Subjects

For a quick-glance, alphabetical list of subjects with their wiki page links, go to the home page and scroll down to the bottom. (If you are using a mobile device, you might need to use the drop-down menu)

For further information, join the HE Exams community. There is a Facebook group: Home Education UK Exams & Alternatives, and an email group, the HE Exams Yahoo group. When making subject choices with an eye on university entry, the Russell Group advice may be useful:

GCSEs

Many of the new 9-1 GCSEs are now available to private candidates.  

The main GCSEs which are very difficult for home ed students to access are:

• All GCSE sciences - GCSE sciences have core practical activities which are not assessed, but the exam centre has to sign off to confirm that you have done them, or had the opportunity to do them in the centre. Most exam centres won't do this for external candidates.

• Geography GCSE - compulsory fieldwork activities have to be signed off. The fieldwork is not assessed - it doesn't form part of the grade - but the head of the exam centre has to sign a declaration that you have undertaken two separate fieldwork sessions.

• English language GCSE- has a speaking and listening component which most centres won't offer. here is a summary of why it is an issue for external candidates.

If a subject is not available as an exam-only GCSE, you can usually sit an International GCSE (IGCSE) instead. These are equivalent to GCSEs and accepted by all universities and colleges as such; you do not need to be at all concerned about their status. For more discussion and references, see the page on IGCSEs.

Practical subjects, such as Physical Education or Dance, have a controlled assessment/practical component. You are unlikely to find any centre which will accept external candidates for this element. Home ed students generally take Alternative Qualifications such as sports and coaching qualifications accredited by the National Governing Body in their sport. Please see the Alternative Qualifications page for more information.

Drama and Film Studies GCSEs have been attempted by groups of home educators, but they are much more complicated to arrange than exam-only subjects. See Alternative qualifications for other options.

Music GCSE has been done by a few groups, but it is complicated. Check out the music page for information about Music GCSE and alternatives.

GCSEs without a controlled assessment:

• Arabic*
• Astronomy - the exam centre must sign to say that you have done observations
• Business
• French*
• German*
• Greek (Modern)
• Greek (Classical)
• History including Classical Civilisations and Ancient History
• Japanese*
• Latin
• Maths - all boards.
• Psychology
• Religious Studies
• Russian*

• Sociology

• Spanish*
• Statistics

*Modern Languages - no coursework but there are compulsory speaking and listening tests, which can be hard to arrange. This is the same for new 9-1 GCSEs and International GCSEs.

IGCSEs

If a subject is not listed below, it might still be available to external candidates.  For more information, see the list of subjects at the bottom of the Main Page of this wiki and follow their page links. (If you are on a mobile device, you might need to use a drop-down menu)

(Scroll down to see IGCSEs offered by by Edexcel and CIE).

CIAE (Cambridge) IGCSEs

List of CIE IGCSE exam subjects which are open to external candidates as of Summer 2013:

Accounting 0452
Afrikaans - First Language 0512
Arabic - First Language - 0508
Art and Design (0400) - From 2020, Art and Design will have compulsory coursework. This will make it far more difficult for home ed students to arrange.
Bangladesh Studies 0449
Biology 0610
Chemistry 0620
Chinese - First Language - 0509
Computer Science 0478
Development Studies 0453
Dutch - First Language - 0503
English First Language 0500
English Literature 0486
Environmental Management 0680
Geography 0460
German 0505
French - First Language - 0501
History 0470
Islamiyat 0493
Latin 0480
Mathematics 0580
Additional Mathematics 0606
ICT (0420)- involves a practical which can be difficult, but not impossible, to arrange.
International Mathematics 0607
Pakistan Studies 0448
Physical Science 0652
Physics 0625
Religious Studies 0490
Science (Combined) 0653
Science Coordinated (Double) 0654
Travel and Tourism 0471

Second Language Subjects - all involve a compulsory oral element and so can only be taken if you can find an exam centre willing to assist with this. However, if your children are lucky enough to be bilingual, ALL of the First Language subject exams are open to private candidates with NO oral component. There is a wide range of those languages open to PCs.

Edexcel IGCSEs and GCSEs

Most of the subjects listed below are International GCSEs (IGCSEs), although there are a few coursework-free GCSEs such as maths and psychology.

All Edexcel International GCSEs are linear, which means you need to take all the exams in the same exam session.  

[Edexcel IGCSEs - Complete list] - for some less common qualifications not listed below, you can check if it is available to private candidates by opening the Specification and searching for 'private candidates'. 

Biology International GCSE

Business Studies International GCSE

Chemistry International GCSE

Economics International GCSE

English Language International GCSE

English Literature International GCCSE

Geography International GCSE

History International GCSE

Human Biology International GCSE

Japanese GCSE

Maths GCSE

Maths International GCSE and Further Pure Mathematics IGCSE

Physics International GCSE

Psychology GCSE

Religious Studies International GCSE

Science - Combined Double Award and new single Combined Science  

AQA

AQA has its own list of AQA qualifications available to private candidates, so check for updates.

AQA Certificates - available specifications

Further Mathematics (8360) (AQA Level 2 Certificate)

Preparation for Working Life full course (4801) (Level 1/2 Certificate)

Preparation for Working Life short course (4800) (Level 1 and Level 2 Certificate)

AQA Free- Standing Maths Qualifications:

FSMQ - available specifications

Foundation Level - Money Management (4981)

Foundation Level - Using Spatial Techniques (4982)

Foundation Level - Using Data (4983)

Higher Level - Financial Calculations (4984)

Higher Level - Shape and Space (4985)

Higher Level - Data Handling (4986)

Higher Level - Algebra and Graphs (4988)

Advanced Level (pilot) - Data Analysis (9993)

Advanced Level (pilot) - Hypothesis Testing (9994)

Advanced Level (pilot) - Dynamics (9995)

Advanced Level (pilot) - Mathematical Principles For Personal Finance (9996)

Advanced Level (pilot) - Decision Mathematics (9997)

Advanced Level (pilot) - Calculus (9998)

AQA Functional Skills

English Level 1 (4720)

English Level 2 (4725)

ICT Level 1 (4527)

ICT Level 2 (4528)

Mathematics Level 1 (4367)

Mathematics Level 2 (4368)

AQA GCSEs

AQA list quite a few GCSEs as being available to private candidates, but realistically many will not be an option because of controlled assessment.  Nevertheless, it's worth reading through the requirements just in case:

[GCSEs available to private candidates]

The following AQA GCSEs are definitely available to private candidates and are regularly taken by home-educated students:

Maths GCSE/IGCSE Further Mathematics (Level 2 Certificate/IGCSE), FSMQ

Psychology GCSE - 8182

Sociology GCSE - 8192

Religious Studies (GCSE no controlled assessment for either A or B)

General Studies GCSE (no controlled assessment)

Statistics GCSE - 8382

WJEC
Level 1/2 Certificates

Latin  3 Choices: Latin Language, Latin Language and Roman Civilisation, Latin Literature

Psychology

OCR GCSEs

Like AQA, OCR suggest that many of their GCSEs are available to private candidates, but realistically many are not an option due to the controlled assessment.

Law GCSE (no controlled assessment)

Classical Greek GCSE (no controlled assessment)

Latin GCSE (no controlled assessment)

Religious Studies GCSE (Spec A or B)