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| + | [[File:United-kingdom-map.gif|thumb|224x224px]]This page contains advice on how to find exam centres, what you might be able to expect from them and how to approach them. There is a [[Finding an exam centre#List of Exam Centres accepting External Candidates|list of exam centres]] that you might want to jump directly to. If you are new to booking exams as a private candidate then please do read the advice on this page before contacting exam centres. |
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| − | Advice on finding an exam centre, lists of exam centres, and sample emails for making contact. You will find a separate page for each region of the UK - direct links here: |
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| + | '''''Please remember that centres do not have to take private candidates. Sadly, every year some exam centres decide that the hassle is no longer worth it and close the doors to HE families. There has definitely been an increase in this, post-Covid, and we all need to be extra mindful about the demands we put on exam centres and how we communicate with them. If you have an exam centre nearby, that is able and willing to enter private candidates, then chances are that the way has been paved for you by other home-educating families. Please pay it forward to future home-educating families and treat your exam officers with respect and expect to do the necessary research around exam choices for yourselves''.''' |
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| − | [[Wales]] |
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| + | When you've found a centre, see [[Making entries and sitting exams|Making exam entries]] for what you need to tell them. It's best to make your enquiries by email, or to confirm any conversations you've had by sending a follow-up email, just to make sure there are no misunderstandings about what the exam centre can do for you. |
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| − | [[#Scotland|Scotland]] |
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| + | If you've read this page but still have questions - [[Support Groups|Join the HE Exams community]] to get support from fellow home-educators. |
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| − | Check if there are any centres in your area which will accept external candidates for a particular board before you commit to a syllabus. For CIE in particular, some have to travel many miles to a centre and this may affect your choice of syllabus. |
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| + | == Where can home educated children sit exams? == |
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| − | It is best to try to register with an exam centre *at least * six months before the exams are due. If your child has Special Educational Needs and you are asking fire Access Arrangements then you will need to start much earlier. |
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| + | Home educators take on responsibility for finding and funding access to exam centres for qualifications. A few councils offer a bit of support (lists of centres, some funding) but this is very much the exception. |
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| + | Exam centres fall into several main categories :- |
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| − | Late Entries |
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| + | '''Schools/Further Education colleges''' - State and Private schools can accept private candidates. These are usually the cheapest option. However, there may be more limitations on subjects/exam boards on offer. |
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| − | It is possible to enter much later, even up to a week before the exam, but exam board fees rise sharply for late entries, and you risk not being able to find a convenient exam centre. The fee you will have to pay comprises the exam board entry fee (currently about £28.50 for GCSEs and £38.50 for Edexcel IGCSEs, £48 for CIE IGCSEs for 2015 ) plus an administration fee for the exam centre, to reimburse them for the inconvenience. The admin fee varies hugely, from around £25 at some centres to over £150 at others. |
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| + | '''Alternative Centres -''' these could be CICs (not-for-profit companies) run by home educators (FareGos is most known example but there are others), Adult Education Centres, Pupil Referral Units (PRUs), language schools, International schools. |
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| − | '''Check the list of exam centres which have been used by home educators. ''' People don't always add their exam centres to the list so neither is a complete list of home-ed-friendly centres, but it's a good start. It is also worth asking on the HE-Exams group in case anyone knows of another centre in your area which has not yet been added to these lists. |
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| + | '''Commercial Centres''' - these are centres whose business it is to offer exams (and often tuition). They are more focused on the private candidate market. These are usually the most expensive option but can be more likely to accommodate more niche subjects, practicals and access arrangements. |
