Exam fees for A-Levels as a private candidate

I'm really confused. On the AQA website it says that the exam fee for a WHOLE a-level is roughly £80 which is cool....so why is it with some private candidate centres they're charging that amount PER UNIT. I'm not understanding :s-smilie:

Has anyone sat a-level exams as a private candidate before? How did it work out for you? I'm not well off financially so paying £80 per unit is not an option, but I really wanna do this a-level :frown:

HELP!

Reply 1

gdunne42

21

In addition to the exam fee quoted by the examiners you are paying the centre for the admin costs of managing your entries, paperwork etc, for use of their facilities to take the exam, the costs of invigilators and probably a small profit for the centre.
A school/college that is entering candidates for the same exams anyway is likely to charge you less than a centre in a private college who specifically aim to make a profit from providing the service. You need to shop around to find a price you feel you can afford.
For example my college only take former students but charge just £10 admin on top of the exam fees for as many exams as students want to do. Try contacting your own former school to see if they will help.

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Reply 2

hwalusimo1

OP

3

I'll try that, the thing is the last time I was at my last college studying a-levels was back in 2009-2010 and at that time when I wanted to stay an extra year to re-do an a-level they wouldn't take me. And all the other 6th form colleges that I've thought of doing my exams at say they don't take private candidates so I'll doubt my last college will as well.

*sighhhh* this is so stressful, hopefully I can get into my first choice uni w/o this a-level because I don't have the points/grades I need to get it :frown:

Thanks tho

Reply 3

gdunne42

21

Does it have to be aqa for your subject? I know specifications do vary but are there any local Edexcel centres that could help at a more reasonable price
http://www.edexcel.com/i-am-a/student/Pages/home.aspx#

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Reply 4

ermm

8

It costs the school £15 to enter a student for an exam (that may have increased to £18 this year). The center can charge you whatever they like and claim it as 'admin costs'. After a month of looking, I was lucky enough to find a center close to my house who usually charged £15 but told me I can do the exams there for free :smile:

It was a below average state school which was very much focused on bettering the students socioeconomic conditions rather than grades so the halls could be a little noisy but I'm so thankful. Ended up getting an A* in Further Maths and I'm now looking to do Additional Further Maths and STEP exams at the center :smile:

Reply 5

Paralove

21

I know we have to pay for retakes at our sixthform - maths for example was about £15 but some of the DT ones were £45!

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Reply 6

hwalusimo1

OP

3

Original post by gdunne42

Does it have to be aqa for your subject? I know specifications do vary but are there any local Edexcel centres that could help at a more reasonable price
http://www.edexcel.com/i-am-a/student/Pages/home.aspx#

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Yes, unfortunately because I self studying with a distance learning provider which follows the AQA syallabus. My fault really, should've done my research before signing to anything :frown:

Reply 7

hwalusimo1

OP

3

Original post by ermm

It costs the school £15 to enter a student for an exam (that may have increased to £18 this year). The center can charge you whatever they like and claim it as 'admin costs'. After a month of looking, I was lucky enough to find a center close to my house who usually charged £15 but told me I can do the exams there for free :smile:

It was a below average state school which was very much focused on bettering the students socioeconomic conditions rather than grades so the halls could be a little noisy but I'm so thankful. Ended up getting an A* in Further Maths and I'm now looking to do Additional Further Maths and STEP exams at the center :smile:

Hopefully I am this lucky lol unlikely tho smh lol

Reply 8

sophiamarni

16

Original post by hwalusimo1

Yes, unfortunately because I self studying with a distance learning provider which follows the AQA syallabus. My fault really, should've done my research before signing to anything :frown:

wooo a distance learner like me, im doing igcses i was going to pay for the ics distance learning but i do not have the monies so i just bought the cgp books and found some teachers work online im paying to sit the exams which is £300-400 in total the place im sitting them at is at brookes college hendon

Reply 9

hwalusimo1

OP

3

UPDATE: Managed to contact my old secondary school and they were happy to accept me as a private candidate and I only have to pay £25 per unit which is inclusive of administration & invigilator costs which waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay cheaper than the costs to do the a-level at other centres. So happy, hehe :smile:

Reply 10

hwalusimo1

OP

3

Original post by ermm

...

Positive rep your way, thanks for the suggestion. Not doing my exams for free but got it a waaay cheaper deal :smile:

Reply 11

Kohyar

6

Does the a level take 2 year as private candidates ?

Reply 12

Compost

19

Original post by Kohyar

Does the a level take 2 year as private candidates ?

If you are a private candidate then an A level takes as long as you want it to but the exams are only available once a year in May/June.

(edited 6 years ago)

Reply 13

Kohyar

6

dear i heard at college that fully a levels takes 2 year for students ,i wondered after gcse shall i do a level for 2 yers to become ready fpr medical school ?and opproximatelly how much will cost me as mture student who want to do a level for med school

Reply 14

IsMo987

12

Original post by ermm

It costs the school £15 to enter a student for an exam (that may have increased to £18 this year). The center can charge you whatever they like and claim it as 'admin costs'. After a month of looking, I was lucky enough to find a center close to my house who usually charged £15 but told me I can do the exams there for free :smile:

It was a below average state school which was very much focused on bettering the students socioeconomic conditions rather than grades so the halls could be a little noisy but I'm so thankful. Ended up getting an A* in Further Maths and I'm now looking to do Additional Further Maths and STEP exams at the center :smile:

Hey where did u sit your exams