Can You Resit GCSE Maths and English Online?
If you need a better English or maths grade, you can resit GCSE online by taking a Pearson Edexcel International GCSE, sat from home while a live Pearson invigilator watches over your webcam. UK GCSE resits with boards such as AQA, OCR, Edexcel and WJEC, and Cambridge IGCSEs, are still sat in person at an exam centre.
For adults, this avoids finding a centre that accepts private candidates or taking time off work for every paper. This guide focuses on English Language A and English Literature: how each exam is built, what answering onscreen involves and which one you might need. For a wider overview of how to resit a GCSE, whether at a centre or from home, Pass My GCSE sets out both routes side by side.
English Subjects You Can Take From Home
At QTS Literacy Tutor, we know how much a strong English grade can matter when you are planning your next step, so we recommend understanding exactly what each paper asks of you before you choose a provider or book an exam.
English Language A, English Literature and Maths A are three of the 17 International GCSE subjects that can be sat online from home. The full range is listed on Pass My GCSE’s page about GCSEs you can study from home. Pass My GCSE describes itself as one of the only providers in the world offering these exams online, and it is open to anyone: you do not need evidence or a reason to sit at home.
Pearson describes its International GCSE qualifications as globally recognised, with content and assessment designed specifically for international learners. Both English subjects can be sat in the Summer and November series.
Inside the English Language A Exam
The Pearson Edexcel International GCSE English Language A has no tiers, so every candidate sits the same papers. It is assessed through two components:
- Component 1, Non-fiction Texts and Transactional Writing, lasts 2 hours 15 minutes and is worth 60% of the qualification. You respond to a text from the anthology and an unseen extract, then complete one transactional writing task.
- Component 2, Poetry and Prose Texts and Imaginative Writing, lasts 1 hour 30 minutes and is worth 40%. You write an essay on a provided text, followed by one imaginative writing task.
There is no coursework or practical element. Full details are on the page for the online English Language exam, where the booking covers your papers, Pearson’s familiarisation, your results and your certificate.
What English Literature Involves
English Literature is also untiered and also split into two parts. Component 1, Poetry and Modern Prose, takes 2 hours and carries 60% of the marks; it asks you to respond to an unseen poem, compare two poems from the anthology and write about a modern prose text. Component 2, Modern Drama and Literary Heritage Texts, takes 1 hour 30 minutes, carries the remaining 40% and is made up of two essays.
There is no coursework or practical work. The page for the online English Literature exam sets out each component and the times the papers begin.
Answering Onscreen Rather Than on Paper
Both English subjects are onscreen exams: you type your answers into text boxes on your laptop rather than writing by hand.
Maths works differently. International GCSE Maths A is paper-based: you write in a printed answer booklet, then scan and upload it straight after the exam, so a printer and scanner are essential. Maths A is also tiered, with Foundation or Higher chosen when you book. If maths is also on your list, the page for the GCSE maths exam online describes its two papers in full.
Deciding Which English Qualification You Need
A grade 4, previously a C, is needed for many careers and for further education, and both English subjects are graded 9 to 1 in the same way as a GCSE. The International GCSE is internationally recognised and accepted by colleges, universities and most employers, but it follows its own specification and is not regulated by Ofqual. Some courses ask for a UK GCSE in particular.
Start by reading the entry requirements for the course, job or training you have in mind and noting which English subject is named. Pass My GCSE lists English Language A among its online resit subjects. If anything is unclear, check with the course provider or employer before you book.
Preparing Your Home Exam Space
Sitting at home does not mean relaxed rules. The Pearson Edexcel remote invigilation service records and monitors each exam. Before exam day, you will need:
- valid, in-date photo ID: a passport, national identity card, driving licence or UK citizenship card
- four devices: a laptop with a webcam (plugged in), a phone with Pearson’s app, a backup recorder, and a separate phone so your responsible adult can call Pearson’s helpline
- a quiet, private room rather than a shared space
- a parent, guardian or other responsible adult (not your tutor or teacher) who is there when you log in, then available outside the room for the whole exam
- a printer and scanner, but only if you are also taking a paper-based subject such as Maths A
International GCSE exams start at 09:00 or 13:30 UK time. Your responsible adult supervises any toilet break, although the exam timer keeps running, and calls Pearson’s helpline if your connection drops.
From Booking to Your Certificate
Once you book, Pass My GCSE’s exams team asks for a photo of your ID along with the details Pearson needs, then enters you with Pearson as a remote invigilation candidate. You then complete Pearson’s compulsory familiarisation at home in your own time, using the information sent to you for it and for the ID check. It includes an equipment check and lets you practise the set-up and submitting. If you do not complete it, Pearson removes your entry and there is no refund.
At the start of each familiarisation session and each exam, you hold your ID up to the camera for Pearson’s invigilator. Pearson issues your 9 to 1 result on results day for your series, followed by your certificate. You can find a step-by-step outline of this process on the page explaining how to sit GCSE exams online.
Conclusion
Resitting English from home is a realistic option for adults. Both English subjects are typed onscreen, untiered and made up of two components, so the main decision is which one your course or employer asks for. After that, it comes down to organisation: your ID, four devices, a private room, a responsible adult and familiarisation completed in good time. To compare the online option with a centre resit in more detail, read Pass My GCSE’s guide to how to resit a GCSE.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a reason to sit my English exam at home?
No. Remote invigilation is open to anyone, and you do not need to provide evidence or a reason for choosing to sit at home rather than at a centre.
Can my tutor act as the responsible adult?
No. The responsible adult must be a parent, guardian or other responsible adult who is not your tutor or teacher. According to Pearson, they may help with setting up and submitting, but they must leave the room during the live exam and stay within earshot.
Is familiarisation a practice exam?
No. Pearson explains that familiarisation is not a mock and is not marked. It is a compulsory session for practising the set-up and checking your equipment before the real exam.
Can I take my English exam from outside the UK?
Yes, where Pearson offers remote invigilation in your country. Exam times are set in UK time, so check the difference in your time zone, and the same ID rules apply.
QTS Literacy Tutor Team
We help thousands of students each year with revision, courses and online exams.
