The short answer
A private candidate is someone who sits exams at a school, college or exam centre without being a student there. It is how a home educated young person can sit GCSEs and International GCSEs.
What the boards charge, summer 2027
These are the fees each board charges the centre for one entry, from the boards' own 2026/27 fee lists. They are not the price you will pay.
| Board | Qualification | Entry fee | If you enter late |
|---|---|---|---|
| AQA | GCSE Maths (8300) or English Language (8700) | £52.85 | Late: the fee again on top. Very late: 150% of the fee on top. |
| Pearson Edexcel | GCSE Maths | £56.65 | Late: the fee doubles. After the high late fee date: trebled. |
| Pearson Edexcel | International GCSE (most subjects) | £69.05 | As above. |
| OCR | GCSE Maths (J560) | £57.25 | Late: a late fee of the same amount. Very late: twice the fee on top. |
| WJEC Eduqas | Most full-course GCSEs | £48.60 | Late: 2 times the fee. Very late: 2.5 times. |
Cambridge does not publish an open UK fee list for Cambridge IGCSE. It charges a fee for each entry and asks centres to contact it, so the centre is the only place to get that price. Cambridge's fees page.
What the centre adds
Every board says the centre can charge more than the entry fee. AQA says these fees “are decided by and payable to the school or college, not to us”. Pearson says it “has no control over the administration fees charged by your centre”. OCR says administrative fees “vary from centre to centre”, and Cambridge says a centre may ask for “a further fee to cover the cost of supervision, and any other costs incurred”.
Centres also do not have to take private candidates at all. Pearson says “A centre is not obliged to accept private candidates”, and AQA that it “can't ask a school or college to accept your entry”. So when you ring round, ask each centre three things: whether it takes private candidates for your subjects and board, its total charge per exam, and its own deadline, which can be earlier than the board's.
JCQ, the body the exam boards work through, also has a page for private candidates: JCQ private candidates.
Deadlines, and why entering early saves money
For summer 2027, the entry deadline is 21 February 2027 for AQA, Pearson, OCR and WJEC Eduqas. Late fees start the next day at AQA, Pearson and OCR, and on 19 March 2027 at WJEC Eduqas. A late entry at least doubles the board's fee, so the cheapest thing you can do is find a centre and enter in good time.
Speaking assessments, practicals and coursework
Some GCSEs include parts a centre has to run, such as the English Language spoken language endorsement and science practicals. The boards charge nothing extra for these, but the centre has to be willing to run them: AQA says a centre “must only accept entries from a private candidate if they are willing to do this”. A centre may charge for the supervision involved, so ask.
Cambridge IGCSE coursework options
Cambridge says private candidates “cannot enter for any syllabuses that include the submission of coursework”. Check that the syllabus you are studying is the exam-only option before you start.
Will the council pay?
Not as a right, in England. The Department for Education's guidance for parents says some councils “may provide financial or other assistance to home-educating families for public examinations, but this is discretionary”. It is worth asking your council whether it has a policy, but there is no entitlement.
If you are working towards GCSEs or International GCSEs, Rocket Learning has marked mock papers for the main boards, and a free account to start with. Start free.