Our AS level Thinking Skills online course explores complex ideas through relevant, engaging topics – all with the support of a specialist personal tutor. Alongside subject knowledge, you’ll gain confidence in mathematical, problem-solving, and practical skills.

You’ll have the flexibility to fit study around your lifestyle, learning at your own pace. Like many NEC students, perhaps you’ll go on to study at university, or use your qualification to support your next career move?

The transferable skills taught by AS level Thinking Skills (evaluating, reasoning, problem-solving) are ideal for those applying to university, and looked upon favourably by employers.

This course will help you to gain a specific and transferable set of skills in critical thinking and reasoning and problem solving based on analysis of realistic scenarios. 

Our Thinking Skills AS level course is ideal if you:

• Are keen to gain transferable skills that will aid in your study of a wide range of subjects at degree level.
• Enjoy applying different perspectives and theories to ‘big’ questions and topical issues. 
• Would like to reflect on your own values and attitudes.
• Are building your employability skills in areas including critical thinking, communication and problem solving. 

Future opportunities

• A wide range of rewarding career paths in fields such as politics, law, education, theology, psychology, policing, science, journalism and more. 

Section 1: Arguments in critical thinking

• Critical thinking and reasoning
• What is a reasoned argument?
• Reasons in support of conclusions
• Recognising implicit assumptions

Section 2: Analysing and evaluating arguments

• Identifying key elements of argument
• Further elements of argument
• Inference and deduction
• Analysis and evaluation
• Understanding key terms and expressions
• Identifying appeals in reasoning
• Identifying flaws in reasoning
• Developing your reasoning

Section 3: Evidence and explanation

• Evaluating numerical evidence
• Assessing the impact of further evidence
• Assessing the credibility of evidence
• Recognising plausible explanations
• Developing your reasoning

Section 4: Preparing for Paper 2

• Question 1: evaluating evidence
• Question 2: Reasoning in a scientific context
• Question 3: Evaluating and presenting argument

Section 5: Problem solving, Part 1

• What is problem solving?
• Extracting data
• Processing data
• Finding a procedure

Section 6: Problem solving, Part 2

• Searching for solutions
• Patterns and similarities
• Suggesting hypotheses
• Spatial reasoning
• Necessary and sufficient data and modelling
• Choices and decisions

Study AS Thinking Skills with us and benefit from:

• Flexible learning
• Support from a personal tutor by email, phone or Skype
• Any time enrolment
• Our exam booking service
• Assignments with tutor feedback
• Ongoing support from Student Support
• Forums to discuss your course with other students

learn@nec

Choose when and where you access your course, using learn@nec our 24/7 learning platform.

This easy-to-use learning platform includes interactive checkpoints, quizzes and activities to help you evaluate your progress.

You’ll have access to support from a personal tutor. All NEC tutors are subject experts, with experience of supporting online learners.

Meet Cressida, who is lead tutor and co-developer of course materials for AS Thinking Skills:

“As a sixth form teacher and tutor at NEC, what I really like about this course (and why I would like all my students to do it) is because it focuses on developing intellectual skills regardless of subject content. It will allow you to work out whether someone is arguing well, is using reason and logic rather than appealing to an audience or a reader’s emotion. This is why some universities in the UK and abroad have introduced thinking skills tests as part of their entry requirements for their courses.”

Exam board

• CAIE 9694

Format

• Online learning with support from a personal tutor

Hours

• Complete at your own pace
• Approx. 120-150 hours plus time for completing assignments

Assignments

• 7 assignments (one introductory) – these do not contribute towards your final grade

Resources

• No additional set texts required
• Internet access
• Computer operating system and browser to support learn@nec

Our course fees are 100% transparent to help you plan for any additional costs.

Your course fee includes:

• Access to learn@nec
• All the course materials you need to complete the course
• Support from a personal tutor for up to 24 months from your date of enrolment 
• Assignment marking
• Marking for one past paper
• Guaranteed exam place
• NEC’s guide to study skills: How to Succeed as an Independent Learner
• Spelling, punctuation and grammar guide
• Time planner to help you plan your study timetable
• Information on how to apply for exams
• Academic references if needed

Optional extras:

• Enhanced Service – £95

• Includes more structure and tutor motivation and support

• Additional Services
• Additional past paper marking – £30
• Revision tutorial – £45 per hour
• Optional tutorial – £45 per hour
• Additional review – £30

Your course fee does not cover:

• Exam entry fees

Assessment

• Exams (two):

• 50% of marks  (1 hour 45 minutes)
• 50% of marks  (1 hour 45 minutes)

• There is no non-exam assessment (NEA) for this course

We know that our younger students often need an extra helping hand with their studies.  In our experience, learning online works best when the parents are involved, so when you enrol your child with NEC, you’ll have a unique set of services to help you to support your child.

This includes:

• Your own log in to learn@nec to access the course so you can view the course materials and other information for yourself.
• Access to your child’s gradebook to help you to monitor progress and provide appropriate and timely intervention and support
• You’ll receive emails and forum posts so that you have all the examination and assessment updates/information provided by the NEC team
• Dedicated Parent Portal Pages and targeted blogs with updates/information/help and advice on many aspects of home education.
• Access to the Kudos career platform for young learners to explore career choices.

<Read more about how we work with young students who are studying at home or through a school.>