Can I Take A-Levels as an Adult?

In 2021 there were 756,230 students enrolled to take A-level examinations, and whilst a large majority of these applicants were aged 16-18, a significant number of students were taking A-levels as adults. There are many reasons that adults may choose to take A-levels: Because they wish to change careers or pursue a new career path, attend further education, or are simply seeking a promotion in their existing job role. A-levels will provide you with a well-rounded education, teach you valuable and transferable skills, and give you the boost you need to advance your career.

Wondering if there’s an upper age limit for studying A-levels? Or whether you can study these subjects from home, alongside your existing career or home life commitments? Here’s everything you need to know about studying for A-levels as an adult:

What Are A-Levels?

Widely referred to as A-levels, the term is actually an abbreviation for Advanced Level Qualifications. A-levels are the qualifications that bridge the gap between GCSEs (which are mandatory qualifications in the UK), and further education. For this reason, A-levels are often referred to as gateway qualifications. Although many students studying A-levels do go on to further education, this isn’t the only route A-levels can lead to. They are subject-based qualifications that can lead to university, further study, training, or work.

When taking A-levels as a post-16 qualification straight after GCSEs, students are encouraged to study for at least three A-levels: You need three A-levels to be accepted onto the majority of degree courses. However, as an adult learner, you can study as few or as many A-levels as you wish. It is not unusual for adult learners to choose to study just one A-level at a time. This allows you to focus fully on your chosen subject, and because you can work at your own pace, you can complete a single A-level much faster than you might expect. You can then go on to study another A-level and still achieve your goal of two or three (or more) A-levels in a relatively short period of time, whilst still maintaining your other commitments, such as maintaining your employment or family life.

Is There an Age Limit on Who Can Take A-Levels?

In school, A-levels are taken between the ages of 16 and 18. But there is no upper age limit on who can take A-levels. If you decide that you would like to spend your retirement studying and expanding your mind, then A-level qualifications are a great choice. Research conducted into adult education has shown that learning in later life promotes mental health and well-being, can reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and age-related memory loss, and may also have physical health benefits too.  A 92-year-old man from Orwell in Cambridgeshire became the oldest individual to ever pass a GCSE examination, studying Maths, whilst Philip Kizito of Uganda became the country’s oldest A-level student, studying several subjects at the age of 75.

Whilst there is no upper limit, there is also no lower age limit on who can take A-levels, which means theoretically you can take A-level qualifications at any age, however, because you can’t take A-level qualifications unless you meet the entry criteria, it would be very unusual for an individual to study for their A-levels before the age of 15 or 16. This is because you cannot study for an A-level unless you have studied for, and passed, at least 5 GCSEs, which the vast majority of students do not do until they are 16 years of age.

A-Level Entry Requirements

Your age is not taken into account when assessing your eligibility to study for A-level qualifications. Instead, the main entry requirement to study for A-level is your existing academic achievements. As a general rule, you will need to achieve five GCSEs at grade 9-4 or A* to C and have obtained at least a grade B or 6 in the subject that you wish to study in order to be accepted to study A-levels. This is because A-levels generally build on what has been achieved at GCSE level, and therefore having strong GCSEs will put you at an advantage when your A-level studies begin.

If you don’t have the required grades outlined above, then you could enrol to take your GCSEs online before you apply to study for A-levels. Alternatively, you could consider studying for your A-levels via a distance learning provider, who may have different entry requirements, particularly for mature students. Often other qualifications or career experience can be taken into account by online learning colleges who have more flexibility when deciding which students to enrol. What’s more, you will not be restricted by term or enrolment dates when you choose to study with a distance learning provider, which means that once you’ve made the decision to study for your A-levels, you can get started with your studies right away.

Studying from Home

Many adults who choose to take A–levels opt to do so via distance learning, and from the comfort of their own homes. You can choose to study for A-levels as an adult either in a physical college setting or through distance learning. Many prospective learners ask what the difference between the two learning types is: the short answer is, they’re exactly the same! You will study the same syllabus, take your examinations with the same exam board, and finish your course with the exact same qualification. The only difference between online or distance learning and college learning is the environment in which you choose to study. Some adult learners prefer to be in a classroom setting, but others prefer the flexibility to study from the comfort of their own homes, or anywhere in the world that suits them.

