GCSEs, IGCSEs and exams for home-educated children

The basics

• No UK nation requires a home-educated child to sit exams.
• Your child sits exams as a private candidate (also called an external or independent candidate) at an exam centre that accepts them – often a school, college or specialist centre.
• You find the centre. JCQ’s search tool lists centres that say they accept private candidates, but JCQ can’t find one for you, and the list may be out of date – always contact the centre.
• You make the entries through the centre and pay the fees. Each centre sets its own fees and deadlines.

A timeline to aim for

1. Before the course: choose the qualification and exam board and check the specification, including any coursework or practicals.
2. A year or more ahead: contact centres. Ask if they take private candidates for that board and subject, their fees and their entry deadline.
3. By the centre’s deadline: make the entry and pay. Ask for any access arrangements at the same time.
4. Exam season: check the timetable and the centre’s rules for the day.

Coursework, practicals and NEA

Some subjects include non-exam assessment (NEA) – for example English Language and the sciences (practicals). You must check whether the centre will accept and submit your child’s coursework or NEA before you enter.

IGCSEs

International GCSEs are also taken as a private candidate at a centre that offers them. Specifications differ in how much coursework or practical work they include, so check the board’s specification and ask the centre.

Access arrangements

If your child needs extra time, a reader, a scribe or other support, you must arrange it with the centre when you make the entry. The centre puts the arrangements in place, and may charge for this.

In each nation

• England and Northern Ireland: the JCQ private candidate route above (including CCEA in Northern Ireland). Some councils help with fees at their discretion.
• Wales: parents enter and pay; your council’s home education officer can advise on centres that accept independent candidates.
• Scotland: SQA qualifications are taken through an approved centre or college, often for a fee. Courses with internal assessment can limit options, so ask early.

Moving to a school part-way through a course

If your child is going back to school, ask the school early which exam boards and courses it teaches, and talk to your exam centre before changing any private-candidate entries. See going back to school.

Planning several subjects? Classfern Family’s qualifications planner keeps each entry, deadline and centre together, with reminders – the dates are the ones you type in.