Adults who enrol on an Access course have made a conscious decision to return to education and bring a commitment and wider life experience to their studies. Access courses are designed to reflect this background.

All students need to be 19 years old at the start of the course and have experience outside formal education.

Colleges devise Access courses to meet the needs of their students. All courses include Study Skills and Information Technology, as well as either subject specific (e.g. Law or Biology) or vocational pathways at Level 3.

AQA-validated Access courses are unit-based. Each unit is assessed at Level 3 and normally attracts 1-3 credits. An Access certificate is awarded on the successful completion of 18 credits.

Some colleges offer units at Level 2 which prepare students for study at Level 3