How to sit GCSE exams privately
There are numerous reasons why students choose to sit GCSE exams privately.
From mature students, homeschooled students, and those that are privately tutored or self-taught, sitting GCSEs privately is a useful option. That said, some extra preparation is needed including booking an exam centre, paying the GCSE exam fees and preparing to the best of your ability.
Where to find a private GCSE exam centre
To privately sit GCSE exams mentioned, you’ll need to find the right GCSE exam centre.
Which centre is right for you will depend on your location, but also whether or not they’re going to sit International GCSE (IGCSE) exams. The reason being that while GCSE exams follow a May-June schedule, IGCSE exams can be sat in November, May, and June.
It’s recommended to start the process as early as possible. The following websites are good places to start.
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IGCSE: Joint Council for Qualifications and tutors and exams
Private GCSE exam fees
The cost of sitting GCSEs privately depends on the type of exam your child is taking (GCSE vs IGCSE) and the number of subjects.
Generally - at the time of writing - costs range between £100-£200. In addition, testing centres can add £20-£100+ in admin or processing fees. Therefore, if your child's studying five subjects, budget between £520-£1,100 for taking the exams.
Preparing to sit GCSE exams
If you’re going to invest money into private GCSE exams, then you’ll want your child prepared as possible.
As a general rule, it's recommended that a student studies for at least 120 hours per subject to be ready for exams, although this is a rough guide and the quality of time spent studying is as important - if not more important - than the time spent.
Because the quality of teaching is key, we have handpicked the UK's top teachers to deliver our GCSE (and KS3 courses), covering maths, biology, chemistry, physics, and English, plus the bonus GCSE cram courses we put on as exam time approaches.
Consisting of two live lessons per week (recorded and then available on-demand), MyEdSpace GCSE courses can be easily integrated into your child’s schedule. Our courses also come with bespoke workbooks, targeted homework and exam preparation sessions, all of which are designed to maximise their grade-scoring potential.
The results speak for themselves. Last year;
- MyEdSpace students achieve more than double the national average of GCSE grades 7-9
- 40% of GCSE Maths students achieved grades 8 or 9 compared to UK national average of 9%
- 74% of our GCSE Biology students achieved grade 7 or above compared to the national average of 44%
- 25% of our GCSE Chemistry students achieved grade 9 compared to the national average of 15%
- 24% of our GCSE Physics students achieved grade 9 compared to the national average of 14%
- 44% of our GCSE English Literature students achieved grade 7 or above compared to the national average of 20%
- 43% of our GCSE English Language students achieved grade 7 or above compared to the national average of 16%
Private GCSE exam test conditions
Sitting GCSEs privately involves the same rules and regulations as students would find in schools and colleges and any student caught with prohibited items will be voided.
Before the date of the exam, it’s important to thoroughly read the testing centre’s conditions, but as a general rule, the following items must be left at home:
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Mobile and WiFi devices - be careful, some calculators have WiFi
- Calculators (unless otherwise stated)
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Paper
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Food (unless medically required)
In addition, you’ll usually be expected to provide:
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Personal information / contact details
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Full name and date of birth
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Valid identity card / passport
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Subject entry codes
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Unique Candidate Identifier (UCI) and Unique Learner Number (ULN), if previously issued
It’s our goal to help your child be as prepared as possible for the GCSE exam.