A Star Equivalency Reviews 

546
TrustScore 4.5 out of 5

4.4

While we don't verify specific claims because reviewers' opinions are their own, we may label reviews as "Verified" when we can confirm a business interaction took place. Read more

To protect platform integrity, every review on our platform—verified or not—is screened by our 24/7 automated software. This technology is designed to identify and remove content that breaches our guidelines, including reviews that are not based on a genuine experience. We recognise we may not catch everything, and you can flag anything you think we may have missed. Read more

Review summary

Created with AI, based on recent reviews

Evaluating 373 reviews, reviewers overwhelmingly had a great experience with this company. Customers frequently praise the helpful and supportive staff, providing excellent service and clear guidance, often through personalized sessions. The user experience is consistently positive, with many finding the website easy to navigate and the course content well-structured, manageable, and featuring detailed revision materials and practice questions. Conversely, some customers felt course materials did not always align with actual exam content, leading to unexpected results. Others experienced delayed customer support responses or unhelpful invigilator interactions. A few were also dissatisfied with insufficient feedback after exams or delays in receiving certificates.

What people talk about most

User experience

Reviewers mention positive feedback about user experience, with many finding the website easy to use for... See more

Staff

People report positive experiences with staff, consistently describing them as friendly, helpful, and... See more

Service

Reviewers highlight positive aspects of service, with many expressing satisfaction with the overall... See more

Product

Clients share positive opinions on product, with many finding the course materials, such as biology and... See more

Customer service

Customers consistently note positive experiences with customer service, highlighting the team's helpfulness,... See more

Reviews shaping this summary

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

The website and instructions are clear and easy to follow. Whenever I encountered an issue, I was able to reach out immediately to a real person via the website’s chat box, and they provided helpful g... See more

Company replied

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Your customer service team are great. Every time I have called they have been so helpful. I have sat two exams with you and both times I have had good experiences. The only point I would like to make,... See more

Company replied

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

I chose A-Star because of the ease they provide for the exam. You can choose your own desirable date and appear for the exam from the comfort of your home. The exam structure was well defined, started... See more

Company replied

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

My experience was good and the exam went smoothly although I was worried there would be technical issues as it was online. My only concern is when doing mocks and practise questions for each topic le... See more

Company replied


Company details

  1. Career and Education Provider
  2. Distance Learning Center

Written by the company

A Star Equivalency are the UK Leaders in the Support and Delivery of all GCSE Equivalency Test Services Since 2002, supporting thousands of learners each month get the qualifications they need to get into university, onto apprenticeship courses, and pursuit their dream career. Our GCSE equivalency qualifications in maths, English, science and biology are accepted across the UK and our market leading courses are designed to improve pass rates.


Contact info

4.4

Excellent

TrustScore 4.5 out of 5

546 reviews

5-star
4-star
3-star
2-star
1-star

Asks customers to review

This company invites their customers to review, whether positive or negative

Replied to 100% of negative reviews

Typically replies within 24 hours

How this company uses Trustpilot

See how their reviews and ratings are sourced, scored, and moderated.

4.4

All reviews

(546)

321 reviews in the last 12 months

Write a review
Companies on Trustpilot aren't allowed to offer incentives or pay to hide reviews. Reviews are the opinions of individual users and not of Trustpilot. Read more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

English GCSE equivalency

I recently completed my English GCSE equivalency with A Star Equivalency, and I had a very positive experience. I purchased the full course and spent two months revising before taking the exam. I’m pleased to say that I passed and will now be moving on to a teacher training course for September 2026.
I would strongly recommend buying the full course if you’re planning to take an equivalency exam. It includes past papers and course material. This will be useful for practice and really help you and set you for passing the exam
The A Star team were professional, helpful, and clear in their communication. They took the time to explain everything and answered all of my questions, which made the whole process much less stressful.
Overall, I would highly recommend A Star Equivalency to anyone looking to complete their GCSE equivalency.

March 31, 2026
Unprompted review
A Star Equivalency logo

Reply from A Star Equivalency

Thank you for sharing your experience Nasir. We’re really pleased to hear that your preparation paid off and that you’re now moving on to teacher training, that’s a fantastic achievement.

