A-Level and GCSE Exam Dates & Booking

When Are GCSE and A-Level Exams and How Do I Book?

Most GCSE and A-Level exams take place in the summer series – May and June. A winter resit series in January is available for GCSE Maths and GCSE English Language. You book through an approved exam centre independently of your study provider.

AQA publishes the full timetable for each series well in advance – usually by September for the following summer series. As a private candidate, you do not book through us; you contact an approved AQA exam centre directly, register as an external candidate and pay the exam centre's registration fee. The Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) regulates the private candidate process across all approved exam centres in England.

Exam centre registration deadlines are typically between October and February for the summer series – months before the exams themselves. Missing a deadline means waiting for the next series. If you are planning to sit exams in May/June, you should be looking for an exam centre and checking registration deadlines from September onwards. Start early, as some centres have limited private candidate places.

How to Book Your GCSE or A-Level Exam – Step by Step

Check Subject and Series Availability

Confirm that your AQA subject is offered in the series you are targeting. GCSE Maths and GCSE English Language have both a summer series (May/June) and a winter resit series (January). GCSE English Literature and most A-Level subjects – including A-Level Biology and A-Level Maths – are assessed in the summer series only. AQA publishes its exam timetable on aqa.org.uk, and you can search by qualification and subject to confirm which series applies. If the winter series is not available for your subject, the summer series is your only option and planning your study timeline accordingly is essential.

Find an Approved Exam Centre Near You

Search for AQA-approved exam centres that accept private candidates in your area using the centre search tool on aqa.org.uk. Not all approved AQA centres accept private candidates – some accept only their own registered students – so you need to confirm that the centre accepts external registrations before contacting them. Independent schools, further education colleges, sixth-form colleges and specialist private candidate centres are the most common options. It is worth contacting two or three centres simultaneously, as private candidate places can be limited and some centres fill early.

Contact your chosen exam centre and complete their private candidate registration process. You will typically need to provide your full legal name, date of birth, the AQA qualification and subject specification code you are sitting (for example, GCSE Maths is AQA specification 8300; A-Level Biology is 7402), and confirmation of your study provider. The centre submits your entry to AQA on your behalf. The JCQ regulates how centres must handle private candidate entries, including identity verification requirements, so have your proof of identity ready.

Pay the Exam Centre Fees

Exam centre fees for private candidates are charged by the exam centre and are entirely separate from your course fee. Fees vary by centre and typically range from £80 to £200 per subject for GCSEs, and £100 to £250 per subject for A-Levels – though fees at some specialist private candidate centres can be higher. Some centres also charge an administration or late-entry fee if you register close to their internal deadline. There is no single national fee schedule; each centre sets its own charges. Always get a fee confirmation in writing before registering.

Receive Your Exam Timetable and Admission Details

The exam centre will provide you with confirmation of your exam dates, times and the specific room and venue. AQA publishes the national exam timetable in advance, but the centre confirms your individual slot. You will receive an admission letter or slip from the centre – check the name, subject and date carefully for accuracy. Arrive at the exam centre on the day with your admission details and valid photo identification. Results are released on national results day: GCSE results in late August, A-Level results in mid-August.

Four Key Things to Know About Exam Booking

Summer vs Winter Exam Series

The main exam series for all AQA GCSEs and A-Levels is the summer series, with papers typically running from mid-May through to late June. A separate winter series – available for GCSE Maths (spec 8300) and GCSE English Language (spec 8700) only – takes place in January and is designed primarily for resit candidates. A-Level subjects, including A-Level Biology (7402) and A-Level Maths (7357), are assessed in the summer series only. Planning your study programme around your target series is essential; attempting to compress A-Level study to six months is not advisable for most learners.

Private Candidate Status

As an online learner, you are classed as a “private candidate” under JCQ regulations – a candidate who is not registered at the exam centre they are sitting with. This is a well-established category with clear rules: you register with an approved centre, pay their fees and sit the exam under the same conditions as all other candidates. Your results are treated identically to those of school-registered candidates. The terminology “private candidate” has no negative connotation – it simply describes your registration status.

Exam Centre Fees

Exam centre fees are paid directly to the exam centre – not to us – and are not included in your course fee. Fees vary significantly between centres: some charge flat rates per subject; others charge an administration fee plus a per-paper fee (most GCSEs have two or three papers; most A-Levels have three). Budgeting for £100–£250 per subject as a private candidate is a reasonable expectation, though fees at dedicated private candidate centres in London can be higher. Request a full fee breakdown – including any late or administration charges – before registering.

