, or faster if you study more each week |
| Age | Open to anyone aged 14 or over. Under 18s enrol with a parent or guardian's permission and support. |
| Who it suits | You need GCSE English Language at grade 4 or above for nursing, teacher training, an apprenticeship or a university application, and you want to study around work or family. |
Yes. Adults of any age can study AQA GCSE English Language 8700 online with Lift College and sit the same two papers as school candidates, as a private candidate at a Tutors & Exams centre. There are no formal entry qualifications and no upper age limit. English Language is one of only two GCSEs that run in November as well as May/June. The November series is open to candidates aged 16 or over at the start of the academic year, which gives adults two chances a year to sit. The papers are untiered, so every candidate can reach grade 9, and both are sat in the same series. Most adults study 6 to 12 hours a week and finish in 12 to 18 months, or sooner with more weekly study. On +Exams we enter you before the AQA deadline and book your seat; exam entry is only on +Exams. Our guide on sitting GCSEs as a private candidate explains the process.
GCSE English Language at Lift College costs £39.99 a month on Study or £69.99 a month on +Exams. Paying annually saves 15%: £407.99 a year for Study or £713.99 a year for +Exams. Study gives you the full course, your named UK tutor and marked practice; exam entry is only on +Exams. +Exams adds your AQA exam entry and Tutors & Exams centre fees, with your seat booked for you. Monthly +Exams has a 9-month expected term because exam fees are built in: you can cancel any time with no exit fee, but unused exam credit is forfeited. Every plan starts with a 7-day free trial, with nothing charged until day 8, no contract, no credit check and a 14-day money-back guarantee on every payment. Start now without the trial and every payment is 15% lower for life.
Comparing providers? Our guide to the best online GCSE English Language courses in the UK sets Lift College alongside the other main providers.
There is no course fee to find, no finance agreement to sign and no debt to worry about. Your first 7 days are free, then you pay for the month you are in, and every payment is covered by the 14-day money back guarantee. Prefer to start now? Pay today instead of taking the trial and every payment is 15% lower for life, with the same 14-day guarantee.
+Exams and +Exams & CPAC on Monthly: Monthly comes with a 9-month expected term because exam fees are built in. Cancel any time, no exit fee; exam credit you have not used is forfeited and unbooked exams are void. Pay annually and no term applies.
You never sign a credit agreement with us, so there is no debt and nothing for anyone to chase. If you stop paying, you simply stop studying. No finance company, no loan and no letters.
The hardest part of studying a GCSE outside school has always been the exam. Lift College and Tutors & Exams remove it: you study online with us, and you sit the same AQA papers as any school candidate at a professional Tutors & Exams centre, with your entry, venue and invigilation arranged through the partnership.
Runs from May to June. The main series, where most learners sit both papers.
Runs in November. A second full series each year, open to candidates aged 16 or over at the start of the academic year, so it suits adult learners and resits.
On +Exams we enter you before AQA's deadline for the series you choose.
Start your free trial, meet your named UK tutor and work through the AQA specification at your own pace.
On +Exams, Lift College submits your AQA entry and books your place at the Tutors & Exams centre you choose, before the entry deadline.
Trained invigilators, a room built for formal assessment, and a AQA certificate identical to a school candidate's.
There is no minimum study time. Most learners spend 6 to 12 hours a week and finish in 12 to 18 months, or faster if you study more each week. Assignments are for feedback and do not count towards your grade; the qualification is 100% examined.
The AQA 8700 specification is built around reading unseen fiction and non-fiction and writing for different purposes. Every text in the exam is unseen, so the course teaches transferable reading and writing skills rather than set texts. Open each content area to see what it covers.
Two equally weighted papers, 1 hour 45 minutes and 80 marks each
Every exam text is new to you, so each unit trains a repeatable method for reading, annotating and answering under time pressure.
Every unit ends with marked, exam style questions. Before entry you sit full timed mock papers with written feedback returned within 5 to 7 working days.
On +Exams your entry and your seat at a Tutors & Exams centre are booked for you and the fees are included.
Two written papers of 1 hour 45 minutes, each 80 marks and worth 50%. Both are sat in the same series and all texts are unseen. Paper 1 covers creative reading and descriptive or narrative writing; Paper 2 covers non-fiction reading and writing to present a viewpoint. The spoken language endorsement is assessed separately: you deliver a presentation, respond to questions and use standard English, and it is graded Pass, Merit, Distinction or Not Classified and reported on your certificate. It does not count towards the 9 to 1 grade. GCSE English Language is examined in May/June, with a second series in November open to candidates aged 16 or over at the start of the academic year.
| Paper | Length | Marks | Weighting | Content |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1: Explorations in Creative Reading and Writing | 1 hour 45 minutes | 80 marks | 50% | Section A: Reading, one literature fiction text (40 marks): four questions (1 × 4, 2 × 8, 1 × 20). Section B: descriptive or narrative writing (40 marks; 24 marks content, 16 marks technical accuracy). |
| Paper 2: Writers' Viewpoints and Perspectives | 1 hour 45 minutes | 80 marks | 50% | Section A: Reading, one non-fiction text and one literary non-fiction text (40 marks): four questions (1 × 4, 1 × 8, 1 × 12, 1 × 16). Section B: writing to present a viewpoint (40 marks). |
The same qualified UK subject expert supports you from enrolment through to your exam series.
