Choosing the Right Exam Board
Different exam boards in the UK offer GCSEs, such as AQA, Edexcel (Pearson), OCR, and WJEC in Wales (Eduqas in England). There are also international exam boards as options, such as Edexcel (they have different specifications for international exams), Oxford-AQA, and Cambridge. Each exam board sets its own syllabus for each subject, so you must decide which board to register with for each exam your child takes. We’ve done a detailed analysis of the best exam boards for home-education by subject.
The choice of exam board will depend on the following:
The subjects your child wants to study, this might also come down to the contents of the subjects, e.g. the periods in history or the texts in English
Availability of exam centres that offer the relevant exam board in your area. Do you want your child to sit all their exams in the same palace, or are you willing to travel around a lot to find centers that offer precisely what you are looking for?
Preferences for assessment methods (some exam boards might have more coursework, while others may rely more on final exams).
Finding an Exam Centre
As a private candidate, your child must sit their exams at an exam centre that accepts external candidates. Many independent schools, further education (FE) colleges, and some private exam centres allow home-educated students to register for GCSEs and A-Levels.
Start by contacting local exam centres to determine if they accommodate private candidates.
You can also check the exam boards' websites, as they often provide lists of exam centres in your region that accept private candidates.
Make sure to confirm that the centre offers the specific subjects and exam board your child has studied, as not all centres offer the full range of subjects.
Registering for the Exams
Once you've chosen an exam centre, you must register your child as a private candidate. Registration typically opens in the autumn and closes by January for exams taken in the summer. The process involves filling out forms and paying fees for each subject your child will take.
It's advisable to contact exam centres well in advance of the deadline, as places can be limited. Some centres may require you to register months ahead, so starting the process early will help ensure everything runs smoothly.
Each subject has a fee, which usually ranges from £100 to £200 per subject, depending on the exam centre and the subject.