GCSE equivalency tests for Birmingham City University offer holders

The process for applying for the tests is:

1. Email GCSE.Equivalency@bcu.ac.uk with the following information:
• Name
• Email
• Applicant ID
• Course applied for
• Which equivalency test they want
2. When we receive your email, we will send you a link to pay for the course.
3. Once you have paid, send your payment confirmation and photo ID e.g. pdf or jpeg image of driving licence or passport to  GCSE.Equivalency@bcu.ac.uk.
4. On receipt of this, we will send you the link to the online course platform

Please make sure you have checked the eligibility criteria outlined on this page before paying the admin fee as it is non-refundable.

Once you have paid for your test, you need to email the GCSE enquiry address at GCSE.Equivalency@bcu.ac.uk to submit payment confirmation and photo ID. Photo ID must be a driving licence or passport and sent in pdf or jpeg format. 

You must provide:

• the subject you wish to study
• your applicant ID (this will be on your welcome/offer email from us). If you have applied through Clearing, we will need your UCAS or Clearing ID number.
• the course you have an offer for
• a form of photographic ID which matches the name on your application
• your receipt of administration fee (you can do this by attaching the email of your receipt, attaching a photo of your receipt or attaching a scanned copy of your receipt)
• confirmation of the email address where you wish your test result to be sent

You will need to bring a photographic ID, such as a passport or driving licence, on the day of your test.

There is no fee for these tests. However, you will need to pay a non-refundable £30 administration fee, which covers the marking of your test paper. Only one fee is payable, even if you take more than one GCSE equivalency subject, or if you have to re-sit a test. The £30 fee is payable via our online shop before you begin any support sessions.

No. You will only need to pay one fee, even if you are taking multiple subjects and/or you need to take a re-sit.

No.

These tests are only available to offer holders or those who have applied through Clearing. You will be given the opportunity to sit the test(s) you need if it is a requirement for entry onto your course programme.

Yes you can.

However, we would like to emphasise how important it is that you focus on your GCSE(s) if you are still working towards them as GCSE qualifications are recognised across the UK by academic institutions and employers.

No.

The paper is written by our academic staff so will only be valid for your offer for the specified teacher training course at our University. You cannot use this equivalency test for entry on to any other course at our University or for entry to another university. 

Study sessions will run online on a weekly basis from 4 - 6pm. Once you have made your application for an equivalency test you will receive confirmation and be added to the relevant subject on Teams. The subject tutor will make contact with you to explain the day of the week your support sessions will run on, and to arrange a start date.

No.

You are only able to study for and sit one test at a time as all subject classes and tests run simultaneously.

Students are usually required to take the test within two months. In exceptional circumstances and with the approval of the GCSE Equivalency Course Lead, the test may be taken at a later date.

For each subject there are two papers of 1 hour 30 minutes each (so 3 hours in total). Information about what's covered under each subject can be found on the subject FAQ pages for English, Mathematics and Science. Links to these pages are also available at the bottom of this FAQs page.

The tests for Maths and English Language do not relate to any particular exam board. The exam papers ask GCSE-level questions designed by our academic staff. We recommend using BBC Bitesize for revision purposes.

The Science support sessions and test are based on the AQA exam board. Further details are available on each of the subject FAQ webpages, which can be found at the bottom of this page.

In order to give you the best possible chance of passing the assessment, we strongly encourage you to attend a minimum of four online study sessions. This will ensure you cover each area of the test paper. Although you are able to take the assessment without engaging with the online study sessions, we do not recommend that you take this approach.

Although you are able to take the assessment without engaging with the online study sessions, we do not recommend that you take this approach.

We would recommend to visit www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize. You will also be supplied with reading material when you attend your first support session.

To pass you must achieve a minimum of 50% on your test (average across the two papers).

During the 2019/20 academic year, 92.6% of people who took our GCSE equivalency test achieved a pass.

You will be notified of your result as soon as possible after the 10-day window which our tutors have to mark your paper.

Tutors will email you directly of your result as soon as possible following the 10 working days they have to mark your paper. Please note GCSE Equivalency tests can only result in a pass or fail, you will not be issued with a graded mark. 

You are only able to take one re-sit of the exam test per year.

For BCU offer holders, your test result will be valid until September 2024, depending on your chosen course this may be extended.  

If you have a question that isn't covered in this list please email gcse.equivalency@bcu.ac.uk. Please note, if your question is covered in this list, you will be referred back to this webpage for the answer.