It’s great to know the full course, past papers and support from the team helped make the process clear and less stressful. We really appreciate your recommendation and wish you all the best for September 2026 and beyond.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

Big gap between practice and exam

I purchased the English exam and course. I did the mock exams on the course's platform, on 'test mode' under time pressure, and received grades 8. So was surprised to receive a grade 5 on the real exam. To me that means that the feedback given by AI on the course's platform is unreliable, and that the course does not prepare you well enough for the level of the real exam.

March 30, 2026
Unprompted review
A Star Equivalency logo

Reply from A Star Equivalency

Thank you for your feedback Corinne. We understand how frustrating it can feel when there is a gap between practice results and the final exam outcome.

It’s quite common to see variability between mock scores and real exam performance. Practice tests are there to build familiarity and confidence, but factors such as exam conditions, question selection, and performance on the day can all impact the final result. Even small differences in timing, pressure or interpretation of questions can lead to a change in grade.

We appreciate you sharing your experience, as it’s important for us when reviewing how we prepare learners for the realities of the exam.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Foundation Maths- Success!

Took the foundation maths course and can't fault it. Revision was detailed and clear, practise questions really built up knowledge and confidence and the mock exams at the end were also incredibly helpful. Maths was always a tough subject for me but being able to go at my own pace with detailed videos and explanations for everything has completely turned that around. The exam experience was straightforward enough (just make sure you're fully aware of all the regulations beforehand). Passed with a higher grade than I ever expected! Would definitely recommend.

March 17, 2026
Unprompted review
A Star Equivalency logo

Reply from A Star Equivalency

Thank you for sharing your experience Georgie. It’s great to hear how much your confidence in maths has grown, especially given it was a challenging subject before. We’re really pleased the course structure, videos and practice questions helped you build up your understanding at your own pace.

Congratulations on achieving such a fantastic result, especially higher than expected. We really appreciate your recommendation and wish you all the best moving forward.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Exams

I’ve had a really positive experience with A Star Equivalency Testing. Although I already had good knowledge of maths, science, and English from completing a degree, I didn’t realise I needed equivalency tests for my teaching apprenticeship. Before discovering A Star, I had been revising Functional Skills and GCSE science using other paid resources, hoping to receive results in time for my apprenticeship starting in July.
The resources provided by A Star were definitely worth purchasing alongside the exams. They covered topics and materials that weren’t included in other online resources I had used. The guidance throughout the process was excellent, and the videos, revision materials, and past papers were particularly helpful.
I have already passed my maths exam and am currently awaiting my English and science results. Overall, I would highly recommend A Star Equivalency Testing for anyone needing equivalency qualifications — the support and preparation materials are fantastic.

March 30, 2026
Unprompted review
A Star Equivalency logo

Reply from A Star Equivalency

Thank you for such a detailed and thoughtful review Leo. We’re really pleased to hear that the resources added value to your preparation and covered areas that other materials hadn’t. It’s great to know the guidance, videos and past papers supported you throughout the process.

Congratulations on passing your maths exam, and we hope your English and science results bring more good news. We really appreciate your recommendation and wish you all the best with your teaching apprenticeship.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

an important test to know your needs in English.

Reviewing, refreshing and studying E lish to prepare myself for the test.

March 13, 2026
Unprompted review
A Star Equivalency logo

Reply from A Star Equivalency

Thank you for your feedback Suzan. It’s great to hear that you’ve been using the course to review and refresh your English in preparation for the test. Wishing you all the best with your exam.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Excellent revision material provided! Thanks for my pass

From beginning to end of my combined science journey with A Star Equivalency has been an easy one. They answered straight away when making a phone call, they are available via email and are very professional. I passed with a 74% on my first attempt. The revision material was super helpful, as well as the mock papers. Definitely recommended! I am a happy customer.

March 26, 2026
Unprompted review
A Star Equivalency logo

Reply from A Star Equivalency

Thank you for sharing your experience Camilla. We’re really pleased to hear that everything felt smooth from start to finish and that our team were easy to reach and supportive throughout.

Congratulations on passing with 74% on your first attempt, that’s a fantastic result. It’s great to know the revision materials and mock papers helped you prepare. We really appreciate your recommendation.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I managed to pass my English exam first…

I managed to pass my English exam first time, I paid extra to get my results quickly and they arrived in under 48 hours. I was told when I had 10 minutes, 5 minutes, 2 minutes and 1 minute left.
Now onto maths!

March 16, 2026
Unprompted review
A Star Equivalency logo

Reply from A Star Equivalency

That’s fantastic to hear, congratulations on passing your English exam first time. We’re really pleased the fast track results and clear time reminders helped your exam experience run smoothly.

