A-Level / International A Level
A-Level tutoring in Tokyo and online,
matched to your subject and exam board.
The same A-Level subject can differ in content and in how it is examined depending on the board: Cambridge, Pearson Edexcel, OxfordAQA and others. Before we look for a tutor, Petra checks your board, subject, how far your school has got, and your current grades and goal, then proposes tutors who fit.
- Online lessons
- In person in Tokyo by arrangement
- Subjects and boards confirmed first
A-Level is not just
harder high school.
A-Level is a UK-style pre-university qualification. Students usually study a small number of subjects in depth over about two years. After the broad range of IGCSE, you go deeper into the subjects you chose, so the depth of understanding and the way answers are written both change.
How the boards differ
The same "A-Level" can be examined differently depending on which board your school uses. These are the main differences. For the latest details, check your school or the board's official information.
| Board | How it works |
|---|---|
| Cambridge International AS & A Level | AS is about half of an A Level. You can take AS only, take AS and later continue to the full A Level, or take everything at the end. Which route applies depends on the school. |
| Pearson Edexcel International Advanced Level | Assessed unit by unit. Units can be taken in different sessions and resat. Exam sessions run several times a year (January, May-June and October), and which units are available in each session can depend on the subject. |
| OxfordAQA International AS / A-level | Also assessed unit by unit, with units that can be resat. Schools may take AS in the first year and A2 in the second, or sit everything at the end. |
What tends to differ by board or subject
- Whether units are taken in stages or everything is sat at the end
- Whether there are practicals or coursework alongside written papers
- Which exam sessions your school chooses
- Question style and depth of answer, even for the same subject
You do not need to know your board. We can work it out together from your school and materials.
The two years of A-Level,
in a typical pattern.
A-Level usually takes about two years, but how it is run depends on the school and the exam board. Use this as a general guide, not a fixed timetable.
| Stage | What often happens | Where support is often needed |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 (Year 12) | You build the foundations of each subject. School tests begin, and some schools run a first mock. Some schools sit a first-year qualification such as AS or IAS; others leave everything to the end. | Finding gaps and weaker topics early. Getting used to how answers are marked. |
| Year 2 (Year 13) | You study the more advanced content and complete each subject. Depending on the board and school, the remaining units are sat in this year. Schools may run mocks and give a predicted or forecast grade that can be used in university applications. | Past-paper practice and timing. Prioritising revision. Planning backwards from university conditions. |
How the two years run varies by school and exam board. Mocks and predicted grades are school practices, not a common stage set by Cambridge or Pearson for everyone, and how predicted grades are used differs by school and university.
Official information we used (checked 8 October 2026)
"Hard" means
different things for different students.
Struggling with A-Level has different causes, and each needs a different first step. We start by working out which one is closest.
| When this happens | What it often looks like | What we look at first |
|---|---|---|
| The step up from IGCSE feels big | Lessons move quickly, each unit is heavy, or gaps from earlier years make the foundation shaky. | Use your school materials to decide which unit to go back to. |
| You understand it but lose marks in exams | Misreading the question or command words, answers not deep enough, or marks lost in working and extended answers. | Look at marked papers and mocks to separate the patterns of lost marks. |
| Study is not matched to the subject and board | It is unclear whether school pace matches the content and style of the exam you will actually sit. | Use the board and subject to confirm what is needed. |
| You cannot decide what to revise first | The scope is wide and time is limited. | Set an order from the time left and the scope. |
If writing or terminology in English is where you get stuck, we also check whether support in Japanese is needed. This depends on the tutor.
Before choosing a tutor,
we check what you are studying.
Before looking for an "A-Level Mathematics tutor", we look at the board and subject you actually use. If you do not know something, just say so.
Confirm school, year and subjects
Tell us the school, year group and the subjects you take.
Confirm the board
Cambridge, Edexcel, OxfordAQA and so on. If you are unsure, we work it out from materials or school information.
Understand where you are and your goal
School grades, mocks, the next exam date and your target.
Set out what the tutor needs
Subject, board, support in Japanese, online or in person, and times.
Propose tutors who fit
If we have tutors who match, we send suggestions.
Review after lessons
After each lesson a report is shared, and we adjust the approach or the match if needed.
If we do not currently have a tutor who fits, we will tell you honestly.
The right tutor
depends on the subject.
There are many A-Level subjects, and tutors differ in what they can teach and in their experience. We do not decide by subject name alone: we confirm the board, materials and your difficulty first, then look for a tutor who can help.
| Area | Subjects people often ask about | What we check |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics and sciences | Mathematics / Further Mathematics / Physics / Chemistry / Biology | Subjects built on method, working, and reading experiments and data. |
| Economics and business | Economics / Business | Subjects built on terminology and structured written arguments. |
| Languages and humanities | English Language / English Literature / Geography / History | Subjects built on close reading and evidence-based writing. |
These are examples people often ask about. They are not a promise of availability, and we may not be able to take a subject depending on current tutors. We also look into subjects not listed here.