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| − | If these approaches do not bear fruit, you will have to put in some legwork. First of all, please read up on [http://edyourself.org/articles/examofficers.php FAQs from Exams Officers]. Being well-prepared can make all the difference between being rejected out of hand, or being accepted. Check the lists of centres available to private candidates on the exam board sites. Now, just because a school appears on that list it doesn't mean that they will accept private candidates generally - it can just mean that they have in the past, or may have allowed a current student to take an extra qualification. It does mean, however, that it is worth asking. It is also worth asking local schools even if they are not listed as having taken private candidates before. Often people find that independent schools are more willing to accept private candidates. |
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| + | GCSEs, International GCSEs (IGCSEs) and A levels need to be sat at an exam centre. Home invigilation is only possible in very particular circumstances, and very difficult (and potentially expensive) to arrange. |
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| − | If you're aiming for Edexcel IGCSEs then the school does not need to be one which offers IGCSEs to its own students in order to take private candidates. If the school is registered with Edexcel for GCSEs then they can accept candidates for IGCSEs too. They just put in the exam code in their online entry system. It is possible that the school might not be aware of this but you can ask them to contact Edexcel, who will confirm it for them. |
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| + | Online exams are possible for Functional skills. The focus of this page is GCSEs, IGCSEs and A levels, but you can read more on Functional Skills [[Functional Skills|here]]. |
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| − | If the school does not have any other students sitting the same IGCSE as you want to sit, they may have candidates sitting another exam at the same time, eg a GCSE in another subject. In that case, the private candidate can usually sit in the same room and share an invigilator. If the exam centre does not have anybody else taking an exam on that day then you would normally be asked to pay for an invigilator (or can offer to do so if they just look lost and say "But nobody else is sitting one that day..."). Sometimes home educators have provided an invigilator from their group to do this, and one enterprising group of parents volunteered to be regular invigilators for the school's own exams. Schools often struggle to find reliable invigilators during exam season, so this is one way to develop a good relationship with the exam centre. |
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| + | == When do I need to find an exam centre? == |
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| + | It's usually advised that you should find an exam centre before you start to study. This is so you can be sure to use specifications that you can arrange exams in. In reality this isn't always feasible. But if you are able/prepared to travel and stick to 'safe' options for home educators (see [[IGCSEs]] and [[Exam Boards|Exam boards]]) then chances of finding a centre offering the syllabus are much higher. However, if you are planning to do any subjects which have practicals, coursework or speaking components, do find a centre for these before studying. Fewer exam centres can facilitate these components. |
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| + | If you have a child with SEN, a physical disability or other issue (eg slow processing) that might impede their ability to take exams, and may require [[Access Arrangements]], then it is best to contact exam centres at least a year ahead to get the ball rolling. |
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| − | It can take some legwork and speaking to quite a few schools to track down a centre, but people generally do find somewhere.... very occasionally people have travelled and stayed near the centre for the exam period, but this is rare. |
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| + | Booking dates for exams vary by exam centre but are generally - |
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| − | Exam centres are under no obligation to accept private candidates; it creates extra work for them and may involve some disruption to their schedule or difficulties for the school. They are entitled to charge an admin fee which compensates for this to some degree, and that fee varies hugely - from £15 per subject at some schools to over £150 at others. |
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| + | Oct-late Jan/Early Feb - for Summer exams |
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| − | === '''Independent Schools and Colleges''' === |
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| − | One parent comments: |
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| + | July-early Sep - for CAIE Autumn exams |
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| − | Often, independent schools and colleges are your best bet for finding an exam centre near you. When I was looking in the South West, I emailed every independent secondary school within an 80 mile radius! Of these, about five responded positively. The [http://www.isc.co.uk/SchoolSearch_FindanISCSchool.htm website for the Independent Schools Council] lists every independent school by area. |
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| + | Sept - for Edexcel IGCSE January exams |
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| − | You can find a list of some independent schools which offer IGCSEs on the [[Schools_using_IGCSEs]] page. |