Exam style tasks with individual written feedback within 5 to 7 working days.
Unit scores and topic strengths on your dashboard, which your tutor uses to tailor feedback.
A timed mock paper and a written summary of what to focus on before you are entered.
Every option includes the full course, tutor marking and study support. The difference is whether we handle your exams. Pick your option, then try it free for 7 days or start now and every payment is 15% lower for life.
Full access for 7 days. Your first payment is on day 8, and you can cancel any time before then from your account.
£69.99/month from day 8
£0 today
Start 7-day free trial14-day money back guarantee. Request a refund within 14 days of any payment.
Skip the trial and pay today. Every payment is 15% lower for as long as you study.
£69.99£59.49/month, for life
£59.49 today
Start now and pay £59.4914-day money back guarantee. Request a refund within 14 days of any payment.
Studying more than one course? Save 5% with two, 10% with three, 15% with four or more. Add them in the basket.
“The flexibility was a game changer for me. I studied around my shifts and my tutor was incredibly supportive throughout.”
Sarah M. · ManchesterAccess to HE Diploma“I was nervous about going back to study after 15 years, but the platform is so easy to use and the feedback I got on assignments was genuinely useful.”
James P. · BirminghamA Level Biology“Got into my first-choice university with a place on a Nursing BSc. The Access to HE Diploma gave me exactly what I needed.”
Aisha K. · LondonAccess to HE Diploma (Nursing)Yes, exactly the same. Our GCSEs are awarded by AQA and use the identical specification, grading, and exam papers as the GCSE taken in UK schools.
Open to anyone aged 14 or over. Under 18s enrol with a parent or guardian's permission and support. There are no formal entry qualifications.
No, all study is online and self-paced. You access lessons, video tutorials, past papers, and tutor feedback through your learner dashboard. The exam itself is sat at an approved exam centre near you.
AQA GCSE English Language 8700 is examined in May/June each year, with a second full series in November open to candidates aged 16 or over at the start of the academic year. Both papers are sat in the same series. On +Exams we enter you and book your seat at a Tutors & Exams centre for the series you are ready for.
At one of the ten Tutors & Exams centres across England: Birmingham, Bolton, Coventry, Doncaster, High Wycombe, Mitcham, Newcastle, Romford, St Neots and Taunton. Use the centre finder on this page to see your nearest. Exams are always sat in person at an approved centre; no GCSE can be sat online.
GCSEs at Lift College are paid monthly by subscription, or annually up front, which saves 15% against paying monthly. The current prices are shown on each course page. Every option starts with a 7-day free trial, there is no contract or credit agreement, you can cancel from your account at any time, and every payment is covered by 14-day money back. We do not use or offer Advanced Learner Loans: GCSEs are Level 2 qualifications and are not eligible for them. Choose +Exams and your exam entry and Tutors & Exams centre fees are included in the price, with your seat booked for you. Choose Study only and you arrange and pay for your own exam entry separately.
The full course, your named UK tutor, marked practice in every unit, mock papers and AI Study Support.
You simply stop studying. There is no contract, no credit agreement and no debt. You can cancel from your account at any time and there is 14-day money back on every payment.
A short presentation followed by questions, delivered in standard English, assessed against AQA criteria and reported on your certificate as Pass, Merit, Distinction or Not Classified. It does not count towards your 9 to 1 grade. It is recorded, and AQA can ask to see the recording. Ask an adviser before you enrol if you need it assessed.
Yes. Lift College learners are entered as private candidates. On +Exams we handle the entry and book your seat at a Tutors & Exams centre, and the entry and centre fees are included. On Study you can enter yourself at a centre that accepts private candidates; you are responsible for that entry and the fees. The spoken language endorsement is reported separately and does not affect your 9 to 1 grade. Ask an adviser before you enrol if you need it assessed.
Yes. Our GCSEs are awarded by AQA (and WJEC Eduqas for Film Studies) and are identical to those taught in UK schools. Grade 4 is a standard pass and grade 5 or above is a strong pass. Universities and employers treat them exactly as they treat a GCSE taken at school.
Most learners take 12 to 18 months from enrolment to sitting the exams, studying 6 to 12 hours a week. There is no minimum study time and no term dates: you can go faster if you study more each week, or take longer, and your subscription runs for as long as you need it. Marked work is returned within 5 to 7 working days.
On Lift College's +Exams plan, GCSE English Language is £69.99 a month or £713.99 a year, with your AQA entry and Tutors & Exams centre fees included and your seat booked for you. The Study plan is £39.99 a month or £407.99 a year; exam entry is only on +Exams.
If a course or employer names GCSE English Language, take the GCSE. If they accept a grade 4 equivalent, Functional Skills English Level 2 is quicker, typically 8 to 16 weeks with an on-screen exam, and costs £39.99 a month at Lift College with one exam sitting included.
A UK adviser calls you back within 2 working hours, Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm. No sales script.
New to the qualification? Start with our English Language GCSE guide covering papers, assessment and grading.
