How to Register as a Private Candidate
Awarding bodies do not accept entries from individuals. Every entry is submitted by a registered centre, which is why the first step is not a form — it is finding a centre that takes external candidates. Here is what happens from there.
The entry process, step by step
Seven steps. Only one of them has a hard deadline, and it is earlier than almost everyone expects.
- 1
Choose the qualification, subject and specification
Before anything else, fix the exam board. AQA, Pearson Edexcel, OCR and WJEC examine the same subjects with different papers, different content and different coursework rules. Studying from one board and entering with another is the most expensive mistake in the whole process, and it is only discovered when the paper does not look like the one you revised for.
- 2
Check the subject can be taken privately
Written-only subjects present no obstacle. Anything with compulsory coursework or non-examined assessment does, because that work has to be supervised and marked by a teaching centre. Sciences sit in between: nothing is submitted at GCSE, but at A-Level the practical endorsement has to be arranged in advance if a university requires it.
- 3
Register with us before the deadline
Tell us the subjects, the board and the series. We confirm the specification codes and tier, quote the full fee, and your entry is submitted as soon as payment by bank transfer is received. Our deadline falls earlier than the awarding body's, because an entry has to be checked and submitted before their cut-off rather than on it.
- 4
We submit the entry to the awarding body
This is the part only a centre can do. You cannot enter yourself with AQA or Edexcel directly — the entry is made by a registered centre against its own centre number, which is why finding a centre that accepts private candidates is the whole problem for most people.
- 5
You receive your Statement of Entry
This lists every component you are entered for, with its code, date and session, plus your candidate number and centre number. Check it line by line the day it arrives. It is the only chance to catch a wrong tier, a missing paper or a misspelled name while it can still be corrected.
- 6
Sit the papers
Arrive at the time the centre gives you, bring photographic identification, and leave everything else outside the exam room. Papers are sat under JCQ examination conditions, invigilated, and the scripts are dispatched to the awarding body the same day.
- 7
Results and certificates
Results reach you through us on the published day, because awarding bodies release to centres rather than to candidates. Certificates follow some months later and are the permanent record — the results slip is not.
Check your Statement of Entry the day it arrives
It is the only moment where a wrong tier, a missing component or a misspelled name can still be corrected cheaply. Left until the exam period, the same error becomes an amendment fee at best and an ungraded subject at worst. Read every line against what you expected to be entered for.
What a centre can and cannot do
We can
- Submit your entry to the awarding body
- Confirm specification codes and tiers
- Apply for approved access arrangements
- Seat and invigilate you under JCQ conditions
- Release results and pass on certificates
We cannot
- Teach the course or mark practice work
- Supervise coursework for subjects requiring it
- Change a grade or influence marking
- Enter you after the awarding body's final cut-off
- Provide predicted grades or a UCAS reference
Being clear about the second list matters more than the first. Most problems we see come from a candidate assuming a centre will handle something it has no authority over.
Registration, answered
How do I register as a private candidate?
Through an exam centre that accepts private candidates. You cannot enter yourself directly with an awarding body — entries are submitted by a registered centre against its centre number. Tell us the subjects, board and series, and we handle the entry, the Statement of Entry and the results release.
What is a Statement of Entry?
The document confirming exactly what you are entered for: every component code, its date and session, your candidate number and the centre number. Check it the day it arrives — a wrong tier or a missing paper can be fixed then, and often cannot be fixed later.
Can I enter directly with AQA or Edexcel?
No. Awarding bodies do not accept entries from individuals. Every entry comes through a registered centre, which is why a private candidate's first task is finding a centre that takes external entries rather than filling in a form with the board.
How much does it cost to register?
Entry fees are per subject — £215 for most GCSEs — plus a £30 booking & support fee per subject, payable in full when you book. There is no separate registration or membership fee.
How early should I register?
As early as you can. Registering months ahead costs no more than registering the week before, and it leaves room to correct a specification error, arrange access arrangements, or add a subject. Late registration removes all of that margin and adds a penalty.
What identification do I need?
Photographic identification for the exam day, matching the name on your entry. Check that your ID and your entry name agree when you register rather than discovering a mismatch at the door, because centres cannot admit a candidate they cannot identify.
Can I change or withdraw an entry after submitting it?
Up to a point. Amendments and withdrawals are possible within the awarding body's windows, and a fee refund may be available if you withdraw early enough. After the late deadlines, amendments become chargeable and then impossible.
Do I need to have studied at a school or college?
No. There is no requirement to be enrolled anywhere and no minimum or maximum age. How you prepared is not recorded and is not asked about — the certificate is identical either way.
Entry and amendment windows are set by the awarding bodies and published in their key dates calendars, retrieved 2026-09-07. Official source. Our own deadline is earlier so entries can be checked before submission.
Ready to register?
Tell us the subjects and the board, and we will confirm the specification before anything is paid.