Free printable planner
GCSE planner for home-educating families
The steps, deadlines and costs for sitting GCSEs and International GCSEs as a private candidate, in one plan you can print. Start 18 to 24 months before the exams and work through it in order.
Dates checked: 3 November 2026
- 21 February 2027: exam board entry deadline (AQA and Pearson, UK centres)
- 10 May to 18 June 2027: GCSE and International GCSE exams
- 19 August 2027: results day
Exams with
How home-educated children sit GCSEs
Home-educated children sit GCSEs and International GCSEs as private candidates. You find an exam centre that accepts external candidates, the centre enters your child with the exam board before its deadline, and your child sits the same papers as school candidates, in person at the centre. Parents pay the entry and centre fees. In England there is no state funding for exam fees; a council may choose to help, but it does not have to.
The plan, step by step
Eight steps, from choosing subjects to results day
A timeline that starts 18 to 24 months before the exams. Most families work on steps 1 to 3 together, then book the centre a full year ahead.
- 1
18 to 24 months before
Choose GCSE or International GCSE
Both lead to the same college and sixth form courses. GCSEs from AQA and Pearson Edexcel are sat in May and June (with a November resit series for GCSE maths and English Language at 16 and over), and some include parts a private candidate has to arrange: the spoken language endorsement in GCSE English Language, required practicals in the sciences and non-exam assessment in some subjects. Most Pearson Edexcel International GCSEs are assessed by written exams only. International GCSEs can be sat in January, June and November: Pearson publishes the June and November series, and Lift College enters January series candidates through its exam partner Tutors & Exams, with the centre confirming dates and deadlines.
- Decide GCSE or International GCSE subject by subject
- Read the specification on the exam board website
- Check what your target college asks for
- 2
18 to 24 months before
Choose subjects and how many
Most home-educated learners take five or six subjects. Work back from what the target college or sixth form asks for: most Level 3 courses want four or five passes at grade 4 or above, including English and maths. Subjects do not all have to be sat in the same summer.
- List the subjects and the grade each one needs
- Put English and maths first
- Spread subjects across two or more series if that helps
- 3
12 to 18 months before
Plan study time
Work out the hours per subject per week and when each subject will be finished. As a guide, Lift College plans its courses around 6 to 8 hours a week per subject. Leave the last two months for past papers and timed practice under exam conditions.
- Block out weekly hours for each subject
- Set a finish date for teaching, then a revision window
- Download past papers from the exam board
- 4
12 months before
Find an exam centre early
Not every school or centre takes private candidates, and many only accept subjects they already enter their own students for. AQA points private candidates to the JCQ list of centres, and Lift College lists private-candidate exam centres by city. Book a year ahead if you can: places fill, and the centre needs time to process the entry.
- Confirm the centre takes private candidates for each subject and board
- Ask for its fee list and its own entry deadline
- Ask how it handles endorsements, practicals and access arrangements
Exam centres by cityJCQ list of centresAQA: finding a centre
- 5
Autumn before the exams
Check entry deadlines and fees
For summer 2027 the AQA and Pearson Edexcel entry deadline is 21 February 2027 for UK centres, with late fees from 22 February. Centres close earlier than the board so they can check and submit entries: Tutors & Exams, for example, sets 7 February 2027 as its standard-fee deadline for summer 2027. Pay the centre and keep the receipt.
- Write down the centre deadline, not just the board deadline
- Send the booking with payment and any evidence
- Keep the receipt and the booking reference
- 6
As soon as you book
Plan access arrangements early
Extra time, rest breaks, a reader, a scribe or a separate room have to be approved before the exams, on evidence of your child's normal way of working. The centre decides what it can provide. For June 2027 the last date for centres to process applications is 21 March 2027, and centres ask for evidence well before that: Tutors & Exams asks for it by 10 January 2027.
- Collect evidence of your child's normal way of working
- Ask the centre what evidence it accepts and by when
- Get written confirmation of what is approved
- 7
May and June 2027
Sit the exams
Summer 2027 GCSE and International GCSE exams run from 10 May to 18 June 2027, with 23 June 2027 held as a contingency day in case of national disruption. Check every detail on the entry confirmation the centre sends: subject, specification, tier and the date and time of each paper.