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| + | <br /> |
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| + | The best place to start is asking local home educators what exam centre they use. Join local Facebook groups and ask on there. You can see a list of centres put together by members of the home education community [[Finding an exam centre#List of Exam Centres accepting External Candidates|here.]] You can also [[Support Groups|join the HE Exams community]] to get support from fellow home-educators. |
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| + | Each awarding body (exam board) keeps its own list of centres which theoretically accept external candidates, but these are often inaccurate as schools fail to update; [https://www.aqa.org.uk/student-and-parent-support/private-candidates AQA], [https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/support/support-topics/understanding-our-qualifications/where-can-i-take-edexcel-exams.html/student Edexcel], [https://www.cambridgeinternational.org/exam-administration/private-candidates/ CAIE] and [https://www.ocr.org.uk/students/private-candidates/ OCR] |
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| − | === '''Private Exam Centres''' === |
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| − | Private, or Independent, exam centres are businesses which specialise in organising exams for external candidates. They are not schools, but are often tutorial colleges offering intensive or after-school tuition. The premises are often small and you are likely to sit exams with a small number of other candidates, so they are ideal for students who are school phobic. |
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| + | In 2021, Pearson (Edexcel) and the Welsh Government put together a list of centres that were willing to accept private candidates for Teacher Assessed Grades. Being on this list does not guarantee that a centre will take private candidates in future, but it might be a good place to start if you are looking for a centre in your area. Links to the Pearson and Welsh government lists lists can be found [https://heqa.uk/page/2021-private-candidate-centres/?fbclid=IwAR1XLbHRwS5dsAyvJ1nwi_bF-U10RmcaK0ENGkAjr8TYzuPjcR7SQB9Z3h8 here], and the Cambridge International list can be found [https://www.cambridgeinternational.org/why-choose-us/find-a-cambridge-school/ here.] |
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| − | Usually the cost of taking an IGCSE at a commercial centre is more than £125 per subject, but fees vary widely. At some centres it is over £200. Because exam candidates are their core business, private exam centres are often prepared to take on candidates which other centres turn away - eg modern foreign language orals, GCSE English speaking tests, and A-level science practicals, Access Arrangements. |
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| + | The JCQ list has been replaced with an [https://www.jcq.org.uk/private-candidates/ updated version] for the 2021 Autumn series |
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| − | Private exam centres have to go through the same accreditation process that schools go through to become an exam centre: materials must be securely stored in a safe inside a special secure room, and exams must be conducted under regulation exam conditions. Some private exam centres are very efficient, while others may struggle with organisational matters because they don't have enough staff. As usual, it pays to ask around the home-ed community and see if one of these centres will suit your needs. |
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| + | If none of these turn up a local centre then you may need to email all schools (private and state) and further education colleges in your area. There is a sample email [[Finding an exam centre#Sample email to exam centre|here]]. |
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| − | Some examples of private exam centres in our listings: 3A Tutors in Bristol, Campbell Harris in Kensington, Pascal's College in Beckenham, Tutors & Exams in Coventry. There are others - the exam centre listings state if it is a tutorial college or private exam centre, as opposed to a school. |
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| + | If you are still struggling then consult with local home educators to see if you can form a working group - perhaps you could approach your LA, organise an approach to local schools, perhaps offer to provide invigilators or an admin contact. |
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| − | == Dealing with Exam Centres == |
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| − | '''Please be aware that home-ed candidates and their parents may be seen as representatives of the whole home-ed community, and we need to be professional in our dealings with exam officers. Any dispute could lead to that centre refusing to take any more private candidates, so please think carefully before proceeding.''' |
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| + | == What should I ask in my initial enquiry? == |
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| − | [http://edyourself.org/articles/examofficers.php '''Exam Officers' FAQs'''] - questions an exam centre may ask about taking external candidates, and answers. Essential reading if you are approaching a new exam centre. |