There is no right way or right place to learn, only what is right for you, but the flexibility offered by distance learning tends to be more appealing to adult learners. You can set your own pace and work around your other responsibilities: many adult learners are studying around employment commitments, have a family to look after, or a combination of both. If you have a physical disability or another reason that you prefer to stay at home, or that leaving the house is difficult for you, then distance learning may also be the best option for you.

One of the main advantages of distance learning is that students will have 24-hour access to their course materials, allowing them to study whenever they want without being restricted to set timetables or office hours. So, if you’re working nights and want to study during the day, or caring for small children and want to study in the evenings when they’re in bed, this is possible when you opt for distance learning. You can even work more in one week than another (or even take time off when you need to), giving you complete control of your studies. Distance learning puts you in control of your own study schedule: If you need to spend a little longer on one module then you’re able to, but if you find that a particular unit is easy for you, there’s no need to work on it for longer than you need to. The digital nature of online learning also means that it’s easy to go back to modules that you’d like to recap, with just the touch of a button. For this reason, if you’re looking to achieve your A-levels as quickly as possible then distance learning could be the perfect solution: you can work intensively, and achieve your goals at the rate that best suits your needs.

Getting A-Levels to Change Career

There are many reasons you might choose to study A-levels as an adult. Whilst some learners will pursue A-levels because they have an interest in the subject, or because they want to learn something new, it is more common to study A-levels as an adult because you have a particular career or educational goal in mind. It is not unusual for students to have no idea what their future career goals are when they are at school, but mature students often have much more clarity in their study goals.

If you’re hoping to start a new career in an entirely different field, then A-levels are the best route to do so. Having the right A-levels can give you the skills you need to land a new job, as you will learn more than just the specific subject you choose, you will also learn a host of transferable skills. All A-level subjects teach students crucial study skills that can translate to a wide range of career goals. Skills such as IT skills, critical thinking and time management are highly sought after, and you will develop these as you plan your studies, carry out relevant research, and create written reports and essays.

If you’re not studying A-levels because you want to change careers, but your goal is university or further education, then you will need to study for at least three A-level subjects. Many universities will not accept General Studies A-level or Critical Thinking A-level as a subject towards the three subjects that you need to be accepted into university, so this is something to bear in mind when choosing the right subjects for you.

Choosing Your Subjects

There are a huge number of A-levels to choose from: in fact, there are around 80 unique subjects that you can study at A-level, although not all schools or colleges will offer this many options. Choosing between all these subjects can feel incredibly daunting and overwhelming. Thinking about why you want to study A-levels in the first place will play a huge role in helping you to consider those options and narrow them down.

When choosing your A-level subjects as an adult learner, it’s important to keep your end goals in mind. If you wish to attend university then you will need to study at least three subjects, and you should choose these subjects with the university course you wish to study in mind. You cannot study for a Medicine degree, for example, without A-levels in Biology, Chemistry and Physics. And you cannot study for an Accountancy degree without an A-level in Maths. However, if you wish to study for a less specialised degree, such as History or English literature, then you will have much more freedom to study the A-level subjects that interest you the most (provided you choose your preferred degree subject as your main A-levels subject).

If you are choosing your A-level subjects with a specific career goal in mind, or because you wish to better your career prospects, then you don’t need to stick so rigidly to studying three A-level subjects. If you would prefer to focus on just one or two subjects, either because of time constraints or to better fit around your work and family schedule, then this will still give you the career boost that you need. You could choose a broad base of A-level subjects to help you keep your career options open: subjects such as Maths, English language or English literature, and either science or humanities subjects are great choices. Alternatively, if you have a career choice or path in mind then you could opt for the subjects best suited to the job, apprenticeship or work-based qualification you have as your end goal. Often it is not the subject you choose that is important, but that you have committed to studying for A-levels in the first place. All A-level subjects will demonstrate to prospective employers that you:

• Have the ability to commit to something and follow it through to completion
• Are able to learn and process new information quickly
• Have excellent written and verbal communication skills, and also have high levels of literacy and numeracy
• Have excellent research skills and the ability to manage your workload effectively

Because all A-levels will demonstrate these valuable and transferable skills, if you don’t have a specific subject or career goal in mind then you should focus on choosing subjects that interest you and make you feel excited. The leap between studying for GCSEs and studying for A-levels is a significant one, particularly if you are an adult learner and there has been a big gap since you last studied academically. This gap will seem less daunting, and you are more likely to be successful in your A-levels if you choose subjects that you enjoy. When you’re happy about what you’re studying, and genuinely enjoy the subject, you’re more likely to focus on it and give it your all.