Exam Centre for Private & External Candidates
The Astute College is an approved AQA, Edexcel and OCR examination centre, welcoming external candidates who need to sit GCSE or A-Level exams outside of a school setting — including resits, home-educated students, and adult learners.
Exam Entry Deadlines
Key dates for our upcoming exam series. Entries received after the deadline are still accepted, subject to the late or high late fee shown.
Autumn 2026 Series
| Awarding Organisation | Qual Type | Entry Deadline Date | Late Fees Apply From | High Late Fees Apply From | Subject Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Boards | All International Qualifications | 23rd August 2026 | 24th August 2026 | 14th September 2026 | N/A |
| All Boards | GCSE English Language / Mathematics | 5th September 2026 | 6th September 2026 | 21st September 2026 | English Language/Mathematics — only available to anyone that is at least 16 years of age on the preceding 31 August. |
ⓘ Dates are set by the exam boards and specific to the series shown. Contact our exams team to confirm the deadline for your specific subject and exam board before registering.
A Calm, Professional Setting to Sit Your Exams
Whether you are resitting a paper, being home-educated, or simply need a centre outside of school, we make the process straightforward and low-stress.
A Low-Anxiety, Private Environment
Exams are sat in small, quiet rooms away from the noise and pressure of a full exam hall. Removing the distraction of a large cohort helps many candidates perform closer to their true ability, particularly those who find conventional school exam conditions overwhelming.
Ideal for Resit Candidates
If you've already left school or college, resitting through us avoids the administrative back-and-forth of re-enrolling with a previous centre. We handle your entry directly and confidentially, with no need to explain your circumstances to anyone but us.
Approved Exam Boards
We are an approved examination centre for the following awarding bodies. If you studied a subject with a different board, get in touch and we'll let you know if we can accommodate it.
Awarding Body
AQA
GCSE and A-Level entries for candidates who have studied, or wish to sit, the AQA specification in our core subjects.
Awarding Body
Edexcel (Pearson)
GCSE, A-Level and IGCSE entries across our core subjects, including Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Computer Science.
Awarding Body
OCR
GCSE and A-Level entries for candidates who have studied, or wish to sit, the OCR specification in our core subjects.
Subjects Offered to External Candidates
We currently accept external exam entries in the subjects we teach in-house, so our exams team and tutors can support you right up to exam day. If your subject isn't listed, contact us — we may still be able to help.
- Mathematics (Foundation & Higher)
- English Language (not tiered)
- Combined Science & Triple Science – Biology, Chemistry, Physics (Foundation & Higher)
- Computer Science (not tiered)
- Mathematics
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Physics
- Computer Science
Explore the Exam Centre
Everything you need to know about sitting an exam with us, organised by topic. Pages marked (availability to be confirmed) describe a qualification or arrangement we don't yet formally offer — contact us to check before relying on them.
Qualifications
GCSE
External candidate entry for GCSE Mathematics, English Language, Science and Computer Science.
A-Level
External candidate entry for A-Level Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Computer Science.
International A-Level
What International A-Level involves (availability to be confirmed).
IGCSE
Approved Pearson Edexcel IGCSE entry across our core subjects.
Functional Skills
Level 1/2 English and Maths as a GCSE alternative (availability to be confirmed).
Exam Information
Exam Fees
Our current GCSE and A-Level entry pricing, plus supplementary fees.
Entry Deadlines
How entry windows and late fees work across the exam series.
Access Arrangements
Extra time, readers, scribes and more — provided free of charge.
Mock Exams
Exam-condition practice sittings with marked feedback.
Enquiries About Results
How to request a review or re-mark of your exam result.
FAQs
Common questions about applying, ID, payment and exam day.
Non-Examined Assessment (NEA)
NEA Overview
What Non-Examined Assessment is and how centre supervision works.
A-Level English
Coursework and independent reading component support.
A-Level History
What the History NEA involves (availability to be confirmed).
A-Level Computer Science
Programming project supervision and submission support.
GCSE English Language
Spoken language endorsement support for external candidates.
Science
Practical endorsement support using our on-site laboratory.
Geography
What the Geography NEA involves (availability to be confirmed).
Languages
What language speaking assessments involve (availability to be confirmed).
Other Subjects
Have an NEA requirement in another subject? Get in touch to check.
More
How to Apply
Getting registered as an external candidate is a simple three-step process.
Complete the Registration Form
Fill in our exam registration form with your details, subject, exam board and level (GCSE, A-Level or IGCSE).
Confirm Your Entry
We'll confirm availability, current fees and the entry deadline for your series, and take your ID and candidate details to register you with the exam board.
Receive Your Timetable
Ahead of the exam series, we'll provide your candidate number and exam timetable, along with everything you need to know for exam day.
Ready to register for your exam?
Get in touch today and our exams team will guide you through registration.