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| + | When approaching exam centres, please don’t have unrealistic expectations of exam officers providing support and guidance. Exams officers are not there to give advice about which syllabuses or subjects you should study or what resources to buy. That isn’t their role. This Wiki is aimed at helping you research the information you need and make use of the support available from experienced home educators. |
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| + | Here are things you might ask/expect of your exams officer. |
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| − | [[Making_entries_and_sitting_exams|'''Making_entries_and_sitting_exams''']] - for the next step after finding your exam centre. |
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| + | * Do you accept external candidates? |
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| − | [[Case Study: Finding an Exam Centre|'''Finding an exam centre case study: Mea''']] was initially rejected by 10 schools when she asked whether her daughter could sit exams as an external candidate. She tried again with a further 20 schools, giving more information, and had a very positive response. Her experience, together with sample letter, is [[Case Study: Finding an Exam Centre|here]]. |
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| + | * What awarding bodies (exam boards) are you registered for? |
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| + | * Are there any restrictions on subjects/options? |
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| + | * How much are the exams? |
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| + | * When is the deadline for registering? |
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| + | * Do you do autumn or winter sittings, as well as summer ones? |
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| − | It's often easiest to approach an exam centre by email rather than phoning, as then you can be sure that your message will be passed to the examinations officer. Examinations officers often work part-time and you may not be popular if you phone during a busy period! |
+ | It's often easiest to approach an exam centre by email rather than phoning, as then you can be sure that your message will be passed to the examinations officer. Examinations officers often work part-time and you may not be popular if you phone during a busy period!<br /> |
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An example email could be sent to the school's main enquiry address, and could say something like: |
An example email could be sent to the school's main enquiry address, and could say something like: |
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| − | Subject: FAO Examinations Officer re External Candidates for exams |
+ | ''Subject: FAO Examinations Officer re External Candidates for exams'' |
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| − | Dear examinations officer, |
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| − | My son is home-educated and is working towards taking some exams as an external candidates. Please could you let me know if you would accept him as an external candidate for exams at your centre? If you might, could you tell me which exam boards you are registered with, and if you will accept candidates for any subjects, or only certain subjects? My son is well-behaved and responsible, and just wants the opportunity to show what he has learned. |
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| − | I am a member of the online support network for home-educators and therefore have access to all the information I need regarding available syllabuses and materials. |
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| − | Yours, Mx Nice. |
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| − | =='''Exam Boards'''== |
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| − | Each exam board keeps its own list of centres which theoretically accept external candidates, but these are often inaccurate. This isn't the exam board's fault - they ask schools to notify them of changes, but schools don't always remember to do so. A school's policy on accepting external candidates can vary from year to year as it usually requires a community-minded Head , and an Exams Officer who is prepared to put in extra work. People often resort to phoning round all the schools and colleges in their area to find out if they will take external candidates. Do check the list of exam centres recommended by other home educators on this site first, as the centres for all boards are displayed on one page (which you won't find on the exam board sites), and we often have additional information which you may find useful. |
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| − | *'''AQA: [http://www.aqa.org.uk/admin/p_private.php information for private candidates], including a [http://www.aqa.org.uk/admin/library/AQA-PRIVCAND-CENTRES.PDF list of exam centres]''' |
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| − | *'''Edexcel: [http://www.edexcel.com/i-am-a/student/private-candidates/Pages/default.aspx information for private candidates] and [http://www.edexcel.com/i-am-a/student/private-candidates/faqs/Pages/Registering.aspx Registering and paying as a private candidate].''' Note that you should try centres which are listed for GCSEs as well as IGCSEs as, currently, any school registered as an Edexcel GCSE exam centre can also accept candidates for IGCSE. List of exam centres: http://qualifications.pearson.com/en/support/support-topics/understanding-our-qualifications/where-can-i-take-edexcel-exams.html/student |
