Online A Levels: Can You Sit A Level Exams From Home?
Yes, you can sit A Level exams from home, as long as the qualification is a Pearson Edexcel International A Level. These online A Levels are sat in a private room in your own home, with a live Pearson invigilator watching over you through your webcam.
Knowing it is possible is one thing, but picturing the day itself helps most when you are revising. Pass Learn is one of the only providers in the world offering this, and it is open to anyone, so if you want to take your A Levels online it pays to know what happens. This guide follows a home exam in the order you will live it.
Weeks Before: Booking and Your First ID Check
At MME Exams, we know the calmest exam days start with paperwork sorted early, so we recommend getting your entry in with a provider who handles remote exams well ahead of time. You book the whole subject, covering every paper, and Pass Learn’s exams team gets in touch within one working day. The deadline depends on the series and the team confirms it, so look through the A Level exam booking options before you settle on a date.
Your first ID check happens now. After you book, the exams team asks for a photo of your valid, in-date passport, national identity card, driving licence or UK citizenship card, with the details Pearson needs, and sends them with your entry. Pearson will not give you access without proof of ID. Before each series, Pearson also issues you a unique username and password.
Familiarisation: A Rehearsal That Is Not Marked
Before the real thing, you take part in Pearson’s familiarisation session, which includes a technical check of your set-up. It is compulsory: without it, Pearson removes the entry with no refund. Nothing you write is marked, so treat it as a rehearsal of the routine. This is also where you first hold your ID up to the camera for Pearson’s invigilator, and Pass Learn guides you through it.
The Night Before: Getting Your Room Ready
You need a quiet, private room rather than a shared space, plus three devices: a laptop with a webcam on mains power, a phone with Pearson’s app, and a charged backup recorder with enough storage. Most subjects are paper-based, so you also need a printer and scanner with plenty of ink and paper, as booklets can run to 40 pages. Lay out your ID and make sure your responsible adult knows when to be with you.
Exam Morning: Logging In
International A Level exams start at 07:00 or 10:00 UK time, so check the time zone if you live abroad. Your responsible adult, who can be a parent, guardian or another adult but not your tutor or teacher, must be there when you log in and signs a declaration accepting Pearson’s Terms of Use. You hold your ID up to the camera again, then your adult leaves the room but stays within earshot for the whole exam. The questions appear on screen once you press Start.
During the Paper: Typing, Handwriting and the Chat Box
English Language, English Literature and History are onscreen, so you type answers into Pearson’s assessment player. Every other subject is paper-based: you download a PDF answer booklet, print it, handwrite your answers, then scan and upload every page, remembering to write your centre and candidate numbers on it.
The invigilator can see and hear you throughout, although you cannot see or hear them, and they communicate only by typing in a chat box. You can read more about sitting Pearson exams with a live invigilator on Pearson’s own page. Sessions are recorded and monitored for quality and safeguarding. Your adult supervises any toilet break, while the clock keeps running, and calls Pearson’s helpline if your connection drops.
What Each Subject Looks Like on the Day
The online A Level Psychology exam covers four paper-based units, from social and cognitive psychology to clinical psychology, in the Summer series only. History is the typed option, with four papers of two hours each. The online A Level History exam is also Summer only.
Law has the longest sittings: two paper-based papers of three hours, each with five compulsory 20-mark questions. You can book the online A Level Law exam for the Summer series. The online A Level Geography exam is Summer only too, with four paper-based units ending in Researching Geography.
If the Summer feels too soon, Economics and Business also offer October. The online A Level Economics exam mixes multiple-choice, data response and essays across four units. The online A Level Business exam has four two-hour papers with source-based sections and 20-mark essays.
After the Last Paper: Results and Recognition
Pearson releases results on the results day for your series, and you receive a Pearson certificate, with digital certificates for candidates aged 16 or over. For some subjects only some units run in a given series, so the International A Level exam series page is worth checking as you plan.
These are internationally recognised qualifications, and UK universities accept International A Levels grade for grade, though you should check your course’s entry requirements. If you have been searching can adults take A Levels, the answer is yes, with the same specifications, papers and marking as anyone else.
Conclusion
A home exam has more steps than turning up at a hall, but each one is predictable: book, send your ID, complete familiarisation, set up your room, log in with your adult, answer, upload and wait for results. For help with the learning, the online A Level courses from Pass A Level are designed for independent study. When you are ready to take your A Levels online, Pass Learn enters you with Pearson as a remote invigilation candidate and guides you through the rest.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I sit any A Level online from home?
No. Only Pearson Edexcel International A Levels can be sat from home. UK A Levels and Cambridge International A Levels are always sat at an exam centre.
Do I need a reason to sit my exam at home?
No. Remote invigilation is open to anyone, and no evidence or reason is needed.
Is the familiarisation session a mock exam?
No. It is a compulsory practice of the set-up and routine, and your answers are not marked.
Can I sit my exam from another country?
Yes, where Pearson offers remote invigilation in that country, so check Pearson’s published guidance first. Exam times are UK time and the same ID rules apply.
MME Exams Team
We help thousands of students each year with revision, courses and online exams.