Tutors with A-Level
support on their profile.
Not every Petra tutor supports A-Level. The tutor below states A-Level exam support on their public profile. Whether a tutor suits your board and subject is decided after we hear what you need.
Leon
Mathematics (including Further Maths), Geography, GCSE Physics
Supports GCSE and A-Level exam preparation, and speaks Japanese at an advanced level.
View profile →
Tutor availability changes day to day. We will tell you whether your preferred conditions can be met when you get in touch.
We do not pick a tutor
just because "A-Level" is on the label.
Which option fits depends on what your family values. The best choice is the one that matches your purpose.
| Option | Best if |
|---|---|
| A specialist service with tutors organised by board and subject | Best if you want a wide choice of subjects and boards, and many tutors to choose from. |
| A marketplace where you find an individual tutor | Best if you want to choose from many tutors yourself. |
| Petra | Best if you want the board and school situation sorted first, and want us to handle the proposal through to review after lessons. The subjects and tutors we can offer are limited, so we check first. |
If you need a wide range of A-Level subjects and boards, a specialist service may suit you better.
An example of
what we check first.
This is one example. How things actually proceed depends on the school, subject and exam.
- Year
- Year 12
- Subject
- Mathematics
- Board
- Pearson Edexcel International Advanced Level
- Situation
- Understands lessons, but unit test scores are uneven
- We look at
- Recent tests, school materials, the next exam plan
What we look at first
- Separate the units where marks are lost from repeated slips
- Set a revision order based on the units in the next exam
- Decide the weekly balance between topic review and past papers
This example only illustrates how we work. It is not a real family's case.
Online lessons.
In person in Tokyo by arrangement.
- Online
- One-to-one lessons from home.
- In person in Tokyo
- Possible if the area, day and tutor availability line up. Please ask.
Helpful to have
- School and year
- Subjects
- Exam board (if known)
- Textbooks and workbooks
- Recent tests and mocks
- Date of your next exam
You do not need everything.
Price guide
International school & study abroad
¥7,000~ / 60 min
A-Level pricing can vary with the subject, content and tutor. The figure above is the guide for international school and study-abroad support, which includes A-Level. We confirm the actual category when you get in touch.
No enrolment fee · no material fees in most cases · no-obligation advice
See pricing →See also
- IGCSE lessons and exam preparation →The stage before A-Level: how we confirm the subject and board.
- International school support overall →Homework, reading, essays and everything else for lessons taught in English.
- Read: IBDP, AP and A-Level compared →An article comparing the curricula for the later high school years.
- See Petra's tutors →Read the tutor profiles.
Official information
- Cambridge International (external site)
- Pearson Edexcel International Advanced Level (external site)
- OxfordAQA (external site)
Exam dates and subjects change, so check each board's official site for the latest.
A-Level tutoring:
frequently asked questions
If something is unclear, please just ask.
What is the difference between A-Level and IGCSE?
IGCSE is the stage where you study a broad range of subjects. A-Level comes after it, and you study a small number of chosen subjects in depth. The depth of understanding and the way you write answers both change. How schools sequence this differs, so please check your school's guidance.
Can you help with both Cambridge and Edexcel?
You can ask us about a school on either board. Whether we can help depends on the board, the subject and which tutors we have at the moment. We check first, then propose tutors if we can.
What if I do not know which board I am on?
Tell us the school, year and subjects. A textbook cover, a mock paper or a school notice can often reveal it. Whatever you do not know, that is fine.
Is it fine to get help with just one subject?
Yes. We can support one difficult subject one-to-one. If you have several, we can work through them in priority order.
Can you help with past papers and mocks?
We go through past papers and mocks to find why marks are lost and to set a revision order. Because the exam format differs by subject and board, we suggest an approach to match.
Are there tutors who can explain in Japanese?
It depends on the tutor. If you want support in Japanese, we include that when looking for a tutor. Not every tutor can, so please tell us your preference when you get in touch.
Can I choose between online and in person?
Online lessons are available. In-person lessons in Tokyo can be arranged where the area, day and tutor availability line up.
Can I try a lesson first?
Yes, we offer a free trial lesson. For A-Level we first confirm your board and subject, then explain how the trial will run.
Tell us your school, subject, board
and what is not working.
If you are not sure of your board, tell us what you do know: the school, subjects and materials are enough to start.