Student and parent support

Private candidates

A private candidate is someone who enters for exams through an AQA-approved school or college but is not enrolled as a student there. You may be self-taught, home-schooled or have private tuition with a tutor or through a distance learning provider.

You can only become a private candidate with us in the UK. Exams are not available for private candidates to sit outside the UK.

In these pages, you can find out everything you need to know, including:

• how to register for our exams, known as 'entering' or 'entry'
• where to find a school/college
• how to manage non-exam assessment (NEA) and controlled assessment.

You will be responsible for making your own entry through a school or college and paying your fees.

The entry codes booklet is where you and your exams officer find the exam codes for your entry. You can also check to see if the subjects you wish to take are offered to private candidates in the subjects and qualifications guide section.

Where to start

Begin by deciding which subject and qualification you wish to study, and then find an AQA-approved school or college in the UK which is willing to accept and enter you as a private candidate.

This process of finding a suitable place can take some time, as not every school/college can take private candidates.

Not all specifications or qualifications are available to private candidates.

Note: You cannot be entered as both an internal and private candidate at the same school/college, and in the same exam series.