Free study, qualification and career guides

Cost of Resitting GCSEs as an Adult (2026 Fees)

Private-candidate GCSE exam fees and online course costs for adults in 2026.

Find a Private-Candidate GCSE Exam Centre (UK 2026)

How to find a private-candidate GCSE exam centre in the UK using the JCQ finder.

Functional Skills Maths Level 2: GCSE Equivalent, Explained

Functional Skills Maths Level 2 is the Ofqual-regulated GCSE-equivalent you can sit year-round.

HLTA Course Guide: Level 4 Explained (Pay, Entry, Time)

What an HLTA Level 4 course involves: entry, study time, pay vs TA, and how to qualify while working.

A-Level Grade Boundaries 2026: AQA, Edexcel & OCR Tables

A-level grade boundaries tables for AQA, Edexcel and OCR. Updated 2026-09-25.

A-Level Maths Past Papers: Edexcel, AQA & OCR by Year

Find Edexcel, AQA and OCR A-level Maths past papers for Papers 1, 2 and 3.

A-Level Physics Formula Sheet: AQA & Edexcel (Download)

Download the AQA and Edexcel A-level Physics formula sheets, see which formulas are given in the exam, and revise topic tables.

GCSE Grade Boundaries 2026: AQA, Edexcel & OCR Tables

Official June 2026 GCSE grade boundaries for AQA, Edexcel and OCR.

GCSE Maths Past Papers: AQA, Edexcel & OCR by Year

Find AQA, Edexcel and OCR GCSE Maths past papers by year and tier. Updated 2026-09-25.

GCSE Periodic Table: AQA & Edexcel Versions to Download

Download the GCSE periodic table insert used in AQA and Edexcel exams.

Cheapest way to get GCSE Maths and English as an adult

The cheapest route to GCSE Maths and English for adults is FE college free provision. If not eligible, Functional Skills Level 2 online is the next-cheapest and government-recognised as GCSE grade 4 equivalent.

Functional Skills vs GCSE: which should you take?

A full side-by-side comparison of Functional Skills Level 2 and GCSE: study time, cost, exam format, acceptance and who each one suits best.

GCSE vs IGCSE: What's the Difference and Which Should You Take?

GCSE or IGCSE? Side-by-side comparison: grading, exam boards, regulation, resits and which universities and employers accept, plus adult options.

How to retake GCSE Maths and English as an adult

A practical, step-by-step guide to retaking GCSE Maths and English, or choosing Functional Skills Level 2 instead, as an adult private candidate in the UK.

GCSEs at home for home-educated learners

Take GCSEs at home in the UK with online study, optional exam booking and support from Lift College. For home-educated learners aged 14–16. 7-day free trial.

Online home education UK: how Lift College differs from online schools

Online home education in the UK without a school timetable. Study GCSEs and A Levels at your own pace with named UK tutors and sit exams in person as a private

Private candidates: sitting GCSEs and A Levels with Lift College and Tutors and Exams

How private candidates sit GCSE and A Level exams in person. Lift College online courses plus Tutors and Exams centre pathway. Not an exam board. Home Ed Ages 1

UK Care Worker Pay 2026: National Living Wage, Median Rates and Fair Pay Agreement

The verified pay picture for the UK adult social care workforce in 2026.

Fast Track A Levels Online: Complete Your A Level in One Year

The one-year route into university or a new career, without the two-year college commitment.

UK Qualification Levels: The Complete RQF Table (Entry Level to Level 8)

The at-a-glance guide UK employers and universities use to compare qualifications.

What Are the Hardest A Levels? Ranked, With How to Choose

GCSE Courses for Adults: How They Work

A plain-English guide to studying GCSEs as an adult in the UK: how online courses are structured, what they cost, where you sit the exams, and how long the whole route takes.

NHS pay bands 2026/27 in England: salaries and routes

England NHS Bands 2–6: full 2026/27 basic pay points, how banding works, and the difference between qualifications and registration.

Retaking A Levels in 2026/27: Costs, Deadlines and How It Works

The complete 2026/27 guide to retaking A Levels: exam entry deadlines, private candidate fees, UCAS timing, and how to book.

Teaching Assistant Pay Scales 2026/27: The NJC Rates Table

The agreed 2026/27 NJC pay scale points and salaries for UK teaching assistants, by SCP and role.

Free maths and English courses in the UK explained

How fully funded maths and English courses work for adults in England, who qualifies, and where to find a place through the Adult Education Budget, Free Courses for Jobs and Multiply.

GCSE Results Day 2027

Every date that matters for the 2026/27 GCSE exam year — results day, resits, exam windows and appeal deadlines in one table.

How Much Do Online Courses Cost? UK Prices 2026

Real 2026 price ranges for online GCSEs, A Levels, University Preparation Course, Functional Skills and vocational diplomas in the UK.

How to get free GCSE maths and English as an adult

Why most "free maths and English" funding is actually Functional Skills Level 2 rather than GCSE, when funded GCSE retakes are genuinely available, and what a paid route costs.

CMI Level 5 price comparison: Lift College vs ICS Learn vs NEC

Side-by-side price comparison across the three most-searched UK providers, including CMI registration fees.

Adult education funding in the UK explained

A full comparison of the government-funded routes available to UK adults, from the Adult Education Budget and Free Courses for Jobs to Advanced Learner Loans, Skills Bootcamps and apprenticeships.

How much does a dental nurse earn in the UK?

UK dental nurse salary by experience and setting, from trainee pay through to senior and specialist roles, including NHS Agenda for Change bands and GDC registration costs.

Midwife interview questions and answers: a full preparation guide

The full range of midwife interview questions, from motivation and the 6Cs to safeguarding and emergency scenarios, with STAR-formatted example answers and what to bring.