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| − | *'''CIE: [http://www.cie.org.uk/profiles/students/ukcandidates information for private candidates], and '[http://www.cie.org.uk/i-want-to/find-a-cambridge-school/ Find a Centre]' search function. Note that you may need to search by multiple towns, eg 'Kent' does not bring up the results for schools in each town in Kent. You need to go through and select each town you might possibly be able to reach from the drop-down list.''' |
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| − | *[http://www.ocr.org.uk/Images/15946-guidance-for-private-candidates-2011-12.pdf '''OCR Guidance for Private Candidates'''] |
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| − | The Oxford Open Learning site has a list of all the [http://www.ool.co.uk/exams/ExamMap.htm schools on their books that have accepted private candidates] to sit GCSEs in the past. This was out-of-date when last checked. |
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| − | '''Please feel free to add or edit information '''- we rely on the home-ed community to keep this up to date. It's easiest to edit if you create a Wikia account first, but you could also just leave a comment below and we'll add any centres mentioned to the main list. |
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| − | * North West England |
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| − | * [[East of England Exam Centres|East of England]] |
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| − | * [[South and South-East England Exam Centres|London and South-East England]] |
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| − | * [[Midlands Exam Centres|Midlands]] |
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| − | * [[Northern England - Exam Centres|Northern England]] |
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| − | * [[South West Exam Centres|South-West England]] - Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Bristol, Gloucestershire. |
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| − | === '''Scotland''' === |
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| − | ==== '''Edinburgh ''' ==== |
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| − | '''[http://www.wallacecollege.co.uk/exam-entry.html Wallace College]''' offer all boards at £105 (£110 in summer 2017) per GCSE/IGCSE subject and language oral exams an extra £90 . |
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| + | ''Dear (exam officer name if you know it),'' |
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| − | '''Basil Patterson College''' offer Edexcel & AQA GCSE/IGCSE. |
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| + | ''My child wishes to take exams as a private candidate in (season and year). Please can you confirm whether you accept private candidates for exams at (name of centre/school). If so, for what awarding bodies is your centre registered and what are your fees? Can you facilitate autumn and winter exam sittings, or just summer exam sittings?'' |
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| − | '''Fettes College''' can accommodate some exam takers. It's also worth contacting the exam officers at Merchiston Castle School and St Leonards in St Andrews. All these schools offer GCSEs, which may now be difficult to take as an independent candidate. Fettes also offers some IGCSEs. |
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| + | ''Thank you (Name)'' |
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| − | ==== '''Aberdeen''' ==== |
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| − | The Aberdeen Green School Drumoak - Beginning August 22 2017. Can join for instruction or exams in 2018 for: Maths Higher, English Higher, Physics Higher, Chemistry Higher, History Higher. Arts Award, equivalent to an A Level is also available. www.theaberdeengreenschool.org |
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| + | If you receive a positive email response then follow up emails might include; Can you facilitate (name of subject with practical eg a modern foreign language) exam? What are your registration deadlines for (season, year)? Are you able to accommodate access arrangements, and if so what are your procedures? |
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| − | '''[http://www.albynschool.co.uk/ Albyn School]'''. Only offers summer series each year. Cannot accommodates practical exams but offers speaking tests in French, German, Spanish and Chinese Mandarin. Boards offered are Edexcel, CIE, OCR, AQA, SQA and from 2017 WJEC. |
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| + | <br /> |
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| − | Glenalmond College Perth say they do any board and do not charge admin fee |
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| + | The list isn't comprehensive, it relies on the home ed community to keep it updated. Look at our [[Finding an exam centre#How do I find an exam centre.3F|How do I find an exam centre section]] for other suggestions and links to exam board lists. |
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| − | Merchiston Castle School, Edinburgh take External Candidates. Their Examinations Officer, Dr T Lawson is exceptionally helpful. |
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| + | '''Please feel free to add or edit information. '''You will need to create a Wikia account first. If you can't edit if you post on the FB group someone will add for you. |
