Private candidate

I recently moved to the UK from the Philippines and I am preparing for GCSEs as a private candidate. I am studying online using Cognito and plan to sit my exams in summer 2026. Thinking of using other platforms as well if you have any recommendations.

I am interested in taking GCSE Biology and Mathematics but what I'm confused about is the Cognito website asked me to pick if I wanted to get Combined Science or Triple Science on Biology. But I only wanted to do Biology alone, or is that not the case here in UK?

Reply 1

RealFireWizard

If you want to do only biology, you'll need to learn the triple content so say triple science

Reply 2

PinkMobilePhone

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First of all, most private candidates take IGCSEs rather than GCSEs for any science subjects. This is because the GCSEs require you to do a practical, which can be difficult for exam centres to accommodate.

You can take IGCSE Biology without taking any other science subject, that's not an issue, in which case you would only study the syllabus for IGCSE Biology.

As for Cognito website, sorry I know absolutely nothing about that.

Reply 3

RealFireWizard

Original post

by PinkMobilePhone

First of all, most private candidates take IGCSEs rather than GCSEs for any science subjects. This is because the GCSEs require you to do a practical, which can be difficult for exam centres to accommodate.
You can take IGCSE Biology without taking any other science subject, that's not an issue, in which case you would only study the syllabus for IGCSE Biology.
As for Cognito website, sorry I know absolutely nothing about that.

GCSEs do not require you to take a practical; they require you to learn about practicals and memorise some examples. Some schools make you do them in real life to teach you how it's done and make it more memorable and less abstract but you don't have to actually do a practical.

Reply 4

PinkMobilePhone

Chat Forum Helper, Life & Style Forum Helper

Original post

by RealFireWizard

Although you aren't tested in doing practicals as part of the exam, you do have to have done some practicals during your study and it needs to be signed off (in school that would be a teacher signing it off) to say that you've been observed doing them.

Thus as a private candidate that is very difficult.

Whereas for IGCSEs you are only required to have studied them, not to actually have done any.