Live online tuition for the Edexcel A-Level — set texts, the independent research project, and everything else the specification actually asks of you. Students have gone on to A* grades and places at Cambridge and King’s.
No payment details. One 45-minute lesson to see if it fits.
Yes — it’s a genuine step up from GCSE, and it’s worth knowing exactly how before you commit.
Three things change. You read authentic Arabic literature rather than simplified exam passages. You carry out independent research in Arabic and answer on it in Paper 1 with no notes — worth 20% on its own, and nothing at GCSE prepares you for it. And every paper expects you to build original arguments in Arabic under time, not reproduce memorised phrases.
None of that is unmanageable. It does mean A-Level Arabic rewards consistent, knowledgeable feedback across two years rather than a push in the final term.
Founder of Taalam Learning Centre. Graduate of Al-Azhar University in Egypt and a certified teacher of Arabic as a Second Language from Goldsmiths, University of London. Arabic curriculum developer at the University of Strathclyde, and a GCSE Arabic examiner for a leading assessment board.
The range is the point. Fifteen years of teaching means she has seen how students at every starting point actually progress. Designing curricula at university level means she plans two years backwards from the assessment rather than lesson by lesson. And marking Arabic GCSE papers means she has read thousands of real scripts from the other side of the mark scheme.
Being fluent in Arabic is not the same as knowing how a response is read and scored. Only one of those is what you’re assessed on.
She also knows the syllabus really well, so I could ask her any questions, especially about the set books. That was especially useful, as it is difficult to find a teacher who really understands the syllabus I am doing.
| Paper | Content | Weight | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | Translation, reading and writing | 40% | 2h 30m |
| Paper 2 | Translation and written response to works | 30% | 2h 40m |
| Paper 3 | Listening, reading and writing | 30% | 2h 15m |
Three externally examined papers. No coursework — the independent research is examined inside Paper 1, Section C, and is worth 20% of the whole A-Level.
None of these are unmanageable. Each one just needs a plan from early in Year 12 — here’s ours.
This is where you first read Arabic written for Arabic readers rather than for exam candidates. It’s uncomfortable for about a term. Then it becomes the most rewarding part of the course.
we read them with you, weekly, from early in Year 12 — not as revision in Year 13.
You pick one of four prescribed research subjects and one Arabic-speaking country, research it independently in Arabic, and answer on it in Paper 1 with no notes. It’s 20% of your A-Level, and nothing at GCSE prepares you for it.
we help you choose a subject and a country you can actually find material on, and teach you how to research and structure the argument. The research has to be yours — that’s what independent means, and the examiner can tell.
Both papers expect original, accurate arguments built under time. Memorised phrases carry you a long way at GCSE and not very far here.
weekly timed writing from Year 12, marked against the real Edexcel criteria.
Both are live, online, and taught by an examiner. Pick the shape that fits how you learn — we’ll talk through pricing and the right fit in your free trial lesson.
Everything paced to you. Best if you’re aiming for A*, starting from a weak GCSE, or joining partway through Year 13.
Rates depend on how many hours a week you need — we’ll confirm them in your free trial lesson.
Book a free trial lessonLive online classes with a small group at the same stage. Best if you want structure and don’t need everything built around your timetable.
A simple fixed monthly rate — we’ll confirm the current figure in your free trial lesson.
Book a free trial lessonLive on Zoom. Term dates follow the school year — ask about this year’s dates.
Real students, quoted word for word — with the grade and exam board named, and nothing tidied up.
“I am not a native Arabic speaker, but I attained an A* in the international Edexcel A level with Ms Hoda’s help. She not only pointed out grammatical errors in my writing but also made suggestions for fancy expressions I could memorise and use in the exam.”
“I studied A level Arabic with Ms Hoda in the short span of a year. Ms Hoda is a great teacher she is resilient, optimistic, and resourceful. With her help I obtained an A grade and secured a place to study at King’s College London.
Thank you to Taalam learning”
Notes on set texts, the research project, and exam technique — written by Hoda from fifteen years of teaching and marking it.
Free, no sign-up, no email required. Built because there’s less good A-Level Arabic material online than for almost any other subject.
No. What matters more is core grammar and a genuine willingness to read authentic Arabic. If your grammar has gaps we’ll find them in the first few weeks and work on them alongside the course.
Yes, and it’s the most common starting point we see. Speaking fluently at home and writing Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) to A-Level criteria are different skills — the second one is what you’re marked on, and it’s teachable.
Yes. You enter through a centre that accepts private candidates, and entries usually close in the autumn for the following summer. We help you find a centre, work back from the entry deadline, and cover everything a school would otherwise organise for you.
No. Most of our students take it outside their timetable — evenings or weekends, often as a fifth subject. Nothing we teach assumes school support you don’t have.
We keep it simple: a fixed monthly rate for small-group classes, and 1-to-1 rates that depend on how many hours a week you need. We’ll give you exact figures in your free trial lesson — there’s no obligation.
Realistically, the end of the autumn term of Year 13. After Christmas there isn’t enough time to read the set texts properly and build the independent research project — we’d rather tell you that than take the booking.
Edexcel (Pearson), including the International A-Level. Students have also come through AQA — one of them with an A* — so the teaching travels across boards, but the course we run follows the Edexcel specification.
Parents: the questions above cover most of what we’re asked about cost, entry and realistic timelines. Anything else, ask in the trial lesson — we’ll give you an honest read on what’s achievable in the time available.
We’ll look at where you are, what you’re aiming for, and whether this is the right fit — and tell you honestly if it isn’t.
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