Grade 6 GCSE equivalent: what it means and where it opens doors

What a grade 6 GCSE converts to under the old letter system, how it compares to grades 5 and 7, and the sixth form, apprenticeship and teacher-training doors it opens.

Home education GCSEs and exams: the private candidate guide

How home-educated learners sit GCSEs and IGCSEs as private candidates, from finding an exam centre and comparing GCSE vs IGCSE to costs, timing and Functional Skills alternatives.

Home education registration and deregistration: the full process

How to deregister a child from school to home educate in England, including a sample letter template, special school exceptions, timelines and what the local authority does next.

Grade 3 GCSE equivalent: what it means and what to do next

What a grade 3 GCSE converts to under the old letter system, why it falls short of a standard pass, and the retake and Functional Skills routes that keep your options open.

NVQ vs RQF vs QCF explained: the UK qualifications frameworks

What NVQ, QCF and RQF mean, how UK vocational qualifications reform has changed since the 1980s, and why RQF is the only framework that matters today.

Home education law in the UK explained

Section 7 of the Education Act 1996, the "suitable education" test, local authority powers, school attendance orders, and how the law differs across the UK nations.

How to Become a Teaching Assistant Without Experience (UK)

The full route-planning guide to becoming a teaching assistant, from GCSEs through Level 2 and Level 3 qualifications, DBS checks and where roles are advertised.

How to homeschool in the UK: a complete step-by-step guide

The legal steps, deregistration process, curriculum choices, exam options and cost planning for starting elective home education in the UK.

Advanced Learner Loan explained: eligibility, repayment and write-off

How the Advanced Learner Loan works for Level 3, 4, 5 and 6 courses in England, including eligibility, repayment thresholds and the University Preparation Course write-off provision.

Teaching assistant interview questions and answers

15 sample teaching assistant interview questions grouped by theme, with STAR-formatted example answers for the trickiest five.

UK awarding bodies explained: NCFE, CACHE, Pearson and more

What an awarding body is, how NCFE and CACHE merged, and why Ofqual-regulated qualifications carry equal recognition whichever awarding body issues them.

How HLTA Level 4 works alongside a teaching role

Study on the job. How the 360-hour HLTA qualification fits around a live school role, unit by unit.

How much does a paramedic earn in the UK? 2025/26 pay guide

NHS ambulance service pay bands for paramedics, unsocial hours uplifts, private ambulance rates and how to qualify without A Levels.

How much does a social worker earn in the UK? Pay guide

Newly qualified social worker pay, local government bands, team manager progression, London weighting and how to qualify without A Levels.

How much does a teaching assistant earn in the UK? Pay guide

NJC pay scale points for teaching assistants and HLTAs, term-time-only pay explained, London weighting and SEN premiums.

HLTA interview questions and answers

12 sample HLTA interview questions with STAR-formatted example answers for the top five, covering whole-class cover, planning and mentoring.

How much does a midwife earn in the UK? 2025/26 pay guide

The full NHS Agenda for Change pay bands for midwives, London weighting and how to become a midwife without A Levels.

How much does a nurse earn in the UK? Full 2025/26 pay guide

The full NHS Agenda for Change pay bands for nurses, London weighting, private sector rates and how to become a nurse without A Levels.

Best A Levels to take in the UK: subject combinations guide

Which A Level combinations keep the most university doors open, by career direction, plus which subjects universities most commonly ask for.

Is Functional Skills Level 2 equivalent to GCSE?

Functional Skills Level 2 is government-recognised as equivalent to a GCSE grade 4 for most purposes. Here is exactly where it counts, and where GCSE is still preferred.

Grade 4 GCSE equivalent: what it means and what it unlocks

Grade 4 is the GCSE standard pass, equivalent to the old grade C. Here is exactly what it opens up, and what it does not.

Grade 5 GCSE equivalent: the strong pass explained

Grade 5 is the GCSE strong pass, roughly a high C or low B in old money. Here is when you need a 5 rather than a 4, and what grade 6 adds on top.

Grade 7 GCSE equivalent: what an old grade A now looks like

Grade 7 is equivalent to the old grade A. It is the typical benchmark for A Level entry in a subject, and a common Russell Group ask for competitive courses.

How many marks is a grade 4 in GCSE Maths?

Raw mark boundaries for a grade 4 in GCSE Maths, Foundation and Higher tier, with recent AQA and Edexcel data and why the mark needed changes every year.

What are UCAS points?

A plain-English guide to the UCAS Tariff: how points are calculated, which qualifications count, and what universities want.

What happens if you fail A Levels?

Eight realistic, fully-recognised options if your A Level results aren’t what you hoped, including faster routes to university.

A Level grades explained

How A Levels are graded in 2026, what each grade means, and how universities use them.

GCSE grades explained: the full 9-1 to A*-G guide

The complete guide to the 9-1 GCSE grading system: every grade explained, old A*-G equivalents, university entry requirements and how boundaries are set.

Care Certificate online: free versus paid, and which employers accept

Free Care Certificate courses cover the same 15 Skills for Care standards as paid ones, but paid providers add assessed workbooks, tutor sign-off and a certified pass employers accept without further verification.

How to become a teaching assistant without experience in the UK

You can become a teaching assistant with no prior experience. The five practical steps are volunteering, a Level 3 TA qualification, an enhanced DBS check, a school-focused CV and applying to primary and SEND schools first.

Is A-Level Psychology hard? An honest guide for adult learners

A-Level Psychology is moderately difficult: high volume of content, memorised studies and structured essays, but no advanced maths. Here is what makes it tough and what makes it manageable.