- Check the entry confirmation against this planner
- Mark every paper on a calendar, with start times
- Keep 23 June 2027 free
- 8
August 2027
Results day
GCSE and International GCSE results for summer 2027 are released to candidates on 19 August 2027. Results come through the centre that entered your child, so ask in advance how it releases them. If a grade is a near miss, ask the centre about reviews of marking straight away, because the deadlines are short.
- Ask the centre how and when results are released
- Note the deadline for reviews of marking
- Ask how certificates will reach you
Key dates
Key dates for the summer 2027 series
The exam boards set the dates below. Each centre sets its own earlier deadline and its own fees, so check both with the centre you book.
| Date | What happens | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Exam boards open entries for June 2027 (Pearson issues its entry data on 20 November) | AQA and Pearson Edexcel | |
| Entry deadline for June 2027 | AQA GCSE; Pearson Edexcel GCSE and International GCSE at UK centres | |
| Late entry fees start | AQA and Pearson Edexcel, UK centres | |
| Last date for centres to process access arrangement applications for June 2027 | AQA key dates (JCQ) | |
| Entry deadline for June 2027 at centres outside the UK | Pearson Edexcel International GCSE | |
| Very late (high late) entry fees start | AQA and Pearson Edexcel | |
| First exams of the summer series | GCSE and International GCSE | |
| Last exams of the summer series | GCSE and International GCSE | |
| Contingency day, used only if exams are disrupted nationally or locally | AQA key dates (JCQ) | |
| Results released to candidates | GCSE and International GCSE |
- 10 January 2027Evidence for access arrangements, summer 2027
- 7 February 2027Standard-fee entry deadline, summer 2027 (late fees from 8 February)
- 14 March 2027Entries close for languages and subjects with practicals or non-exam assessment
- 4 April 2027All summer 2027 entries close
Each centre sets its own earlier deadline and its own fees. Book with the centre, not the board, and use the centre’s date.
International GCSEs also run in January and November. January series entries are arranged through the centre (Tutors & Exams on Lift College’s +Exams option), and the centre confirms the dates and deadlines. Pearson has not yet published dates for November 2027, so none are shown.
What it costs
What sitting a GCSE costs, per subject
You pay the exam centre for each subject. Its fee covers the exam board entry, the administration and the invigilated seat. Prices vary by centre, subject and how early you book.
| Cost | Typical range | Where the figure comes from |
|---|---|---|
| GCSE Maths or English Language, standard fee | £225 to £325 | Centres with published prices in our comparison, retrieved 26 September 2026 |
| Combined Science (two GCSEs) | £375 to £523.20 | Same comparison; science entries can depend on practical work |
| Languages with a speaking exam | £300 to £495 | Same comparison |
| Most written International GCSEs | £286 to £309 | Tutors & Exams standard fees, 2026/27 fee list |
| The exam board’s own entry fee | About £51 | Paid by the centre and included in its fee; not what you pay |
| Late entry | £60 to £180 extra in our comparison | After the deadline Pearson doubles its entry fee, and trebles it from the high late date |
Printable checklist
Your exam checklist
Tick these off as you go, then fill in one row per subject. Print this page or the PDF and keep it with your booking receipts.
One row per subject
| Subject | Board | Spec code | Series | Centre | Entry deadline | Fee paid | Access arrangements | Candidate number |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ExampleMathematics A | Pearson Edexcel | 4MA1 | June 2027 | None needed | ||||
Scroll sideways to see every column, or print the page to fill it in.
Common questions
Questions families ask about GCSEs at home
Can my child sit GCSEs at home?
What is a private candidate?
Is there funding for exam fees?
GCSE or International GCSE?
What about the English Language spoken endorsement and science practicals?
When should we start?
How Lift College can help
Taught courses, and the exam booked for you if you want it
Lift College teaches GCSE, A Level, International GCSE and International A Level courses online from age 14, with a named UK tutor who marks your child’s work. The parent holds the account. On the +Exams option Lift College enters your child and books the seat at a Tutors & Exams centre; on Study you book with a centre of your choice.