HistoryA Level

You don’t need any previous qualifications to take this course, but GCSE History is advised.

You don’t need to be based in the UK to enrol, however, you must sit your exams at a UK-based exam centre.

If English is your second language, we recommend you have an IELTS 5.5 or equivalent, but we’re happy to review your case on an individual basis.

This online course will teach you the AQA History A Level syllabus (7042).

You'll cover 4 themes:

• The impact of industrialisation: Britain, c1783-1832
• The Age of Reform: Britain, 1832-1885
• The Weimar Republic, 1918-1933
• Nazi Germany, 1933-1945

For in-depth details of what you’ll explore through each unit, download our A Level History course guide.

Your A Level History Exams

While your course is 100% online, you are responsible for booking your exams and must be based in the UK to sit them in person.

There are 2 exams for the AQA History A Level syllabus (7042):

• Paper 1: Breadth study with interpretations
• Paper 2: Depth study

As an approved AQA centre, we'll supervise, authenticate and mark your coursework. You'll sit your exams at your chosen exam centre.

Please note that while we are the 'entering' centre for your exams, you must find and book an exam centre (your 'host centre') before applying for exam entry with us. This will typically be halfway through your course and before the entry deadline.

Your Non-Exam Assessment (NEA) 

One piece of coursework will also contribute to your grade:

• An independently researched enquiry in which you'll analyse and evaluate historical interpretations

As an approved AQA centre, we'll supervise, authenticate and mark your coursework. You'll sit your exams at your chosen exam centre.

Your coursework fee is in addition to your course cost and may increase slightly year over year. Information to students is updated annually to reflect this. 

Please note that you'll also pay the exam centre fees directly to your chosen exam centre.

For more details, download our A Level History course guide.

As the world’s most experienced distance learning provider, we’re committed to helping you build a career you’re proud of. That’s why we offer flexible High School courses designed with you in mind, so you can study anywhere, any time, and on your own terms. 

Our courses are perfect for you if you have a full-time job, kids, a busy schedule, or if you simply want to be in control of your learning.

From our self-paced course structure to our extended study periods and personalised tutor support, we give you the flexibility to develop your career, no matter what life throws at you.

That’s why every year, we help thousands of A Level students gain the qualifications they need to succeed.

Yes, it’s exactly the same!

You’ll sit the same A Level exams at the same time as all the other students in the UK, and you’ll receive the same results, transcript and qualification.

Your A Level will be accepted by universities, colleges and employers worldwide, exactly as if you'd studied in school or college.

Most of our A Level qualifications are accredited by AQA, the largest A Level awarding body. They set and mark the exams for around half of all A Levels taken in the UK each year. If you're taking A Level Economics, however, you will be awarded by Pearson Edexcel, the qualifications arm of Pearson, and the UK’s largest education organisation.

While your A Level course is delivered entirely online, you may need to purchase additional resources, such as textbooks or equipment (for example, a geometry set). These are not included in the course fee, but many textbooks are available second-hand online at a reduced price.

For full details of what you’ll need for this A Level qualification, download your free course guide today.

Right away! There’s no need to wait until September to enrol – you can begin your course at any time.

Once you enrol, you’ll be able to log in to your course and get started within the hour. 

As an ICS Learn student, you'll always have the support you need to succeed. From the moment you enrol, you'll gain access to:

• Our all-in-one virtual learning platform, mystudyspace
• Interactive online learning broken down into easy-to-follow units
• Personalised tutor support to help you achieve your goals 
• Practice tests marked by your tutor
• Online Induction Programme and AI-led videos
• FREE online study planners 
• Access to our Resource Library, full of tools, tips and guidance
• Our friendly Student Services team to help you with non-academic questions

You'll also have lifetime access to our Career Hub, which offers you thousands of resources to help you impress employers, master critical business skills, and build your dream career. This includes:

• A CV and cover letter builder
• An interview simulator
• An elevator pitch builder
• Career and work psychology assessments
• In-depth industry and employer profiles
• 350+ employer films with practical advice from hiring managers
• 1000+ short courses, articles and videos on key career skills like negotiating a raise and leading a team

You can take a sneak peek at the Career Hub and sign up for free today.

To give you the best chance of securing a space at your preferred exam centre, you should aim to book your A Level exam about 6 months before your chosen exam dates.

Please note that you can't sit AQA A Level exams outside the UK.

Your exam centre could be a school or college that's also submitting its own students for the exam, or it could be a private exam centre.

Our partner centre, Tutors & Exams, offers various discounts to ICS Learn students and has nine exam venues across the UK, including Belfast, Bolton, Coventry, Doncaster, High Wycombe, Romford, St Neots, Taunton and Wimbledon.

You can use the JCQ search tool to look for an exam centre near you that accepts private candidates. This tool won’t cover every available centre, so if there’s nothing shown in your area, we recommend contacting local schools and colleges directly.

Please note that if you're studying A Level English Language, A Level English Literature or A Level History with us, you must find and book an exam centre before applying for entry with us.

Finally, your exam fees aren’t included in the course cost as they’re paid directly to the exam centre.

Check out our blog on how to book your A Level exams, or call our Course Advisors for more details.

Student Course Summaries are monthly reports we create (per subject) for both students and parents who want to remain in the know with any of the following throughout their course: 

• Access History: tells you how many days within the month the student has logged in and how many days they've viewed the course. 
• Submitted Assignments/Mock Exams: documents what assignments have been submitted, as well as when it was submitted, how many times the assignment has been attempted, and what grade they received. 
• Help Requests: this will show the correspondence between the student and the tutor, any questions that have been asked and what the tutor's response was. 
• Course Announcements: this is where students and parents can find updates on things such as course updates, live lessons (if applicable), exam booking info or tutor holidays.

The fee for this monthly report is a one-off price, no matter how many courses a student is enrolled in, and the fee can be integrated into your flexible payment plan. However, keep in mind that this fee is separate from the multi-buy discount. 

If you’re funding the course yourself, our flexible 0% payment plans* allow you to spread the cost with interest-free* monthly instalments. 

If your employer is funding all or part of your course, we can invoice them directly for your course fees – just let your course advisor know and we’ll arrange everything.

We also accept funding through ELCAS for this course. If you’re an Armed Forces member looking to use the Enhanced Learning Credits Scheme, speak to our course advisors for more details.

If you’d like to pay in full, you can enrol online using the ‘Add to Basket’ button at the top of the page.

If you’d like to set up an interest-free payment plan, get in touch with our A Level Advisors on 0800 015 3326. You can also verify that your course is budget friendly when you use our handy affordability calculator. 

If you have any disabilities which you think might affect your studies or assessments, please tell your Course Advisor before you enrol so we can advise you on whether reasonable adjustments can be made to accommodate your needs.