Best of luck with your Maths next. We’re rooting for you.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Great help( Laura)

Great help( Laura). Amazing support and service, would definitely recommend!! Also cost effective with great practice papers and more

March 19, 2026
Unprompted review
A Star Equivalency logo

Reply from A Star Equivalency

Thank you for your kind words Mariam. We’re so pleased to hear that Laura was a great help and that you found the support and resources useful. It’s great to know the practice papers and value worked well for you.

We really appreciate your recommendation and wish you all the best moving forward.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

It was a great experience with A Star. I highly recommend students to use A star Equivalency for their GCSE equivalency

It was a great experience with A star Equivalency because I found the pre-examination course so enriching. It helps you not only prepare for the exams, but gets you familiar with the structure of the exams and examination conditions.

January 3, 2026
Unprompted review
A Star Equivalency logo

Reply from A Star Equivalency

Thank you for your feedback Miltine. We’re really pleased to hear that you found the pre-examination course enriching and that it helped you feel familiar with both the exam structure and conditions. It’s great to know it supported your preparation.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Pass exams on the first attempt

I completed an online exam for Math and English. Booking the exam was straightforward. The organization and facilitation of the exam were good. The online invigilator provided clear instructions. The platform used for releasing questions and uploading answers was user-friendly. All information regarding the exam was presented in a clear manner. I received my results on the expected day, and obtaining the digital certificate was easy.

I am very satisfied with this service and highly recommend it.

February 26, 2026
Unprompted review
A Star Equivalency logo

Reply from A Star Equivalency

Thank you for your fantastic feedback Saima! We’re so pleased to hear that the booking process, exam organization, and platform all worked smoothly for you. It’s great that the invigilator’s clear instructions and the easy access to your results and certificate made the experience seamless.

We truly appreciate your recommendation and wish you all the best moving forward.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Extremely pleased with this service

Extremely pleased with this service. Concepts are explained in any easy way. Excellent and highly recommended.

March 18, 2026
Unprompted review
A Star Equivalency logo

Reply from A Star Equivalency

Thank you for your kind words Fortunate! We’re thrilled to hear that you found the explanations clear and helpful. Your recommendation means a lot to us, and we’re so glad we could support your learning.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I recently completed my English…

I recently completed my English examination with A Star Equivalency and am currently awaiting my results. I enrolled in the one‑month course, and I found it exceptionally helpful. The course materials were clear, well‑structured, and easy to follow. I particularly appreciated how each session was divided into small, manageable paragraphs with appropriate subtitles, which made revision much more efficient.
I also valued the inclusion of mini‑tests at the end of each session. These were an excellent way to assess my understanding of the topics and identify any areas that needed further revision.
Overall, it is a very well‑organised and professionally structured exam platform. I am hopeful that I will achieve a passing result.

March 16, 2026
Unprompted review
A Star Equivalency logo

Reply from A Star Equivalency

Thank you for sharing your experience Jyoti. We’re really pleased to hear that you found the course clear, well structured and easy to follow, and that the mini tests helped with your revision. It’s great to know the platform supported your preparation so effectively.

Wishing you the very best of luck with your results.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Unfair Billing and Poor Customer Service

I had a very disappointing experience. The company deducted payment for the next month even though my exam had already finished. I tried to cancel my subscription, but I never received any cancellation confirmation email.

Despite requesting cancellation and asking for a refund after they charged me for another month, the payment was not returned.

Paying £49 for only a few pre-recorded videos already feels quite expensive, but deducting another month’s payment without proper notice or confirmation is unfair. There was no prior warning about the renewal and no cancellation email sent.

Overall, I am very disappointed with both the billing process and the customer service.

February 24, 2026
Unprompted review
A Star Equivalency logo

Reply from A Star Equivalency

Hi Hina,

Thank you for sharing your feedback. Our courses operate on a monthly subscription which renews automatically unless cancelled through the account area before the next billing date. We have not been able to locate a cancellation request prior to the renewal, which is why the payment was processed and why a refund was not issued.

We always recommend cancelling the subscription once learners have finished using the materials to avoid any further charges.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Recommend it!

I took the English and Combined Science tests with A Star Equivalency. I found the free revision materials very useful, especially for Combined Science. My exam experience was very smooth and pleasant. The support team replied to my emails promptly and clearly.

