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Secondary Courses

GCSE Equivalency Tests

Anyone undertaking secondary teacher training must have a GCSE English and Maths (or the equivalent). On most of our courses this needs to be at grade C/4, but our courses run with UCL require a C/5.

If you are unsure whether your own qualifications (from another country) meet this requirement, please see our overseas qualifications tab.

We would not normally shortlist any candidate who needs to take two equivalency tests, but be assured that we shortlist candidates all the time who still need to take one equivalency test. This would apply to almost everyone schooled in a non-English speaking country for example, who would need to take an English equivalency test.

It is far better to take an equivalency test, where you would get the results within a couple of weeks, than to enrol in an actual GCSE, because results from GCSEs are not available until August, long after schools break up for the summer. 

We have separate secondary courses accredited by St Mary's University; University of Roehampton; and UCL. We accept any equivalency test that is accepted by the university accrediting the WLTTA course.  

 

Equivalency Testing (organisation): https://www.equivalencytesting.com/

Accepted by St Mary's, Roehampton and UCL on our WLTTA courses that they accredit. Note that UCL does not accept equivalency tests from any other testing organisation.

 

A-Star Equivalency: https://astarequivalency.co.uk/

Accepted by St Mary's and Roehampton Universities on our WLTTA courses that they accredit.

 

Birmingham City University Equivalency Tests: https://www.bcu.ac.uk/education-and-social-work/initial-teacher-training/gcse-equivalency-test/gcse-equivalency-tests-non-bcu-applicants

Accepted by St Mary's University on our WLTTA courses that they accredit.

 

St Mary's University's own equivalency tests

Accepted by St Mary's University on our WLTTA courses that they accredit.

 

There is a useful cost comparison of all these different options on the St Mary's University website here:  https://www.stmarys.ac.uk/teacher-training/prepare/gcse/equivalency-tests.aspx

ACCREDITATIONS