Classical Civilisation A Level Course

The Classical Civilisation A Level Course is a fascinating subject to study and students will learn about the politics, philosophy, and mythology of ancient Greece and Rome.

The course cover the stories, ideas, and legacies of the ancient world and you will examine a wide range of topics including Greek democracy, Roman politics, epic poetry, classical philosophy, and ancient art and learners will develop an apprehension of how classical societies continue to shape modern values, governments, and worldviews.

The course covers the OCR H408 specification, and it includes 10 assignments (one introductory).

The Classical Civilisation A Level Home Study Course prepares candidates for the OCR Classical Civilisation A Level (H408) Specification.

The full A level specification is assessed by three written papers:

• Paper 1: The World of the Hero

This paper is 2 hours 30 minutes and is 100 marks in total (40% of the total A Level).

• Paper 2: Culture of the Arts

This paper is 1 hour 45 minutes and is 75 marks in total (30% of the total A Level).

• Paper 3: Beliefs and Ideas

This paper is 1 hour 45 minutes and is 75 marks in total (30% of the total A Level).

All A Level Courses are delivered through the NEC online learning platform which is available 24/7 and where you will find everything you need to complete your studies.

The Learning Platform Includes: 

• Your complete course materials covering the full syllabus
• Additional study resources
• Exam and assessment information
• Direct communication with your tutor
• Support from the Student Support Team
• Connect with other learners in the portal community

As this is an online course, you will need a computer operating system, internet access and a browser. Google Chrome is recommended, but the latest versions of Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, and Microsoft Edge can be used. Some content will be in video format via YouTube, so a suitable internet connection is required, and you will be required to work with PDF documents during your course. If your browser does not support PDF display, you can use Adobe Acrobat Reader.

The course notes are all supplied in the course platform, and you can view example screenshots below:

There are no specific academic requirements for this course. It is recommended that the learner has previously completed GCSE or equivalent qualifications and may need prerequisite knowledge of the subject. Course materials are written in English, so a good level of written English is required. 

Please Note: The minimum age for applicants is 13 years old, and learners under 18 years old will require parental or guardian consent.

Leaners will also need to obtain the below books:

• OCR Classical Civilisation AS and A level Components 21 and 22, R Hancock, J Renshaw and L Swift, Bloomsbury Academic, 2017
• OCR Classical Civilisation A level Components 31 and 34, A Mitropoulos, T Morrison, J Renshaw and J Steinhauer, Bloomsbury Academic, 2017
• The Odyssey, Homer (EV Rieu, D Rieu and P Jones), Penguin Classics, 2003
• The Aeneid, Virgil (D West), Penguin Classics, 2003
• The Three Theban Plays: ‘Antigone’, ‘Oedipus the King’, ‘Oedipus at Colonus’, Sophocles (R Fagles), Penguin Classics, 1984
• Bacchae, Euripides (D Franklin), Cambridge University Press, 2000
• Frogs, Aristophanes (J Affleck, C Letchford and J Harrison), Cambridge University Press, 2014

You will receive support from the designated Student Services team and a course tutor through the online platform. 

Student Support Team: Your first point of contact. The team ensures every student is enrolled correctly, has access to their course materials, and can log in smoothly. They will also handle any technical queries.

Tutor Support Team: Manages all academic queries. Our subject tutors provide expert marking, feedback, and guidance, helping students stay on track and motivated.

Your allocated tutor will send a welcome message via the learning platform after you have enrolled on a course and will provide support, feedback, and mark assignments as you progress through your course. All tutors are subject-qualified experts with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and have been teaching in a school for a minimum of 3 years, and they are also required to have an enhanced DBS. Many are experienced teachers or trainers, and several serve as examiners for major awarding bodies.

You can contact the support teams through the secure messaging platform and you can also post messages in the course forum. There is no limit on how often you can contact support.

Please Note: If a learner requires live one-to-one support from a tutor, then this can be arranged at an additional charge.

Registered learners have course access and are supported on each course for 2 years from their enrolment.

Please Note: We recommend that learners aiming for the Summer 2026 exams are enrolled on their course by 31 October 2025.

It may be possible to complete a course if you enrol after this date, or you are using the course as a resit guide, but we would only recommend doing this if you are confident that you have the time to complete the estimated study hours, have an understanding of the work required and have researched closing dates set by exam centres for exam entries.

All A Level Examinations must be taken at an external examination centre registered with the appropriate Awarding Body on the set exam dates.

Finding Exam Centres:

All exams must be booked directly by the learner with an appropriate examination centre. The student support team can guarantee exam places at a partner exam centre, but they cannot guarantee which centres will be available or whether the location will be suitable for learners. If you have specific requirements regarding travel or distance from a centre, then it is recommended that you research and contact centres prior to enrolling on a course.

You can research and contact possible exam centres prior to enrolment by visiting the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) private candidates page, which provides a search facility for centres in the UK. You can also try Tutors & Exams who have 9 exam centres listed and pricing is displayed on their website.

Examination Dates and fees:

A Level examinations are only available in the Summer examination window (May/June) and all examination fees need to be paid direct to your chosen centre. The cost of exams will vary depending on the Awarding Body and the exam centre's administration costs.

Each exam centre will set its own dates for when you need to have booked your exams, but the earlier you book, the better the chance you have of guaranteeing a place. We would recommend contacting centres as early as possible to arrange your exams and this can usually be done as early as September/October. Many exam centres will fill up and will have closed exam bookings by early February.

• AQA: A Level and AS Level Summer 2026 Exam Timetable
• Pearson Edexcel: A Level and AS Level Summer 2026 Exam Timetable
• OCR: A Level and AS Level Summer 2026 Exam Timetable

Predicted grades without a reference are available free of charge on request. If applying to a college or other further education establishment and you require a refernce with predicted grades then this is available at an additional cost of £45.00. A course advisor will discuss your predicted grades and progress with each individual tutor and put together a comprehensive reference that can be sent on your behalf. 

Please Note: Students need to have completed a minimum of four assignments per subject in order for us to have something to base our reference/prediction on.