Registration Deadlines

AQA sets national entry deadlines – typically in February for the summer series – but exam centres set their own internal deadlines, which are often earlier. Many centres close private candidate registrations in October or November to allow time for administrative processing. Missing a centre's internal deadline may mean paying a late entry surcharge, or finding that no places are available. The safest approach is to identify your exam centre and contact them by September at the latest for the following summer series, even if you are not ready to register immediately – this lets you confirm their deadline and reserve a place.

Frequently Asked Questions

Exam centre fees for private candidates vary by centre and by subject. As a general guide, GCSE exam centre fees range from approximately £80 to £200 per subject, and A-Level fees range from approximately £100 to £250 per subject, though fees at some specialist private candidate centres – particularly in London – can be higher. Fees may also include a per-paper charge (GCSE Maths has three papers; A-Level Biology has three papers; A-Level Maths has three papers) on top of a flat administration fee. Always request a full written breakdown of all costs before confirming your registration, and factor exam centre fees into your overall budget when planning your qualification.

AQA's national entry deadline for the summer series is typically in mid-February, but individual exam centres set their own earlier deadlines – often in October, November or December. Some popular private candidate centres have very limited places and may fill even earlier. For the January winter resit series (GCSE Maths and English Language only), centre deadlines are typically in October or November of the preceding year. The advice is to contact exam centres by September for the following summer series, even if you are still months away from completing your course – this lets you confirm the deadline, understand the fees and secure a place before demand fills capacity.

If you miss an exam centre's internal registration deadline, options include: paying a late entry surcharge (if the centre allows late entries before AQA's national deadline), finding another centre that has space and a later internal deadline, or waiting for the following exam series. Missing the national AQA entry deadline entirely means you cannot sit that series and must wait for the next one. For GCSE Maths and English Language, the next opportunity would be the January winter series. For A-Levels and other GCSEs, the next opportunity would be the following May/June – roughly a year away. This is why early engagement with exam centres is strongly recommended.

Yes. There is no limit on the number of times you can sit a GCSE or A-Level as a private candidate. If you receive a grade you are unhappy with, you can re-register at an exam centre for the next available series. For GCSE Maths and English Language, you can resit in January or the following summer. For A-Levels and other GCSEs, you resit in the following summer series. AQA holds the higher of your two grades in some circumstances – but you should check the relevant AQA certification rules for your subject when deciding whether to resit. Targeted additional study between sittings is advisable; simply resitting without addressing knowledge gaps is unlikely to produce a significant improvement.

Approved AQA exam centres accepting private candidates exist across England, including in all major cities and many smaller towns. You can search for centres by postcode using the centre search tool on aqa.org.uk. Types of centres that commonly accept private candidates include independent schools, further education colleges, sixth-form colleges and specialist private candidate examination companies. If you are in a rural area or find that local centres do not accept private candidates, it may be worth searching in the nearest large town or city – since you only need to travel on actual exam days, a longer journey may be acceptable. International learners can sit Oxford AQA exams at approved overseas centres in many countries.

You should bring your admission letter or slip (issued by the exam centre), valid photo identification (passport, driving licence or another accepted form of ID – check with the centre), and any permitted equipment for the specific subject. For GCSE Maths and A-Level Maths, an approved scientific calculator – such as the Casio fx-85GT CW or equivalent model listed on the AQA permitted calculator list – is required for specific papers. A-Level Biology papers are non-calculator. Arrive with sufficient time before the stated start time; exam centres typically ask candidates to be seated 10–15 minutes before the start. Mobile phones and unauthorised materials must not be brought into the examination room.

A-Level results are published on the third Thursday of August – for 2025 entry, this falls on 14 August 2025. GCSE results are published the following Thursday – 21 August 2025. Results for the January winter series (GCSE Maths and English Language only) are typically released in late February. Your results are sent to the exam centre where you sat your exam; you should confirm with the centre how you will receive your results – whether by post, electronically or by collecting in person. Your AQA certificate is issued separately and posted to the address on record with the exam centre, usually in late October or November after the summer series.

Yes. Private candidates with a disability, learning difficulty or medical condition that affects their ability to sit exams under standard conditions may be eligible for access arrangements – such as extra time, a reader, a scribe or rest breaks. Access arrangements for private candidates must be applied for through the exam centre, not through your study provider. The centre will require evidence of your need – typically a formal assessment report from a qualified professional such as an educational psychologist or specialist teacher. The JCQ publishes detailed guidance on access arrangements, adjustments and reasonable adjustments for candidates in the document “Adjustments for candidates with disabilities and learning difficulties.” Contact your exam centre as early as possible, as the process of gathering evidence and obtaining approval can take several weeks.

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