Answer first: The cheapest way to start an Ofqual regulated GCSE online with a named tutor is the Lift College Study plan at £39.99 a month per subject, with nothing to pay today and nothing charged until day 8 of the free 7-day trial. Lift College teaches the AQA GCSE specifications that schools sit (WJEC Eduqas for Film Studies) across 12 subjects, listed on the online GCSE courses page. If you want the exam booked and paid for in the price, the Lift College +Exams plan is £69.99 a month or £713.99 a year (£89.99 a month or £917.99 a year for the double award Combined Science), against £929 to £2,019 for the course-plus-exams packages we found elsewhere. If you would rather pay one fixed fee and arrange your own exam, CloudLearn (£299), Open Study College (£349) and ICS Learn (£355) were the lowest GCSE Biology list prices on 19 October 2026, all before exam fees, which you pay to a private candidate centre directly (CloudLearn's own FAQ puts them at an extra £270).
Prices were read from each provider's course pages for GCSE Biology, Business Studies, Chemistry and Combined Science on 19 October 2026 and will change; check before you enrol.
What "cheapest" has to include
- Which qualification is it? Lift College, Open Study College and (for some subjects) Oxbridge Home Learning teach the AQA GCSE that schools sit. CloudLearn, ICS Learn, NEC and Oxford Home Schooling mostly sell the Pearson Edexcel International GCSE, a different qualification with different papers.
- Are exam entry and centre fees included? Most fixed-fee courses exclude them, so you find a centre and pay it directly; CloudLearn's FAQ quotes an extra £270 for GCSE Biology.
- Is there a named tutor who marks your work? Oxford Home Schooling's subscription is the lowest monthly figure in the table, but tutor marking is a paid extra.
Price table: online GCSEs compared, 19 October 2026
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| Provider | Course price | Exam entry and centre fees | Qualification taught | Tutor support | Free trial or refund |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lift College | Study £39.99 a month or £407.99 a year; +Exams £69.99 a month or £713.99 a year (Combined Science £89.99 a month or £917.99 a year) | Included on +Exams, seat booked at one of 10 Tutors & Exams centres | AQA GCSE (WJEC Eduqas for Film Studies), 12 subjects | Named UK tutor, marked practice, marking in 5 to 7 working days | Free 7-day trial, nothing charged until day 8; 14-day money back on every payment |
| CloudLearn | £299 per subject (£349 Combined Science), or from £10.58 a month on finance | Not included; FAQ quotes an extra £270 (Biology) and from £410 (Combined Science) | Pearson Edexcel International GCSE | Dedicated tutor, queries within 1 working day | Free trial lesson; 14-day money back |
| Open Study College | £349 course only (shown against £449), from £12.35 a month; course plus exams £929 (Business) to £1,169 (Biology, Chemistry) and £2,019 (Combined Science), Birmingham centre only | Included only on the course plus exams packages | AQA GCSE, Foundation and Higher sold separately | Unlimited tutor support | 14-day money back; no free trial |
| ICS Learn | £355 (Biology), £460 (Combined Science); no Business or Chemistry course | Not included: "Your exam fees aren't included in the course cost" | Pearson Edexcel International GCSE | Tutor support, tutor-marked practice tests | Not stated on the page |
| NEC (National Extension College) | £470 single payment (£765 Combined Science), or deposit plus 12 payments at 0% APR | Not included | Pearson Edexcel International GCSE | 1-2-1 tutor guidance | No free trial on the page |
| Oxbridge Home Learning | £395 (Business) to £495 (sciences) course fee | Not included | AQA GCSE for Business and Combined Science, International GCSE for Biology | Unlimited support for the course term | No free trial or refund terms on the page |
| Oxford Home Schooling | £24.99 first payment then £14.99 a month, minimum 6 months (Combined Science £34.99 then £24.99) | Not included | Pearson Edexcel International GCSE | Tutor marking and email support cost extra | Not stated on the page |
The cheapest route for three different learners
You want to try before you commit. Lift College is the only provider in the table with a free 7-day trial of the full course, and you pay month by month with no course fee and no contract.
You want one price that covers the exam. Lift College +Exams at £713.99 a year is the lowest exam-inclusive price we found, with your seat booked at one of 10 centres across England; Open Study College's packages run from £929 to £2,019 and the exams must be sat in Birmingham.
You want the lowest total if you can arrange your own exam. CloudLearn (£299), Open Study College (£349) and ICS Learn (£355) were the lowest GCSE Biology fixed fees before exam costs; add the exam fee for a private candidate seat, and check that a centre near you accepts that qualification before you enrol.
Compare by subject
Dated subject tables are on the GCSE Biology, GCSE Business Studies, GCSE Chemistry and GCSE Combined Science comparison pages, and the all-subject view is best online GCSE courses UK. Adults without a grade 4 in maths or English should read how to get free GCSE maths and English as an adult first.
Sources checked on 19 October 2026
Each provider's GCSE course pages, AQA specification pages for 8461, 8132, 8462 and 8464, and the Lift College GCSE funding and costs page.
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AQA, Ofqual regulated · From £39.99/month · £0 today. Nothing is charged until day 8.