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A Level History

Study Method Online
Provider Lift College
Recognition AQA, Ofqual
Start Date Enrol anytime
Lift College

Course overview

A Level History is a Level 3 qualification, awarded by AQA under specification 7042, comprising a breadth study, a depth study and an independently researched Historical Investigation of 3,500 to 4,500 words.

It is an RQF Level 3 qualification awarded by an Ofqual-regulated UK awarding organisation, delivered online with UK tutor support and monthly pay-as-you-learn pricing. It typically takes 12 to 18 months to complete and is studied entirely online.

Who's It For?

  • You are 18 or over and want a recognised full A level rather than an access or equivalence route.
  • You need a Level 3 qualification for a degree application, teacher training or a public sector career change.
  • You want to retake or take History properly after leaving school without it.
  • You enjoy reading, argument and evidence, and you are willing to write at length.
  • You are supporting a home-educated learner who needs a mainstream awarding body.
  • You can attend an approved exam centre for two written papers in a May or June series.

Job outcomes

  • Archivist or museum curator
  • Secondary school history teacher
  • Paralegal or legal associate professional
  • Librarian or information professional

Want to see more job outcomes and how your future could change?

What you'll learn

A Level History asks you to do two different kinds of historical thinking:

  • Breadth study: Follow change across roughly a century and weigh up how historians have interpreted it.
  • Depth study: Work closely with primary evidence from a shorter period of intense change.
  • Historical Investigation: Run your own independent investigation from question to conclusion.

Recognitions

AQA

Accredited/ Certified by AQA

Ofqual

Accredited/ Certified by Ofqual

Study method

  • Online Online info icon
    Online delivery - online course content with the exception of assessments and work placement
  • Blended Blended info icon
    Blended delivery - both online course content and partial face to face requirements
  • In-class In-class info icon
    In class delivery - predominately face to face course content conducted at a specific location
  • Virtual Virtual info icon
    Virtual Delivery - Live and interactive classroom-style learning conducted completely online
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Duration study load

Typical study time is 12 to 18 months. You can study at your own pace around work and family. Most learners spend a few hours each week, but you can do more or less based on your own pace. An optional study planner is available for those who prefer structure.

Delivery

100% online study, with written exams sat at an approved exam centre during the May or June series. Exams are held at 10 approved Tutors and Exams centres: Birmingham, Bolton, Coventry, Doncaster, High Wycombe, Mitcham, Newcastle, Romford, St Neots and Taunton.

You can log in any time from a phone, tablet or laptop. There are no fixed term dates — start any time and study at your own pace.

Entry requirements

There are no formal entry requirements. AQA confirms that specification 7042 carries no previous learning requirements and that entry requirements are at the discretion of the centre. You do not need GCSE History, or any GCSEs, to enrol.

AQA recommends that students have the skills and knowledge associated with a GCSE History course or equivalent, as both written papers require timed extended essay writing. You should be 18 or over, able to read substantial amounts of text independently, and able to travel to an approved exam centre in May or June.

If you are planning on university progression, most degree courses also ask for GCSE English and Maths at grade 4 or above alongside your A levels.

Find out more about the entry requirements for this course

Pathways

This qualification earns up to 56 UCAS points and is recognised by every UK university, making it a standard route into undergraduate degree programmes including history, heritage, law and education. A Level History is the usual subject requirement for a history degree and subsequent teacher training.

Course features

  • Personal named UK subject tutor from enrolment through to your exam series
  • Exam-style practice questions in every unit with individual written feedback within 5 to 7 working days
  • Progress tracking dashboard showing unit scores, topic strengths and areas to revisit
  • Optional exam readiness check: timed mock paper and written summary before your exam series
  • AI Study Assistant and study support tools
  • Learner community forum
  • Resubmit work at no extra cost to reach the grade you want
  • Optional study planner for structured learners
  • Support via phone, email or live chat
  • 7-day free trial on every sign-up; cancel any time
  • 14-day money-back guarantee
  • Start any time — no fixed term dates or cohorts

Professional Recognition

Awarded by AQA, an Ofqual-regulated UK awarding body, under specification 7042 (Ofqual accreditation number 601/4973/5). Listed on the Ofqual Register of Regulated Qualifications. Accepted by UK universities, employers and professional bodies. Earns up to 56 UCAS points.

Assessment

A Level History (AQA 7042) is assessed by two written components plus a non-exam historical investigation:

  • Component 1: Breadth Study — 2 hours 30 minutes, 80 marks, 40%. Developments over approximately 100 years plus interpretations (options 1A to 1L). Section A: one compulsory question on three interpretation extracts (30 marks). Section B: two essays chosen from three (25 marks each).
  • Component 2: Depth Study — 2 hours 30 minutes, 80 marks, 40%. A period of major change in depth plus primary evidence (options 2A to 2T). Section A: one compulsory question on three primary sources (30 marks). Section B: two essays chosen from three (25 marks each).
  • Component 3: Historical Investigation (non-exam) — 40 marks, 20%. An independently researched personal study framed as a question over approximately 100 years, 3,500 to 4,500 words, using primary and secondary sources with differing interpretations. All three components together must cover at least 200 years.

Grading: A* to E, with U below E.

Subjects

Core Units
Component 1: Breadth Study
Component 2: Depth Study
Component 3: Historical Investigation

Want more information about the subjects for this course?

Payment options

Course fees:

Study: £509.99 or £49.99 per month

Study + Exams: £917.99 or £89.99 per month

  • Pay monthly to spread the cost with no interest — Study option or +Exams option available

  • Pay annually to save versus monthly pricing

  • No credit checks and no contract — pause or cancel any time

  • 7-day free trial on every option; nothing is charged until after the trial

  • 14-day money-back guarantee on every enrolment

  • Employer sponsorship supported — funding paperwork can be sent to your employer

  • Study (tuition only, you arrange your own exams): monthly or annual billing

  • +Exams (tuition plus exam entry and centre fees): monthly or annual billing

Find out more about the payment options for this course

About Lift College

Lift College is a fully online UK education provider dedicated to A-Levels and GCSEs. Every course is designed, taught and assessed to give adult and independent learners a genuine second route into the qualifications employers, universities and colleges recognise. All teaching happens online. Learners study on our purpose-built online campus with a named UK tutor, structured modules, marked assignments and an AI Study Assistant that answers questions instantly and points learners to the exact page of the specification they need. There is no timetable to keep, no travel, and no fixed start date. Learners begin any day of the year, pause and resume when life gets busy, and move through the material at whatever pace works for them. Every course starts with a 7-day free trial. Learners get full access to the online campus, tutor support, and study materials from day one, and nothing is charged until the trial ends. After the trial, learners have a further 14-day refund period, so there is no financial risk in trying Lift College properly before committing. After that, courses run on a simple monthly subscription with exam entry included. There is no contract, no commitment, no exit fees, no credit checks, and no risk. Learners can cancel or pause at any time, for any reason, in a couple of clicks from their dashboard. Written exams are sat in person at established private-candidate exam centres across England, with entry, venue and invigilation arranged for the learner in advance. Every A-Level and GCSE is delivered to the same awarding-body specifications, and results in the same certificates, as those awarded in schools and colleges. UKPRN 10102267.

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