How to book exams as a Private Candidate

Entering GCSE and IGCSE Exams as a Private Candidate

If your home educated child is taking GCSE or IGCSE qualifications, they will need to be entered for their exams as a Private Candidate. It is the responsibility of the parent or guardian to arrange the exam entries and ensure that all deadlines are met. Unfortunately, AWE Home Education Club is unable to complete exam entries on behalf of families.

Most GCSE and IGCSE examinations take place during May and June, known as the Summer Examination Series. Some examination centres begin accepting bookings as early as the September before the following summer, so it is advisable to make initial enquiries around a year in advance.

Finding an Exam Centre

You will need to contact local examination centres, secondary schools, independent schools or private exam centres to find one that accepts Private Candidates.

When contacting a centre, ask to speak to the Exams Officer, who will be able to tell you:

• Whether they accept Private Candidates.
• Which subjects and examination boards they offer.
• Their registration process.
• Their fees.
• Their entry deadlines.
• What identification and documentation they require.

Be sure to tell the Exams Officer which exam board your child is studying with (for example AQA, Edexcel, OCR, Eduqas, WJEC, CCEA or Cambridge International).

Once you have received the information, carefully follow the centre’s instructions and make a note of all deadlines. Late entries usually incur additional fees and, if deadlines or payments are missed, your child may not be entered for the examinations.

Planning Ahead

The availability of exam centres varies considerably across the UK. In some areas, families may need to travel some distance to find a suitable centre. Where early morning examinations are involved, an overnight hotel stay may be worth considering to avoid unnecessary stress on the day. Always allow extra travelling time for traffic or other delays.

Access Arrangements and Special Requirements

If your child has Special Educational Needs (SEN), an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), special access arrangements or any other additional requirements, it is particularly important to begin the process well in advance.

Exam centres will usually require evidence to support any requested access arrangements. This may include reports from educational psychologists, doctors or other qualified professionals. Obtaining these reports can take time, so early planning is essential.

For example, if a child requires a separate room because of severe anxiety, the number of available rooms at an exam centre may be limited. These spaces are often allocated well in advance, making early booking especially important.

Tutors & Exams (T&E)

Families who are able to use a Tutors & Exams (T&E) private exam centre may be eligible for a discounted booking fee, as AWE Home Education Club is an Approved Learning Partner.

When booking through T&E’s online system, AWE Club families can enter a discount code. Please contact us to request the current code. As this benefit is exclusively for AWE Home Education Club families, the code should not be shared.

A list of Tutors & Exams branches is available HERE.

Further Help

Booking examinations can feel daunting, particularly if it is your first time. Starting early, gathering all the necessary information and keeping track of deadlines will help make the process much less stressful.

The Home Educators’ Exams Wiki is an excellent source of information about private candidates and examination centres.

Your local home education groups and Facebook communities can also be invaluable sources of up-to-date recommendations for examination centres in your area. Organisations such as Education Otherwise also maintain lists of local home education groups throughout the UK.

We wish you every success with the examination process. With good preparation and plenty of planning, it is perfectly manageable. Stay calm, start early, and remember that support is always available from the home education community.

Tutors & Exams Learning Partner

Tutors & Exams provides examination and assessment facilities primarily aimed at private and home educated candidates. Tutors & Exams have examination centres located around the country. All are approved for examination delivery by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ). They cater for 95% of all GCSE/GCE and IGCSE subjects alongside Functional Skills and have a dedicated SEN specialist who can assist in organising access arrangements if required – www.tutorsandexams.uk

AWE is a group of highly experienced Home Education teachers providing GCSE, IGCSE and KS3 courses for Home Educated children aged 11 – 17.