Equivalency programmes

If you are applying to Edge Hill University and don’t have the GCSEs or Level 2 qualifications required for entry onto your course, one of our equivalency programmes may be for you.

Revision courses

Our range of revision courses all involve online tutor-led sessions in preparation for an equivalency exam on campus. You can choose from:

• Intensive GCSE equivalency online revision courses in English, Mathematics and Science – our 4-week intensive courses may be suitable if you have a sufficiently advanced level of existing subject knowledge and understanding to not require a longer 12-week programme,
• Level 2 equivalency online course in Literacy – a new 8-week programme designed for applicants to health and social care programmes (excluding Medicine) where Level 2 Literacy is included in the entry requirements.
• Level 2 equivalency online course in Numeracy – a new 8-week programme designed for applicants to health and social care programmes (excluding Medicine) where Level 2 Numeracy is included in the entry requirements.

GCSE equivalency: 12 week online revision courses

Our revision courses offer you the support of tutor-led revision sessions. These are delivered online, one evening per week for 12 weeks, in preparation for sitting an exam on campus.

English, Mathematics and Science revision programmes are available at a cost of £275 per subject.

Start dates are typically offered every January, April and September. The 12-week courses require some prior subject knowledge (meaning they are not suitable for complete beginners).

You will be required to attend tutorials online for one evening per week, from 6pm-9pm. It is essential that you attend these sessions in preparation for an exam at the end of the course. You must attend the exam in person.

If you are unsuccessful in passing the exam in the first instance you will have two further opportunities to resit at no extra cost.

You will need to have basic IT skills and access to the following equipment:

• A desktop computer or laptop running Windows 7+ or Mac OS 10.10+ so you can use the latest versions of browsers such as Chrome and Firefox;
• A microphone (either in-built or attached via USB cable) or a USB headset,
• A webcam (either in-built or attached via USB cable).

Alternatively, you could use a tablet with an in-built camera and microphone.

You will also need a broadband connection, ideally with unlimited data, and a notebook and pen. A subject-specific support pack will be posted to you prior to the start of the programme.

Please select your required subject from the options below for a full list of dates and a link to register and pay.

GCSE equivalency: 4 week intensive online revision courses

Our intensive revision courses offer you the support of tutor-led revision sessions. These are delivered online, two evenings per week for four weeks, in preparation for sitting an exam on campus.

The intensive revision courses are aimed at applicants who have applied to study at Edge Hill later in the year and have a limited amount of time to meet the entry requirements for their course.

The courses take place in mid-summer. English, Mathematics and Science intensive courses are available at a cost of £275.

An intensive course is suitable if you have a sufficiently advanced level of existing subject knowledge and understanding to not require the longer 12-week programme.

You will be required to attend tutorials online for two evenings per week, from 6pm-9pm. It is essential that you attend these sessions in preparation for an exam at the end of the course. You must attend the exam in person.

If you are unsuccessful in passing the exam in the first instance you will have two further opportunities to resit at no extra cost.

You will need to have basic IT skills and access to the following equipment:

• A desktop computer or laptop running Windows 7+ or Mac OS 10.10+ so you can use the latest versions of browsers such as Chrome and Firefox;
• A microphone (either in-built or attached via USB cable) or a USB headset,
• A webcam (either in-built or attached via USB cable).

Alternatively, you could use a tablet with an in-built camera and microphone.

You will also need a broadband connection, ideally with unlimited data, and a notebook and pen. A subject-specific support pack will be posted to you prior to the start of the programme.

Please select your required subject from the options below for a full list of dates and a link to register and pay.

Level 2 Literacy equivalency: 8 week online revision course

Our Level 2 Literacy equivalency revision course offers you the support of tutor-led revision sessions. These sessions are delivered online, one evening per week for 8 weeks, in preparation for sitting an exam on campus.

The revision course is designed for applicants to health and social care programmes (excluding Medicine) where Level 2 Literacy is included in the entry requirements.

The 8-week course costs £175 and covers:

• Comprehension
• Analysing texts
• Inference
• Word play
• Letter writing
• Tone of language
• Spelling, punctuation and grammar
• Proofreading.

Please note, the Level 2 Literacy equivalency revision course is not an English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) course. It is designed to support you to pass our Level 2 Literacy test, demonstrating your ability to understand and use everyday English to a high standard. It is preferable for candidates to already have Level 1 in English or Communication.

