Booking a GCSE course

Kent Adult Education Intensive GCSE courses will start in January and will run until the exams at the end of May/start of June 2025. We use the AQA examination board.

To gain a funded place on one of our Maths or English GCSE Intensive courses you must not already have GCSE grade 4 or C in the subject you wish to take. You are required to pass an assessment. The assessments are used to make sure you have the foundation knowledge and skills to be able to complete the course. This is important as you will be undertaking what is usually a two-year course, in just over 5 months. The courses are fast paced and intensive. They require a high level of commitment and full attendance as the course will require 6 hours per week across classes and then at least 8 hours of home study per week, as set by the tutor. Only in exceptional circumstances will you be accepted onto both English and Maths courses.

Our GCSE courses will take place online but in real time so you will be able to interact with the tutor and other class members. It is essential that you have access to a computer with a working camera and microphone and a good internet connection to be able to participate. We ask learners to have their cameras on during sessions, this is particularly important for English speaking and listening activities. Please note that although the weekly lessons will be taught virtually you will need to attend a centre at various points during the course for progress assessments and for your examinations.

Preparing for the assessment

To give yourself the best chance at assessment, it is strongly recommended that you do some preparation and revision. The following websites will give you some excellent preparation and revision tools.

BBC Teach Skillswise

This site provides a good grounding in the foundation skills in Maths and English. It uses examples that may arise in daily life and shows you how you can apply your Maths and English skills to them.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/skillswise

BBC Bitesize

Use the KS3 and GCSE sections of this site to familiarise yourself with the types of topics and styles of question that you may find in the GCSE exams. Once you've clicked on your subject area in GCSE (in your case, this will be either Maths or English Language), you will be asked to choose the exam board for the GCSE you are sitting. We use AQA as our exam board, so please click on that option for content tailored to AQA students.

KS3 link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/levels/z4kw2hv
GCSE link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/levels/z98jmp3

Our GCSE Assessments 

Our GCSE assessments open from Monday 4th November. Days and times will vary depending on each centre's availability. Assessment will close before Friday 20th December.

Both the Maths and English assessments are handwritten papers and must take place in one of our centres. Each paper has an 80 minute time limit (1hr 20min). If you have a diagnosed specific learning difficulty that means you need extra time, different coloured paper or to take the assessment in a room by yourself, please state that when you book.

Following your assessment, we will contact you via email in the next 14 days from submission to give you details of your result and any next steps. If you are unsuccessful in either assessment, we will refer you to our Skills team. They offer Functional Skills Maths and English classes which will help you with any missing knowledge.

If you are successful with your GCSE application, you will be given a password and told how to enrol on one of the courses.

Booking your Assessment

To book an assessment please use our booking tool link below. The tool will allow you to easily choose the best date/time and if needed, alter your assessment. Please be aware opening times for each centre differ and we cannot guarantee availability at your nearest centre.

If you struggle with the tool, you can call us on 03000 41 22 22 and state which centre you're trying to contact.

More information

If you still have some unanswered questions, or would like more information on the GCSE or Functional Skills courses, please visit KAE Skills or call us on 03000 41 22 22.