If you’re a private candidate, outside of mainstream education, you will likely be responsible for funding any exams you undertake. Planning ahead and thinking about how and when you book and pay for them, particularly if you’re a learner looking to sit A Level Science subjects examinations and practicals, can save you £100’s if not £1,000s!
In today’s world, Distance Learning is a powerful and accessible way to gain qualifications, with many providers offering high-quality tuition and structured coursework to support your success. Most Distance Learning Providers (DLPs) deliver great value for their course delivery, but there’s an important cost consideration that’s often overlooked. Where do I book my exams?
Many DLPs offer ‘bundled exam’ packages, including written exams and/or A Level Science Practicals. However, these are charged in addition to your course fees and not always fairly. What you may not realise is many DLPs don’t actually host the exams or practicals themselves, they simply add a substantial markup, sometimes as much as 80%, for booking your exams via a 3rd party.
This can result in you paying far more than necessary, especially if you are studying multiple subjects—without any added benefit.
Instead of booking and paying for’ bundled’ exam fees via your DLPs, we strongly encourage you to spend just 5–10 minutes researching online. Booking exams independently of your DLP will likely result in you making significant savings, especially when entering for multiple A Level Science subjects.
Here at arc exams we believe learners deserve transparency and value, not inflated fees. The table below illustrates the actual saving you can make by booking just one A Level Science subject directly with arc exams, as opposed to doing so via one of the two un-named DLPs (fees quoted from their website as at 24th Jun 2025). You don’t need to be studying A Level Mathematics to see how much you can save by booking directly with us.
Choose smarter. Choose value. Choose arc exams
| Per Subject | ||||
| Provider | Written Papers Fee | Science Practical Fee | Total Cost | £ Saving Booking with arc exams Directly |
| DLP 1 | £830 | £1,670 | £2,500 | £1,132 |
| DLP 2 | £530 | £1,150 | £1,680 | £312 |
| arc exams | £443 | £925* | £1,368 | |
*Book your A Level Science Practical with arc exams before 31st August 2025 and receive a £75 discount (£850 as opposed to our normal fee of £925), saving you even more money!
If you’re located in or around the Midlands area, one way of ensuring you get great value is to book your written exams and/or practical’s directly with arc exams, using our online application form. To view the benefits of sitting your practical(s) with us just visit our dedicated CPAC website page. Or email us at [email protected]. Alternatively call us on 0121 777 9444, we’d love to hear from you.
If Birmingham is a bit too far for you to travel, consider visiting our partner website, BioGrad Education. They offer flexible options to accommodate your practical and written exam needs at one of their laboratories or partner exam centres.