Your centre for private & external entries · JCQ 10488
Private candidates from first enquiry to results day — expert guidance, optional tuition and an on-site science lab.
If you need to sit an exam but aren't enrolled at a school or college that will enter you, you're a private (external) candidate — and Excel Tutors is a JCQ-approved exam centre (Centre 10488) in East London that takes private entries across GCSE, IGCSE and A-Level.
Adult learner, resitter, distance-learning student or self-taught — we've supported candidates like you every series since 2010, and we make a process that feels daunting from the outside genuinely manageable.
Who sits exams as a private candidate
Adult learners
Gaining GCSE Maths or English for university, nursing, teaching or a career change.
Resitters
Improving a grade — including November GCSE resits, so you don't lose a year.
Distance & online learners
Studied the content but need an accredited centre to sit at.
Independent & relocating students
Self-taught learners of any age, and students between schools or who have moved mid-course.
And why the details matter
Tell us your subjects — exactly
Send the precise specifications (board and code). Entering the wrong spec is the most common private-candidate mistake; we make sure it doesn't happen.
We confirm the route
We check availability, flag coursework or practical requirements, and recommend exam-only specs where they suit you.
We register you
We complete your entry with the awarding body before the deadline and confirm fees in writing.
You sit your exams
In our calm, JCQ-compliant exam hall with experienced invigilators.
Coursework, practicals and access arrangements
As a private candidate, the details decide whether you walk away with a full grade. Some subjects include non-exam assessment or a science practical endorsement — and we can run science practicals in our on-site Whitechapel lab, which most centres cannot.
If you may be eligible for access arrangements (for example, extra time), raise it early and we'll advise on what's possible and what evidence is needed.
Optional preparation
Teaching from qualified teachers and examiners
Need teaching as well as a seat? Our subject specialists are qualified teachers and practising examiners, so they teach to the mark scheme — with two-hour lessons, revision courses and realistic mocks. Combine tuition with your entry, or use us purely as your exam centre.
- Two-hour lessons & mock exams
- Taught to the mark scheme
- As much or as little as you need
Private candidate FAQs
Affordable, with funding support
We keep tuition genuinely affordable and our fees transparent. Where eligible, families can use the Student Finance England (SFE) Childcare Grant, and our after-school childcare can be up to 85% funded through Tax-Free Childcare and Universal Credit support.
- SFE Childcare Grant accepted where eligible
- Up to 85% childcare costs claimable
- Transparent fees — just ask
Contact us for current fees — there are no hidden charges.
of after-school childcare costs claimable where eligible
Book a Free AssessmentReady to secure your exam place?
Entry deadlines fall months before each series — early registration saves you money.