Oxford International Study Centre offers a range of University preparation programmes with a choice of over 30 subjects.

A-Levels (Advanced Level General Certificate of Education)

We offer full-time exam preparation courses for A-Levels. Subjects include all Sciences, Maths, Business subjects, Arts and Humanities, Social Sciences, Psychology, and Languages.

Students usually take three of four subjects, often related to their future degree course, eg Physics, Maths and Further Maths for Engineering. We are always happy to advise students before they make their final choice.
The academic year is divided into three terms of 12 weeks, with exams taken in June or July. We are able to offer fast-track A-Levels in some cases, with exams taken after one year’s tuition rather than the standard two.

University Foundation Course

Some students prefer to take this programme as an alternative to A-levels. The OISC Foundation programme is recognised by over 20 UK Universities, including Oxford Brookes, which enables students who complete the programme successfully to enter one of these Universities for their degree.

The OISC Foundation programme consists of three elements:

- Chosen academic specialism eg for Business, or for Engineering

- IELTS (Academic English examination for UK Universities)

- Study Skills: researching information, time management, essay writing and presentation skills. These are all essential skills for studying at University.

Students applying to Oxford or Cambridge

During the summer and in the Autumn we assist a number of students in applying to Oxford or Cambridge University. These institutions are unique in holding interviews and specialised entrance tests in November and December. Tuition is at an advanced level and is individual or in very small groups of two or three students. All tutors involved have a great deal of experience in assisting students in applying to these institutions. In many subjects, there are also written tests, for example in Law or PPE (Politics, Philosophy and Economics)or Engineering.

Pastoral Care and University Support

All full-time students at OISC are allocated a personal tutor, with whom they usually meet fortnightly. Additional meetings can of course be arranged in times of need. Personal tutors are responsible for students’ welfare throughout their time at OISC, though of course all administrative staff can be consulted by students regarding personal or academic matters at any time. All contact with both personal tutors and other staff is entirely confidential. Personal tutors and academic staff will also assist students with university preparation and the application process, where relevant.

Progress reports are issued monthly and discussed with each student at these meetings.