To join the Level 2 Literacy Equivalency Revision Course, you must first complete an online pre-course assessment. The assessment will be sent to you after you register and pay for the test and it will allow us to evaluate whether your written English is of a standard which would allow you to successfully complete a course of study at Level 2 and pass the Literacy test. If you do not pass the assessment, we will provide feedback, but you will not be invited to progress onto the revision course and you will receive a full refund.

Once enrolled on the revision course, you will be required to attend tutorials online for one evening per week, from 6 – 8.30pm. It is essential that you attend these sessions in preparation for an exam at the end of the course.

If you are unsuccessful in passing the exam at the first attempt you will have two further opportunities to resit at no extra cost.

Details of dates and a link to register and pay are provided below.

Level 2 Numeracy equivalency: 8 week revision course

Our Level 2 Numeracy equivalency revision course offers you the support of tutor-led revision sessions. These sessions are delivered on campus, one evening per week for 8 weeks, in preparation for sitting an exam.

The revision course is designed for applicants to health and social care programmes (excluding Medicine) where Level 2 Numeracy is included in the entry requirements.

The 8-week course costs £175 and covers:

• Properties of numbers
• Measure and conversion
• Fractions, decimals and percentages
• Charts and graphs
• Ratio and proportion
• Area, perimeter and volume
• Averages and probability
• Substitution and using formulae (algebra).

Some prior subject knowledge is required so the course is not suitable for complete beginners.

You will be required to attend tutorials on campus for one evening per week, from 6pm-8:30pm. It is essential that you attend these sessions in preparation for the exam at the end of the course.

If you are unsuccessful in passing the exam at the first attempt you will have two further opportunities to resit at no extra cost.

Details of dates and a link to register and pay are provided below.

Standalone tests

Alongside our equivalency courses, we also offer the option of standalone GCSE equivalency tests in English, Mathematics and Science or Level 2 Literacy and Numeracy.

GCSE equivalency

If you are not able to join an equivalency course or feel that, with some self-revision, your subject knowledge is already sufficient, we offer standalone GCSE equivalency tests in English, Mathematics and Science.

The cost is £110 per subject. After registering and paying for a test, you will receive a revision pack to help you study at home and revise at your own pace.

When you’re ready to sit your exam, you can email us at [email protected] and tell us your preferred date from the lists below. You will sit the exam at Edge Hill University or Holy Cross College & University Centre.

If you are unsuccessful in passing the test in the first instance you will have two further opportunities to re-sit at no extra cost.

Please select your required subject from the options below for a full list of exam dates and a link to register and pay.

Level 2 Literacy and Numeracy equivalency

Literacy and Numeracy equivalency tests are for applicants to health and social care programmes (excluding Medicine) where Level 2 Literacy and Numeracy are included in the entry requirements.

If you are unsuccessful in passing the test in the first instance you will have two further opportunities to resit at no extra cost.

The cost is £65 per subject. After registering and paying for a test, you will receive a revision pack to help you study at home and revise at your own pace.

When you’re ready to sit your exam, you can email us at [email protected] and tell us your preferred date from the lists below. You will sit the exam at Edge Hill University or Holly Cross College & University Centre.

Please select your required subject from the options below for a full list of exam dates and a link to register and pay.

Contact us

The Equivalency Tests team are available Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm.

If you have any queries about equivalency tests, please get in touch by calling 01695 657148 or emailing [email protected].

If you register for a test outside these hours we will be in touch when we return to the office.

Disclaimer

• The equivalency courses and tests meet the GCSE and Level 2 entry criteria for Edge Hill University courses (excluding Medicine and some apprenticeship programmes) and do not necessarily hold any currency with other institutions. It is your responsibility to check that the equivalency courses and/or tests will be accepted for your target programme with us prior to registering;
• You should allow a minimum of four weeks for papers to be marked. Tests are held on a monthly basis. You will be eligible to complete one test (and two resits if unsuccessful) in each subject;
• It is your responsibility to book onto and sit the equivalency test(s) in a timely manner, allowing enough time for resits (if required) and to meet offer deadlines. This is typically 31 August prior to a September intake
• If English is not your first language, please note that in order to meet the assessment criteria for the English and Literacy examinations, you must demonstrate a satisfactory level of English language proficiency through the use of appropriate grammar in your answers
• A test must be taken within twelve months of payment being made
• We update our tests on a regular basis to reflect current subject curriculums. If you need to complete resits and have been registered with us for more than two years before doing so, the curriculum content may have changed and your revision materials may not reflect this. We recommend that you contact the equivalency test team for further details
• If you are unable to sit an exam on any of the published dates there are allowances for mitigating circumstances. Should this situation occur, you should email [email protected] for advice
• The running of equivalency courses is subject to sufficient numbers of students registering.