A-Level guide
How can my child resit A-Levels as a private candidate in London?
Quick answer
To resit A-Levels as a private candidate, your child registers with an approved exam centre that accepts private candidates, and the centre enters them with the exam board. For June 2027, the official entry deadline is 21 February 2027, but centres set earlier deadlines and their own fees. Science resits also need a practical endorsement plan.
What is a private candidate?
A private candidate is someone who sits exams at a school or college without being a student there. The Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ), which sets the exam rules for the main boards, explains this on its private candidates page.
JCQ says private candidates include students who are home-schooled, self-taught, studying with private tuition or distance learning, and those resitting exams. So a student who finished Year 13 and wants to improve a grade usually takes the resit as a private candidate.
How does a private candidate entry work?
Your child cannot enter with the exam board directly. They register with an approved exam centre, and the centre makes the entry for them. JCQ sets out these steps:
- Choose the qualification and exam board. Check the specification code on the original results slip. Resitting with the same board and specification is usually simplest.
- Find an exam centre that accepts private candidates. JCQ has a search tool on its private candidates page.
- Register with the centre. Give the information it asks for and pay its fees. JCQ says "the school or college will make the exam entry on your behalf".
- Arrange access arrangements early. JCQ says extra time, a reader or a scribe must be arranged "with your exam centre at the time you make your entry".
- Check coursework or non-exam assessment (NEA). JCQ says you "must check with the exam centre if they will accept and submit coursework / NEA on your behalf".
- Learn the exam rules and timetable.
Not every school or college accepts private candidates. JCQ's page says centres set their own fees and internal deadlines, and that JCQ itself is not an exam centre.
When are the deadlines for June 2027?
The official JCQ deadline for A-Level entries for the June 2027 series is 21 February 2027, according to JCQ's key dates for June 2027. Centres usually ask private candidates to register well before this, so contact centres in the autumn.
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| Autumn 2026 | Contact centres and register (each centre sets its own deadline) |
| 21 February 2027 | JCQ deadline for A-Level entries for June 2027 |
| Summer 2027 | Written exams (check the exam board's final timetable) |
| 23 June 2027 | Contingency day, in case of national disruption |
| 12 August 2027 | A-Level results released to candidates |
Does my child have to resit every paper?
Usually, yes. A-Levels in England are linear, which means all exams are sat at the end of the course in one summer. For example, the Pearson Edexcel A-Level Maths specification says "students must complete all assessment in May/June in any single year".
This means your child cannot resit only their weakest paper. They need to prepare for the whole A-Level again. For subjects with coursework or NEA, ask the exam board and the centre whether a previous mark can be carried forward.
How much does it cost to resit an A-Level privately?
Costs vary widely between centres, so we cannot give a single figure. JCQ confirms that each centre sets its own fees.
When you compare centres, ask what the fee includes:
- the exam board entry fee for each subject
- the centre's own administration charge
- any extra charge for access arrangements, such as a reader or extra time
- late entry fees if you register after the centre's deadline
- for sciences, any cost for practical endorsement sessions
Get the full cost in writing before you pay.
What about the science practical endorsement?
The practical endorsement is the biggest issue for private candidates resitting Biology, Chemistry or Physics. It is a separate pass result reported alongside the A-Level grade, based on practical work assessed by a teacher.
If your child already has the endorsement
This is the easiest case. AQA's private candidates guidance says: "If you are re-taking an A-level Biology, Chemistry, Geology or Physics qualification you can request to carry forward a previous grade for the practical skills endorsement, even if it was awarded by a different exam board." Ask the centre to request this when it makes the entry.
If your child does not have the endorsement
This is harder. AQA's practical guidance for private candidates says most required practicals need "specialised equipment" and "are not suitable for doing outside a school laboratory". It also says a student without the endorsement is likely to have "not classified" recorded for it, and that there "is likely to be a considerable cost attached" to arranging the practicals.
AQA says a centre that accepts a private candidate must take responsibility for all parts of the qualification, including NEA. Before you register, ask the centre directly whether it can offer the practical endorsement for your child's subject.
Do universities need the endorsement?
Many science courses ask for it, but rules differ. For example, King's College London's Medicine entry requirements require a pass in the practical endorsement in all science subjects, "with the exception of private candidates who are unable to take the practical component". Check each course page your child is applying to.
Will universities accept resit grades?
Most universities consider resits, but some competitive courses treat them differently. King's Medicine, for example, says it can consider applicants who have retaken qualifications, but they will be "reviewed alongside other strong applicants who might be viewed more favourably if they achieved the required grades within a standard timeframe".
Our guide to Imperial, UCL and King's entry requirements has more on what top London universities ask for. Always check the course page or contact the admissions team before deciding.
How should my child prepare for a resit?
The best resit plans start with a clear picture of where marks were lost. Here is what we suggest:
- Ask the school whether you can see the marked scripts, to find which questions lost marks.
- Make a topic list from the specification and rate each topic red, amber or green.
- Rebuild the weak topics first, then move to timed past papers.
- Keep a weekly routine. Without school lessons, structure is the hardest part of a resit year.
How LCB can help
LCB Tutors is an approved exam centre in Barking, where students can sit GCSEs and A-Levels. Visit our exam centre page or contact us to ask whether we can take your child's subject and board for the coming series, and what the costs and deadlines are. For science subjects, ask us about the practical endorsement before registering.
We also offer A-Level tutoring in Maths, Biology, Chemistry and Physics, in small groups of 3 to 5 at our Barking centre or live online. A-Level plans start at £72 a month with no contract; see pricing. Book a free assessment to find out which topics cost your child marks last time.
You can also reach us on WhatsApp or phone at 07386 241 960, or email contact@lcbtutors.com.
Questions parents ask
- Can my child resit A-Levels in the autumn?
- A-Levels in England are generally sat in the May and June series. Ask the exam board or exam centre if your child needs a different series.
- Can my child study at school and sit exams privately?
- A student who is enrolled at a school usually sits exams there. Private candidate entries are for students sitting exams at a centre where they are not enrolled.
- Does a resit grade replace the old one?
- Ask the exam board how a resit result is certificated. Universities may ask about every attempt, so list results honestly on the UCAS application.
- Can private candidates get extra time in exams?
- Yes, if they qualify. JCQ says access arrangements must be arranged with the exam centre when the entry is made, so raise it early.
Sources
Related guides
- What are the AQA A-Level Chemistry required practicals, and how are they assessed?The 12 AQA A-Level Chemistry required practicals, how the practical endorsement (CPAC) works, how practicals appear in exams, and tips to secure the marks.
- How are A-Level predicted grades set, and can my child raise them?How A-Level predicted grades are set for UCAS, what teachers base them on, and practical steps your child can take in Year 12 to raise them before applying.
- Why does A-Level Maths feel so much harder than GCSE, and how can my child catch up?Why the GCSE to A-Level Maths jump feels so big, which skills cause the most trouble in Year 12, and a simple plan to bridge the gap in the first term.