If you don’t attend a Cambridge school or are studying with a Cambridge Online School, you can still enter our exams as a private candidate.
First, you will need to find a Cambridge school in your country that accepts private candidates and register with them to take Cambridge exams. You are responsible for making your own arrangements with the school and must liaise directly with them – not with Cambridge International – if you have any exam-related queries, such as special arrangements.
Some syllabuses or options are not available to private candidates, and this is detailed in the specific syllabus under the ‘availability’ heading. Please note that Cambridge Pre-U is being withdrawn and the last examinations for the majority of subjects* will be June 2023, with a resit available in June 2024. No teaching of Cambridge Pre-U syllabus should be started for new students in September 2022. *There are five syllabuses being withdrawn a year earlier with last examinations in June 2022 - Latin, Classical Greek, Psychology, Russian and Italian. Only resit candidates can be entered to take the exams in June 2023 for these syllabuses, new candidates will not be eligible to enter.
The school name will not appear on certificates issued to private candidates.
Find a school
Search our directory to find a Cambridge school near you that accepts private candidates.
The British Council registers private candidates for Cambridge school exams
The British Council works directly with us to support private candidates to register and sit their exams in countries that offer Cambridge school exams. Candidates and their families can contact their local British Council office directly to find out about registration and the support we provide.
Visit the British Council website