The single cheapest route is a Further Education college, where adults aged 19 and over without a grade 4 pass are usually eligible for free tuition and free exam entry. The next-cheapest is Functional Skills Level 2 online, from £39.99 a month when you pay today (£44.99 after a 7-day free trial) per subject with the exam included. Private online GCSE providers usually cost £350 to £600 in tuition plus £70 to £100 per subject in exam-entry fees.
If a funded college place is not available, Lift College's Functional Skills English and Maths Level 2 covers both subjects for £59.99 a month with both TQUK exams included, or £39.99 a month for one subject, when you pay today (£69.99 or £44.99 after a 7-day free trial), and its GCSE Mathematics and GCSE English Language courses run on the same monthly subscription with a 7-day free trial and no contract. Prices on those course pages are the ones to quote.
For adults, GCSE Maths and English are typically needed for apprenticeships, teacher training, nursing entry, some access-to-university routes and many public-sector roles. The cost varies dramatically depending on which route you take, so it pays to understand all four options before committing.
Option 1: Free at an FE college (cheapest)
Under the Adult Skills Fund legal entitlement, adults aged 19 and over in England who do not already hold a grade 4 (old grade C) are fully funded for GCSE or Functional Skills Level 2 English and maths at a college or adult-learning service. The college enters you for the exam and pays the exam-entry fee. In practice you attend part-time evening or daytime classes for around eight to nine months, then sit the exams at the college in May and June. This is the cheapest and most-supported route, but availability depends on your local college's timetable.
Option 2: Functional Skills Level 2 online
If a local FE place is not available or does not fit your schedule, Functional Skills Level 2 in English and Maths is the next-cheapest route. Private online providers typically charge £150 to £400 per subject with exam fees often extra; Lift College charges from £39.99 a month per subject (£59.99 for both) when you pay today, or £44.99 and £69.99 after a 7-day free trial, with one on-demand exam sitting included, awarded by Ofqual-regulated TQUK. Total: from £39.99 a month per subject with Lift College when you pay today (exam included), or typically £150 to £400 per subject with other private providers when exam fees are added. If you are 19 or over and do not yet hold a grade 4, you may qualify for a funded place instead; see whether you can do Functional Skills Maths Level 2 online free. For a provider-by-provider price check, see the cheapest Functional Skills Maths Level 2 online comparison.
Functional Skills Level 2 is government-recognised as equivalent to a GCSE grade 4 for apprenticeships, most college and access courses, and virtually all employment. Teacher training is the main exception: Department for Education guidance says Functional Skills Level 2 is not equivalent to a GCSE in breadth of content, so teacher training providers usually ask for the GCSE or an equivalency test. Some universities, particularly for medical and highly competitive courses, also specifically require the GCSE. Lift College's Level 2 courses are Ofqual-regulated and awarded by TQUK; a pass is accepted as GCSE grade 4 equivalent by apprenticeship providers, most employers and most colleges (see who accepts Functional Skills Level 2), and the exam is pass or fail, with pass marks set per paper (see Functional Skills Level 2 pass marks).
Option 3: Private online GCSE course
If you specifically need the GCSE itself, a private online provider charges around £350 to £600 for tuition per subject. On top of that, you register separately as a private candidate with an approved exam centre and pay a £70 to £100 exam-entry fee per subject. You sit the paper-based exam alongside school candidates in May and June, or in the November resit series for English Language and Maths only. For a full breakdown of the cost of resitting GCSEs, see our guide. Total: usually £450 to £700 per subject.
Option 4: Community adult education classes
Local council adult and community education services run evening classes in English and Maths, often for free for eligible adults. Coverage is patchy and usually limited to core subjects, but where a class exists, it is a genuinely free route. Search your local authority's adult learning pages.
How to choose the cheapest route for your situation
If cost is the deciding factor, work through the options in order. Check your nearest FE college first for a free English or Maths place. If none is available or the timetable does not fit, check whether Functional Skills Level 2 would be accepted for your goal (apprenticeship, teacher training, nursing, employer requirement). If Functional Skills is accepted, take it, and save £200 to £300 per subject versus a private GCSE. Only pay for a private GCSE if your destination course specifically requires the GCSE itself.
If you are deciding how many subjects to sit, read how many GCSEs you take. If you later want a shorter A Level timetable, see fast track A Levels online.
If you study independently or home educate, exam entry works differently: see our guide to sitting GCSEs as a private candidate.
Ready to start? Our Functional Skills Maths Level 2 and English Level 2 courses include the exam.