March 11, 2026
Unprompted review
A Star Equivalency logo

Reply from A Star Equivalency

Thank you for sharing your experience. We’re really pleased to hear that you found the revision materials helpful, particularly for Combined Science, and that your exam experience was smooth. It’s also great to know our support team were able to respond clearly and promptly when you needed help.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I found the support session really useful

I found the support session really helpful plus you get access to a self paced learning portal for revisions!

March 11, 2026
Unprompted review
A Star Equivalency logo

Reply from A Star Equivalency

Thank you for your feedback Toyosi. We’re really pleased to hear that you found the support session helpful and that the self paced learning portal has been useful for your revision. Wishing you all the best with your preparation.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

While I passed my English with…

While I passed my English with satisfactory result for my PGCE provider, I found the online exam format to be awkward from the UI/UX perspective: reading sources too small for eyes to feel comfortable even with zooming in, being constantly locked out from the exam because I clicked something by accident with my mouse (this stuff steals your momentum so much, knocks you off your track the same way somebody constantly whispering behind your back would during an exam in a room). I was very surprised to see that the last task where you need to describe an image had a picture totally unrelated to the rest of the topic throughout the exam. So, if every text source was about women and drinking, you can imagine my shock when the image I had to write about showed a volcano. This is completely different to how the learning materials were composed where all questions were connected by the same topic. Also, task 1 did not ask to order the true statements alphabetically, which was also quite surprising and threw me off a little, given the learning materials asked to follow the pattern of ordering them alphabetically. These are maybe little things, but in a high stress situation like exam can cause a negative impact on the grade. Which is why I strongly believe I would have scored higher if it wasn’t for all the above.

February 18, 2026
Unprompted review
A Star Equivalency logo

Reply from A Star Equivalency

Hi Hanna,

Thank you for taking the time to share your detailed feedback, and congratulations on passing your English exam. We’re pleased to hear you achieved the result required for your PGCE provider.

The exam interface itself is delivered through an external platform, so aspects such as the layout, zoom behaviour and navigation are outside of our control. The exam structure is set by us, but the specific questions will always differ from those used in the learning materials and practice tests, even though they follow the same assessment style.

We appreciate you sharing your perspective on the exam experience, and feedback like this is helpful when we review how we prepare learners for the test environment.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Great


I booked the combined science equivalency a few months ago. I was also recommended to purchase the course, I was a little hesitant due to the price, but I don’t regret my decision as I don’t think I would’ve been able to pass without it. The course came with a lot of helpful content, the videos were especially helpful. I even found myself enjoying some of the topics, particularly biology and chemistry. The invigilator was friendly during exam and explained everything clearly which helped with my nerves. Overall, great experience
glad I’ve gotten this over and done with!

March 10, 2026
Unprompted review
A Star Equivalency logo

Reply from A Star Equivalency

Thank you for sharing your experience. We’re so pleased to hear that the course helped you pass and that you found the videos and content useful, especially in subjects like biology and chemistry. It’s great to know that the invigilator made the exam process smoother and helped ease your nerves.

Congratulations on getting it all done, and we’re glad we could support you through this journey. Best of luck with whatever comes next!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Laura was very helpful and explained…

Laura was very helpful and explained everything really clearly. We touched some algebra, with handy hint and info about revision. I wish there were more sessions available.

March 6, 2026
Unprompted review
A Star Equivalency logo

Reply from A Star Equivalency

Thank you for your feedback Jemma. We’re really pleased to hear that Laura’s session was helpful and that the explanations and revision tips made a difference. It’s great to know you found it useful, and we’ll be sure to pass your kind words on to her.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Excellent Test Centre

Excellent organisation. Thank you very much for your high and effective services.

Sincerely,
Laura

February 16, 2026
Unprompted review
A Star Equivalency logo

Reply from A Star Equivalency

Thank you for your kind message Laura. We’re really pleased to hear that you were happy with the service and organisation. We truly appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback.

The Trustpilot Experience

Anyone can write a Trustpilot review. People who write reviews have ownership to edit or delete them at any time, and they’ll be displayed as long as an account is active.

We use dedicated people and clever technology to safeguard our platform. Find out how we combat fake reviews.

Learn about Trustpilot’s review process.

Here are 8 tips for writing great reviews.

Verification can help ensure real people are writing the reviews you read on Trustpilot.

Offering incentives for reviews or asking for them selectively can bias the TrustScore, which goes against our guidelines.

Take a closer look