Exam centres for private candidates

Entering your child for their exams

At IGCSE Level all of our courses lead to the Cambridge (CIE) exams except for Psychology which is a Pearson Edexcel GCSE. See IGCSE Exam Information 

At A level our courses lead to the Cambridge exams except for Biology, Chemistry, Physics, History of Art and Politics which lead to Pearson Edexcel qualifications. See A level Exam Information. 

If your child is to take IGCSE or A level exams, you will need to apply directly to an exam centre for them to sit as an external (or private) candidate. We cannot do so on your behalf – but we can help you through the process. See below.

All of our IGCSE and A level courses include a number of past exam papers in the final module. These include the most recent paper which can be taken as a mock exam and submitted to your Tutor for assessment and feedback for a modest additional fee.

For students with additional needs, our Learning Support exam arrangements consultation service will help guide you through the options available to you.

Wolsey Hall Oxford is a registered school of Cambridge Assessment International Education

Wolsey Hall Oxford is a registered online Cambridge International School. 

Wolsey Hall Oxford is a Pearson Edexcel approved centre

One family share their experiences of finding an exam centre.

Finding an exam centre as a private candidate does not have to be stressful

Finding an exam centre

In the UK, Cambridge (CIE) and Edexcel exam boards have centres throughout the country. A number of exam centres (shown below) offer discounts to Wolsey Hall Oxford students. 

Outside the UK, the British Council is often the exam centre of choice. However, in many countries there are schools which also offer exam facilities to private or non-school candidates. 

Please note, although Wolsey Hall Oxford is a registered school of Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE), due to our online school status, we are not a Cambridge exam centre. 

We strongly advise you to make enquiries with exam centres to be sure you can make the necessary arrangements before enrolling with Wolsey Hall.

Exam centres offering discounts to Wolsey Hall Oxford students

Tutor and Exams Exam Centre

Tutors & Exams provides examination and assessment facilities in Belfast, Birmingham, Bolton, Coventry, Doncaster, High Wycombe, Romford, St.Neots, Taunton & Wimbledon for home educated and private candidates. All are approved for examination delivery by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) and CAIE. We have affiliated Science laboratories delivering A level Science practical sessions in February Half Term and Easter holidays in Bolton, Coventry, Taunton and 2 x London. We cater for 95% of all A level/ GCSE/ iGCSE subjects and can assist in organising Access Arrangements. We also have two centres in South Africa and provide a service to candidates located internationally who may need help finding an exam centre to sit exams.

Greene's Tutorial College Exam Centre

Greene’s is Oxford’s oldest tutorial college. Our exam centre is located in the heart of Oxford and is an approved centre for GCSE and A level exams for JCQ (Edexcel, AQA, OCR, WJEC) and CAIE. We have welcomed private candidates for over 20 years and also provide coursework marking, Science practical endorsement courses and centre-assessed grades. We have a wealth of experience in supporting even the most complex of access arrangements and pride ourselves on our individual approach. Wolsey Hall students receive 10% off all examination and tuition fees.

Macclesfield Tutorial College Homeschooling exam centre

Macclesfield Tutorial College is an approved centre for private and home educated candidates studying Functional Skills, GCSE and A levels with AQA, Edexcel, OCR, WJEC and CAIE boards. We can accommodate a wide variety of subjects, have facilities for most non-exam assessments (including A level and GCSE Science practicals and language oral assessments), and can offer coursework supervision/marking, and centre assessed grades. We have a wealth of experience in supporting all forms of Access Arrangements, including EHC plans with complex arrangements such as in-home exam sittings.

3A Tutors exam centre

3A Tutors Ltd is an independent examination centre based in Bristol. We support private candidates, including home educated students, from across South-West England and South Wales with their GCSE, IGCSE and A level examinations. We are registered with all the main awarding bodies including, Cambridge (CAIE), Edexcel, AQA, OCR and WJEC. We offer a wide range of Modern Foreign Languages and the A level Science practical endorsements, which are held in state-of-the-art laboratories. Access Arrangements can be organised including the provision of a formal assessment.

The Exam House Exam Centre

The Exam House is a GCSE & A level Exam Centre. We provide quality private and outside candidates exam sitting opportunities across the boards including AQQ, Edexcel, OCR and Cambridge International. We provide the flexibility for even the most complex access arrangements and regularly work with EHC and SENDCO plans. The Exam House works closely with distance learning providers and educational psychologists, including Wolsey Hall Oxford. We also deliver centre assessed grades, coursework marking and lab practical endorsements.

How we can help

Wolsey Hall Oxford students take their external examinations as private candidates. We can support you to find a Cambridge or Pearson Edexcel examination centre located within a distance suitable for you, so that you can plan ahead for the exam period. 

Our Admissions Officers can give further information to help you find a suitable exam centre. Once enrolled, families will have access to our Exam Information Canvas course as well as our two dedicated Exams Officers to answer any questions that they may have regarding external examinations. 

We strongly advise contacting exam centres as early as possible to make enquiries as to availability of qualifications. For further information see Guidance for External Candidates. 

If you or your child are taking a UK A level in BiologyChemistry or Physics then a separate Practical Endorsement will be required. For more information see A level Science Practicals Information (UK only).

We can advise on exam centres for private candidates
Exam results for private candidates

Results and certificates

The Cambridge Exam Board offers candidates the opportunity to receive their exam results online. A username and password must be obtained through the Exam Centre. If you wish to make further enquiries about this service, please ask the Exams Officer at the exam centre. Edexcel offer a service to candidates called ResultsPlus Direct, which enables students to receive their results online and gives a detailed breakdown for each paper.

Exam centres will receive certificates from the exam boards after the post results period. You will have to contact your exam centre to arrange collection or postage of your certificates. Exam centres may charge you for a postal service.

Special Consideration

Special consideration is a post-exam adjustment made to a candidate’s mark, by Exam Boards, to make allowances for any adverse circumstances, for example illness, bereavement or temporary injury. It can only go some way towards assisting a candidate affected by a potentially wide range of difficulties, emotional or physical, which may influence their performance in exams.

Decisions on whether to award special consideration depend on various factors, which may vary from candidate to candidate and from one assessment to another. These factors may include the severity of the circumstances, the date of the assessment and the nature of the assessment. Only minor adjustments can be made to the mark awarded because to do more than this would jeopardise the assessment standard. All exams measure a candidate’s knowledge and skills. Special consideration application must be made within seven days of the last exam in the syllabus affected.

Please note: medical evidence will be required to support your application.  

If you are unsure whether you may qualify for special consideration, our Exams Officers at Wolsey Hall can help you. 

Partial absence from exams

When a candidate has missed a timetabled exam for acceptable reasons and can produce medical evidence that they were unfit to take the paper, an adjustment can be made to the final grade.

exams for those homeschooling in Qatar
Homeschooling with Wolsey Hall has not just enabled my children to develop various academic skills; but it has also facilitated a more holistic learning experience. The engaging course materials and resources have sparked their interests and widened their knowledge. Flexibility with Online Homeschooling has meant they are able to volunteer in community projects. Constructive feedback on assignments has facilitated their learning experience positively.
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Veronica Williams – Homeschooling Parent

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