The official private candidate thread

Should get this thread stickied instead of users making lots of new threads .

Because we hardly ever get any threads like this, I don't think that there's any need to sticky this at this stage. Thanks for the suggestion, though.

Thats incredibly cheap, price is relative to location. Centre within the city are far more expensive, especially somewhere like Campbell Harris and David Game, usually £150-250 per paper.

Because we hardly ever get any threads like this, I don't think that there's any need to sticky this at this stage. Thanks for the suggestion, though.

You think?

Its 2 hours away from me here, but I have somewhere to stay temporarily which is still 1 hour away.

Is it impossible to find a centre, looking out for the students and only charging in the region of around £50

Ive done worthing college before they were so cheap, they just charge the actual costs. They didn't bother adding huge amounts on top i paid less then £50, typical state sixth form. All as a private candidate too, theres a pdf document you can download from the exam board, just call a few up. Local sixth forms should be the cheapest, avoid crammers like that then. Depends on the person, for me i like the exam to start at my convenience not this 8.30-8.45 rubbish.

Thanks for your reply mate, I will definitely check it up.

I'll ask them, but do you know if they offer igcse's?

The problem with going with local sixth forms is that they don't offer all of the boards, i.e. some dont offer ocr science @ a level.

May I ask what does crammers mean - and what do you mean about the time, do you have to go early as a private candidate?

Regards

The tutorial foundation in bromley do, IGCSE they do pretty much everything at a reasonable price. I did IGCSE global citizenship recently just out of interest. Even though they never had anyone do it before, they just looked it up and entered me for it. I was looking at a few others for November, like a doss IGCSE.

Like MPW/DLD, they do short courses for GCSE and A-Levels, so you can learn the course in a smaller environment like 3-6 people. So like Jan to June usually its £16k for 4 ALevels or that for a set of GCSEs.

Yep thats what I am looking at doing but from the CIE board, which is by far the hardest uk/international uk board.

I'm sorry I don't know what MPW and DLD mean.

16 grand? Isn't that the same as boarding schools? I'm instead self-teaching the work, since there is no way I can afford to pay anywhere near that. I'm learnt a lot of the content for igcse's and a levels, I just need to acquire the prep books and find a centre.

Thank you for you recommendation.

here are some links people may find useful.

AQA's advice to private candidates: http://www.aqa.org.uk/student-support/private-candidates
Edexcel's: http://www.edexcel.com/i-am-a/student/find-a-centre/Pages/default.aspx
OCR: http://www.ocr.org.uk/ocr-for/learners-and-parents/private-candidates/
WJEC's: http://wjec.co.uk/students/private-candidates/
CCEA's: http://ccea.org.uk/ (click link to pdf of External candidate booklet)
CIE: http://www.cie.org.uk/cambridge-for/learners-and-parents/exams-and-certificates/private-candidates/

Almost all cenrtes in England will be registered with AQA, Edexcel and OCR though they may not accept entries for all subjects even if they accept private candidates. If you want to take exams with WJEC (Welsh Board), CCEA (NI Board) or CIE (International side of OCR) then you may have to look harder for an English centre.

Hey,
I wonder if anyone knows anywhere that I can do some practical days? I am doing A-level Chemistry and Biology but obviously I don't have access to a laboratory.
So.... anyone know anywhere I can do some days preferably more than one to practice practical units for A-level science? I do have some money but not an entire years salary.

Hey,
I wonder if anyone knows anywhere that I can do some practical days? I am doing A-level Chemistry and Biology but obviously I don't have access to a laboratory.
If there is anyone else struggling with this there is interactive software from Bristol university for Chemistry, called lab skills. They don't offer biology unfortunately.
MPW looks amazing but I too do not have £16,000. The support for help with medical interviews etc I am considering a loan but then I'd go bankrupt so that's not an option I'll have to stick to self study and prep but the practicals are a huge issue. So.... anyone know anywhere I can do some days preferably more than one to practice practical units for A-level science? I do have some money but not an entire years salary.

Possibly Pascals College in Kent or 3A tutors in Bristol (pricey)?