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| − | '''Craigavon - [http://www.brownlowcollege.co.uk/ Brownlow College] - '''Kieran McKernan, Examinations Officer - tel 028 3834 2121, kmckernan636@brownlowcollege.craigavon.ni.sch.uk. He needs to hear in January for summer entries. He won't help with listening/practical exams, except perhaps Art. They do Edexcel and CCEA (and maybe others but not CIE) |
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| − | '''Newtownabbey: The Free Presbyterian School''' will accept home-educated children. It is a CCEA centre and is currently applying to be an Edexcel centre for IGCSEs. |
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| + | **[https://he-exams.wikia.org/wiki/Northern_England_-_Exam_Centres#North_East North-East England] |
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| + | **[https://he-exams.wikia.org/wiki/Northern_England_-_Exam_Centres#North_West North-West England] |
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| − | '''Belfast - [http://www.conwayeducation.com/?page_id=488 Conway Education Centre] '''Although the website says that they don't help with listening/practical exams, in fact they do. Can provide for any exam board and any exam you want, so far we have only used Edexcel for IGCSE English Lang and Geography. Contact name for them is Brenda. |
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| + | [[Scotland|Scottish exam options and centres.]] |
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| − | '''Dublin - [http://www.dublintutorialcentre.com/ The Tutorial Centre]''' At the moment, as far as I know, you have to go to Dublin to do IGCSEs. Please update this if you know otherwise. |
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| + | ==== Guernsey and Jersey ==== |
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| − | This site has been put together by people on the [http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HE-Exams-GCSE-A_AS_Levels-OU-Others HE-Exams Yahoogroup] which discusses the practicalities of gaining formal qualifications as a home-educated young person. |
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| + | [https://he-exams.wikia.org/wiki/Guernsey_and_Jersey Guernsey and Jersey Exam centres] |
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| + | ==== Other Overseas (non-UK) exam centres ==== |
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| − | Return to [[Main Page]]. |
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| + | [https://he-exams.wikia.org/wiki/Overseas_exam_centres Overseas (non-UK) exam centres] |
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Revision as of 10:47, 9 August 2021
This page contains advice on how to find exam centres, what you might be able to expect from them and how to approach them. There is a list of exam centres that you might want to jump directly to. If you are new to booking exams as a private candidate then please do read the advice on this page before contacting exam centres.
Please remember that centres do not have to take private candidates. Sadly, every year some exam centres decide that the hassle is no longer worth it and close the doors to HE families. There has definitely been an increase in this, post-Covid, and we all need to be extra mindful about the demands we put on exam centres and how we communicate with them. If you have an exam centre nearby, that is able and willing to enter private candidates, then chances are that the way has been paved for you by other home-educating families. Please pay it forward to future home-educating families and treat your exam officers with respect and expect to do the necessary research around exam choices for yourselves.
When you've found a centre, see Making exam entries for what you need to tell them. It's best to make your enquiries by email, or to confirm any conversations you've had by sending a follow-up email, just to make sure there are no misunderstandings about what the exam centre can do for you.
If you've read this page but still have questions - Join the HE Exams community to get support from fellow home-educators.
Where can home educated children sit exams?
Home educators take on responsibility for finding and funding access to exam centres for qualifications. A few councils offer a bit of support (lists of centres, some funding) but this is very much the exception.
Exam centres fall into several main categories :-
Schools/Further Education colleges - State and Private schools can accept private candidates. These are usually the cheapest option. However, there may be more limitations on subjects/exam boards on offer.
Alternative Centres - these could be CICs (not-for-profit companies) run by home educators (FareGos is most known example but there are others), Adult Education Centres, Pupil Referral Units (PRUs), language schools, International schools.
Commercial Centres - these are centres whose business it is to offer exams (and often tuition). They are more focused on the private candidate market. These are usually the most expensive option but can be more likely to accommodate more niche subjects, practicals and access arrangements.
GCSEs, International GCSEs (IGCSEs) and A levels need to be sat at an exam centre. Home invigilation is only possible in very particular circumstances, and very difficult (and potentially expensive) to arrange.
Online exams are possible for Functional skills. The focus of this page is GCSEs, IGCSEs and A levels, but you can read more on Functional Skills here.
When do I need to find an exam centre?
