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  • How to register as a private candidate

How to register as a private candidate

The information on this page is for students who are considering entering our exams as a private candidate.

If you do not attend a Cambridge school or are studying with a Cambridge International school registered as online, you can enter our exams as a private candidate.

Why choose Cambridge?

Our qualifications are internationally recognised by employers and by over 1900 universities worldwide, including more than 800 US universities (including the Ivy League) and all UK universities.

We have been providing international exams for more than 160 years and we are the only exam board wholly owned by a world-leading university.

How to enter exams as a private candidate

You must find a centre or approved Cambridge exam provider in your country that accepts private candidates and register with them to take Cambridge exams. You must make all your arrangements for taking exams directly with the school not with Cambridge International. For example, if you have any questions you must ask the school, you also discuss any special requests with them, such as access arrangements.

You must be able to meet the full requirements of any assessment for which you are entered.

Find a centre

British Council

The British Council works with us in countries that offer Cambridge exams to support private candidates wanting to register to sit exams. Contact your local British Council office directly to find out about registration and the support provided.

If you are in one of these locations below, you can contact the British Council and make entries through its regional office.

British Council offices that accept private candidates.

    • Australia
    • Bahrain
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Help finding a Cambridge exam centre

Tutors & Exams has a placement service to help private candidates find a suitable exam centre. It connects private candidates to a network of registered organisations that offer the exams they want to enter. Contact Tutors & Exams for more information using the links below.

  • International enquiries
  • UK enquiries

Tutors & Exams is a third-party organisation with no direct links to Cambridge. We do not quality assure its service and are highlighting this service to help private candidates entering Cambridge exams.

FAQs

Can I register as a private candidate if I do not attend a Cambridge centre?

Yes, you can register for our exams as a private candidate if you do not attend a Cambridge centre.

Are all Cambridge syllabuses available to private candidates?

Some syllabuses or options are not available to private candidates. You can find details of which syllabuses/options are available in the syllabus document. To find out whether a syllabus is available to private candidates, follow these steps:

  1. In the left hand menu, choose the programme (e.g. Cambridge Upper Secondary)
  2. Choose the qualification level (e.g. Cambridge IGCSE)
  3. Select ‘subjects’
  4. Choose your subject (e.g. Accounting 0452)
  5. This takes you to the syllabus overview page. On each syllabus overview page, you can find the syllabus document. This tells you whether the syllabus is available to private candidates.

How much does it cost to enter as a private candidate?

It is the responsibility of the centre to pay fees for any private candidates they accept. You may be required by the centre to reimburse the fee and to pay a further fee to cover the cost of supervision, and any other costs incurred, by the staff of the centre. Your centre will be able to confirm the fees you need to pay.

I am studying with a Cambridge International school registered as online, what are my options for taking exams?

Some Cambridge schools registered as online are approved as exam venues. Candidates can either be entered for exams directly by the centre and sit their exams as regular candidates, or they can enter as private candidates at other Cambridge exam venues. Many Cambridge schools registered as online do not have their own exam venue, so candidates must register to sit their exams as private candidates at a Cambridge exam venue convenient for them.

How do I request a review of marking or make an appeal?

You can only request a review of marking or make an appeal through a Cambridge school or Cambridge Associate e.g. British Council office you are registered to sit exams with.

Does the centre name appear on exam certificates?

No, the centre name does not appear on certificates issued to private candidates.

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