The information on this page is for centres who may be considering accepting private candidates, and for students who are considering entering our exams as a private candidate.
Our exams and assessments are mainly designed for candidates studying at schools and colleges registered with us as centres. However, some candidates who do not attend our centres or who are studying at a Cambridge International school registered as online may want to enter for exams. They are known as private candidates.
It is important that both centres and private candidates understand their responsibilities, these are listed below.
You can also find more detailed information about:
What is a 'centre'?
We use 'centre' as an overarching term to refer to any type of organisation that has met our registration quality standards and criteria to successfully register with us to offer our programmes and qualifications and make entries for our exams. This includes Cambridge schools and Cambridge Associates.
Responsibilities of private candidates
- Find a centre or approved Cambridge exam provider in your country that accepts private candidates.
- Register to take Cambridge exams.
- Make any payments to the centre or exam provider.
- Contact the centre or exam provider with any exam-related enquiries such as access arrangements.
- Check your statement of entry is correct.
- Take ID to confirm your identity to each exam.
- Tell the centre or exam provider about any special consideration requests after the exams.
- Collect your results from the centre or exam provider.
- Make any requests for reviews of marking or appeals to the centre or exam provider.
- Collect your certificates from the centre or exam provider.
Responsibilities of centres and approved Cambridge exam providers
- Check requested syllabuses to make sure they are available to private candidates.
- Make exam entries for private candidates.
- Pay fees to Cambridge.
- Issue statements of entry and exam timetables.
- Make any access arrangements requests.
- Check the identity of private candidates before each exam.
- Make any special consideration requests.
- Issue results information.
- Make any enquiries about results and appeals requested by private candidates.
- Issue certificates.
