Science Practicals for Private Candidates
Practicals work completely differently at GCSE and A-Level. At GCSE nothing is submitted, but the practicals are examined in the written papers. At A-Level the endorsement is reported separately and the assessed sessions have to actually take place.
At GCSE
- Nothing is submitted. There is no coursework to hand in and nothing is marked by a teacher.
- But the practicals are examined. Questions drawing on them appear in the written papers and are worth at least 15% of the total marks.
- GCSE Biology alone has 10 required practical activities.
- No extra fee — the entry price covers it.
At A-Level
- Separately reported. The endorsement sits alongside your A to E grade as a Pass, or as not classified.
- The sessions must happen. Required activities are carried out under supervision and assessed against CPAC.
- Universities often ask for it — particularly medicine and the sciences.
- Charged separately at £650, on top of the written entry. See fees.
“No coursework” does not mean “no practicals”
This is the most common misunderstanding in GCSE science. Because nothing is handed in, candidates assume the practicals can be skipped and the theory learned from a book. They cannot: Nothing is submitted for marking, but questions drawing on those ten practicals are worth at least 15% of the whole qualification. A candidate who has never carried them out is effectively giving away a substantial share of the marks before the paper starts.
You do not need a laboratory to prepare — method, variables, apparatus, sources of error and expected results can all be studied — but you do need to study them deliberately, from the specification's own list of required activities.
The A-Level practical endorsement, in practice
The endorsement does not affect your A to E grade. It is a separate line on the certificate, and it is either a Pass or it is not classified. That sounds minor until a university makes it a condition of the offer, which many science and medicine courses do.
For a private candidate the constraint is logistical rather than academic. The assessed sessions have to be booked, supervised and completed, and outcomes must reach the awarding body by Saturday, 15 May 2027 for the summer 2027 series — before most of the written papers are even sat.
Decide early. If your course needs the endorsement, arrange the practical sessions at the same time as the entry, not afterwards. If it does not, you can sit the written papers alone and take the grade without it.
Science practicals, answered
Do private candidates have to do the required practicals?
At GCSE nothing is submitted for marking, so there is no coursework to hand in. But questions drawing on the required practicals appear in the written papers and are worth at least 15% of the total marks. A candidate who has never carried them out is giving those marks away before the paper starts.
How many required practicals are there in GCSE Biology?
10 required practical activities, set out in the specification. The other single sciences have their own sets, and Combined Science covers all three disciplines.
What is the A-Level practical endorsement?
A separate reported outcome at A-Level in Biology, Chemistry and Physics. It does not contribute to the A to E grade — it is recorded alongside it as a Pass, or as not classified. To achieve it, a candidate must complete the required practical activities under supervision and be assessed against the Common Practical Assessment Criteria (CPAC).
Do universities require the practical endorsement?
Many science and medicine courses ask for a Pass in it as a condition of the offer, and some will not accept a science A-Level without it. Policies vary by university and by course, so check the specific course's admissions requirements — do not assume either way.
Can a private candidate get the practical endorsement?
Yes, but it has to be arranged in advance and it cannot be added at the last minute. The assessed sessions must be carried out under supervision at a centre able to run them, which is why we charge for them separately at £650 on top of the written entry fee.
When is the deadline for the practical endorsement?
For the summer 2027 series, practical endorsement outcomes must reach the awarding body by Saturday, 15 May 2027. Since the sessions themselves take time to complete, the practical work needs to be booked months earlier than the written entry.
Can you take a science A-Level without the endorsement?
Yes. You can sit the written papers and receive an A-Level grade with the endorsement recorded as not classified. Whether that is acceptable depends entirely on what you need the qualification for — it is fine for many purposes and a blocker for others.
Is IGCSE easier for science without a lab?
Often, yes. More IGCSE science specifications are assessed entirely by written paper, with the practical skills examined on paper rather than through required activities. That removes the arrangement problem, though the questions still assume you understand how the experiments work.
GCSE practical figures verified against the AQA specification on 2026-09-04 — source. Endorsement deadline from AQA's confirmed May/June 2027 A-Level timetable. Requirements differ by board and specification — confirm yours before entering.
Taking a science privately?
Tell us whether you need the endorsement and we will arrange the sessions alongside the entry.