It's usually advised that you should find an exam centre before you start to study. This is so you can be sure to use specifications that you can arrange exams in. In reality this isn't always feasible. But if you are able/prepared to travel and stick to 'safe' options for home educators (see IGCSEs and Exam boards) then chances of finding a centre offering the syllabus are much higher. However, if you are planning to do any subjects which have practicals, coursework or speaking components, do find a centre for these before studying. Fewer exam centres can facilitate these components.
If you have a child with SEN, a physical disability or other issue (eg slow processing) that might impede their ability to take exams, and may require Access Arrangements, then it is best to contact exam centres at least a year ahead to get the ball rolling.
Booking dates for exams vary by exam centre but are generally -
Oct-late Jan/Early Feb - for Summer exams
July-early Sep - for CAIE Autumn exams
Sept - for Edexcel IGCSE January exams
How do I find an exam centre?
The best place to start is asking local home educators what exam centre they use. Join local Facebook groups and ask on there. You can see a list of centres put together by members of the home education community here. You can also join the HE Exams community to get support from fellow home-educators.
Each awarding body (exam board) keeps its own list of centres which theoretically accept external candidates, but these are often inaccurate as schools fail to update; AQA, Edexcel, CAIE and OCR
In 2021, Pearson (Edexcel) and the Welsh Government put together a list of centres that were willing to accept private candidates for Teacher Assessed Grades. Being on this list does not guarantee that a centre will take private candidates in future, but it might be a good place to start if you are looking for a centre in your area. Links to the Pearson and Welsh government lists lists can be found here, and the Cambridge International list can be found here.
The JCQ list has been replaced with an updated version for the 2021 Autumn series
If none of these turn up a local centre then you may need to email all schools (private and state) and further education colleges in your area. There is a sample email here.
If you are still struggling then consult with local home educators to see if you can form a working group - perhaps you could approach your LA, organise an approach to local schools, perhaps offer to provide invigilators or an admin contact.
What should I ask in my initial enquiry?
When approaching exam centres, please don’t have unrealistic expectations of exam officers providing support and guidance. Exams officers are not there to give advice about which syllabuses or subjects you should study or what resources to buy. That isn’t their role. This Wiki is aimed at helping you research the information you need and make use of the support available from experienced home educators.
Here are things you might ask/expect of your exams officer.
- Do you accept external candidates?
- What awarding bodies (exam boards) are you registered for?
- Are there any restrictions on subjects/options?
- How much are the exams?
- When is the deadline for registering?
- Do you do autumn or winter sittings, as well as summer ones?
It's often easiest to approach an exam centre by email rather than phoning, as then you can be sure that your message will be passed to the examinations officer. Examinations officers often work part-time and you may not be popular if you phone during a busy period!
Sample email to exam centre
An example email could be sent to the school's main enquiry address, and could say something like:
Subject: FAO Examinations Officer re External Candidates for exams
Dear (exam officer name if you know it),
My child wishes to take exams as a private candidate in (season and year). Please can you confirm whether you accept private candidates for exams at (name of centre/school). If so, for what awarding bodies is your centre registered and what are your fees? Can you facilitate autumn and winter exam sittings, or just summer exam sittings?
Thank you (Name)
If you receive a positive email response then follow up emails might include; Can you facilitate (name of subject with practical eg a modern foreign language) exam? What are your registration deadlines for (season, year)? Are you able to accommodate access arrangements, and if so what are your procedures?
List of Exam Centres accepting External Candidates
These exam centres have either taken external candidates in the recent past, or have indicated that they would consider it.
The list isn't comprehensive, it relies on the home ed community to keep it updated. Look at our How do I find an exam centre section for other suggestions and links to exam board lists.
Please feel free to add or edit information. You will need to create a Wikia account first. If you can't edit if you post on the FB group someone will add for you.
England
- South-West England - Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Bristol, Gloucestershire.
Wales
Scotland
Scottish exam options and centres.
Northern Ireland and Eire
Guernsey and Jersey
Guernsey and Jersey Exam centres