AS level Biology

NEC offers flexible, online GCSEs, A levels, and vocational courses that you can study anytime, anywhere. When you enrol, you’ll receive a welcome email with login details for learn@nec, our virtual learning platform.

You’ll be supported by a qualified subject tutor who provides feedback on your assignments and helps guide your progress. Our expertly designed courses include engaging materials, interactive learning activities, and selected online resources — all created by experienced teachers, examiners, and learning designers.

Our courses are designed to let you study at your own pace — all within a clearly defined enrolment period to help keep you on track. Many courses let you study your way, with flexible assignment deadlines to suit your schedule. Others may include set dates — especially for things like exams or NEAs (Non-Exam Assessment) — to help you stay on track.

Yes! You can connect with other learners in your course’s online forum. Many students find discussing topics with peers helps reinforce their learning — and helps them feel part of a wider learning community.

Yes. Most NEC courses, including all GCSEs and A levels, lead to qualifications awarded by major UK exam boards such as AQA, Edexcel, OCR and Cambridge International. You’ll earn exactly the same qualification as students in school or college.

We’re also approved to offer CMI qualifications for management, as well as TQUK-accredited courses and Functional Skills qualifications in English and Maths. These nationally recognised qualifications are designed to help learners build practical skills and are ideal for both personal development and career progression.

Some short courses, like those in the arts, are for personal development and enjoyment but don’t lead to formal accreditation.

Yes, NEC is a JCQ-approved exam centre, which means we can support your exam entry, provide verified access arrangements, and oversee non-exam assessments (NEAs) — essential for subjects like English, Science and Geography.

Yes. Many students complete a one-year fast track option, especially if working towards university or career deadlines. You’ll need to commit regular study time and plan carefully around assignment deadlines and exams.

If you’re unsure whether fast track is realistic, we’ll advise you.

Yes. You can enrol any time and begin studying when it suits you. However, if your course involves an exam, you’ll need to complete all assignments and assessments (also known as coursework or NEA — Non-Exam Assessment) in time for set exam dates — so don’t leave it too late!

If you’re planning to apply to university, please also be aware of UCAS deadlines. For example, to receive predicted grades through our UCAS Application Service, you’ll need to have completed a certain number of assignments by specific dates.

Check the individual course pages for guidance, or book a call with an advisor to discuss your timeline and study plans.

Yes — NEC is ideal for international students. Many of our courses are available worldwide, but there are a few things to check before enrolling:

Exams: You’ll need to arrange a local exam centre. AQA does not offer international exams, so you’ll need to travel to the UK for those.

Qualification recognition: Ensure your chosen qualification is recognised in your country.

Our team is happy to help you explore your options.

We teach you the core practicals that you need to be familiar with for your exam. This varies by course, but each core practical typically includes a method, list of equipment and some sample results. You can have a go at some of these practicals safely at home – we will let you know when this is the case. If the experiment is not safe to complete at home, or if you don’t want to complete the experiment yourself, our detailed description of the investigation will give you the information you need. Where appropriate, we also link videos demonstrating the experiment.