Online GCSE Tutors for Every Subject

Online GCSE tutors teach a student one-to-one over video, with the board, tier and current grade deciding what each session covers, and they can be matched to courses from AQA, Pearson Edexcel, OCR and WJEC Eduqas. Reformed GCSEs are assessed mainly by exams sat together at the end of the course, so a tutor usually builds understanding steadily and moves to timed practice as the exams draw closer.

Three facts shape the plan: the exam board and specification the school has entered the student for, the tier in subjects that have one, and the grade the student is working at now on the 9 to 1 scale. From those, a tutor can look through marked homework and past papers to see which question types are losing marks, and sessions are then built around that evidence. Starting from the student's own work keeps lessons tied to what the examiner rewards.

How are reformed GCSEs structured?

Reformed GCSEs are linear, meaning students sit all their exams together at the end of the course and the old split into modules has gone, as the government's speech on GCSE reform sets out.

Exams are the main form of assessment, with other assessment types used only to test essential skills, and maths stays entirely exam-based. Foundation and higher tiers appear only where a single paper cannot give every student a fair chance to show their ability, and maths is one of the few subjects that remains tiered. A tutor can use this to plan revision around end-of-course papers, returning to early topics well before the exams so that they stay secure.

What do the 9 to 1 grades mean?

Grade 9 is the highest and grade 1 the lowest on the scale Ofqual introduced to replace A* to G, as its explanation of the move to 9 to 1 describes.

Grades 7, 4 and 1 were anchored to the old A, C and G, and the extra top-end grades give more differentiation above the old C. Ofqual's parent guide to the new grades places grades 4 to 6 roughly at the old B and C, with 7 to 9 covering the old A and A*. Reading a mock result against these bands shows how far a student sits from a target grade, and a tutor can aim practice at that gap.

How do the exam boards differ?

AQA, Pearson Edexcel, OCR and WJEC Eduqas each publish their own specification, so the same subject can carry different papers, topics and question styles depending on the board.

AQA's subject list gives Mathematics as 8300, English Language as 8700, English Literature as 8702, History as 8145 and Geography as 8035, while OCR's GCSE list uses J-prefixed codes such as Mathematics J560 and English Language J351. Pearson Edexcel publishes an explanation of how 9-1 grade boundaries are set, and WJEC Eduqas covers subjects from Film Studies to Religious Studies. The board and code appear on the school's entry, and a tutor can work to that exact specification.

What does GCSE maths involve?

GCSE maths is assessed entirely by exam and remains tiered, with Foundation and Higher papers, so the first thing to confirm is which tier the student is sitting.

Boards differ in detail: Eduqas GCSE Mathematics is graded 9-1 and assessed through two examination papers under the C300QS code, OCR's version is J560, and Pearson provides enhanced tiering support for Edexcel Mathematics.

A tutor can work through marked papers to find which topics and question types cost marks, then set targeted practice on those and review timed papers against the mark scheme. The page on GCSE maths tutors covers this in more detail.

How is GCSE English Language assessed?

AQA GCSE English Language (8700) has two papers, Paper 1 on Explorations in Creative Reading and Writing and Paper 2 on Writers' Viewpoints and Perspectives, as set out on AQA's English Language page.

Reading sources provide the stimulus for the writing tasks, the course is untiered and skills-based, and questions move from shorter tasks to more extended responses. It can be co-taught with English Literature (8702), and a separate spoken language endorsement sits alongside the papers. Eduqas English Language (C700QS) uses two written exams with spelling, punctuation and grammar assessed within them, and its speaking assessment does not count towards the grade.

A tutor can give feedback on timed answers; see GCSE English tutors.

Should a student take combined or separate sciences?

Combined science is two GCSEs in one qualification, awarding two equal or adjacent grades such as 9-9 or 8-7, and it is the alternative to taking biology, chemistry and physics separately, according to Ofqual's parent guide.

AQA Combined Science: Trilogy (8464) highlights 21 required practicals, set out in its specification and deliberately open so teachers can choose how to teach them. OCR runs two suites, Gateway Science (A, with Combined Science J250) and Twenty First Century Science (B, J260), each also covering the separate sciences.

Sessions can follow whichever route the school has chosen, through GCSE science tutors, GCSE biology tutors, GCSE chemistry tutors and GCSE physics tutors.

Which other GCSE subjects are covered?

Languages follow the same pattern of board-specific specifications, with GCSE French tutors, GCSE Spanish tutors and GCSE German tutors available for each.

In the humanities, AQA lists History as 8145 and Geography as 8035, OCR offers History A and B and Geography A and B, and Eduqas also offers History and Geography; see GCSE history tutors and GCSE geography tutors.

Coursework subjects are assessed differently: Eduqas GCSE Art and Design has one coursework component plus an Externally Set Assignment, with titles including Fine Art and Photography. The wider GCSE tutoring overview sets out the full range.

How is GCSE preparation sequenced?

Preparation usually starts from the student's recent assessed work and the board's specification, which show the topics and question types where marks are being lost.

Targeted practice on those gaps comes next, with feedback on each answer, and timed past papers marked against the mark scheme take over as the exams approach, so the reasoning behind each mark is clear. Because every exam falls at the end of the course, earlier topics are worth revisiting regularly.

Year 9 often suits building foundations, Year 10 is when the volume of content becomes visible, and Year 11 tends to centre on past papers. Confirming the board, tier and specification code with the school at the outset keeps practice on the right papers.

Online GCSE tuition: delivery, fees and booking

Sessions run online for families across the UK and internationally, and in person in central London, and each placement opens with an introductory session with the matched tutor, with a re-match at no extra cost if the fit is wrong. Fees, set out on the tuition fees and pricing page, start from £50 per 50-minute session and vary with tutor level and subject.

Families receive progress reports after sessions and a dedicated point of contact, and tutors who work with children hold an enhanced DBS check, most being on the DBS Update Service. To begin, send the year group, board and current grade through the enquiry form, and Taylor Tuition replies with tutor recommendations.

Related guides

Related reading: complete GCSE revision guide.

Related reading: online homeschooling in the UK.

To discuss a match, find an online GCSE tutor and include the subjects, exam boards and current grades.