Where can I take my Exams

When you enrol via distance learning as a student on A-Level courses, one of the first questions you may ask yourself is ‘where can I take my exams?’. Believe it or not, you wouldn’t be the only one asking this question!

Sitting your examinations for your A-Levels can be stressful enough without worrying about exactly where you’re going to sit them and how to book yourself in for them. So that’s why Oxford Learning College have written this simple and straight forward guide to finding and booking an examination centre.

The first place to start is with the Awarding Body for the A-Levels you need to book exams for. If you’re a student with Oxford Learning College, you will be studying an A-Level with either AQA, Edexcel Pearson or OCR. Once you know which Awarding Body your A-Levels are with you can approach them directly and request a list of examination centres near you that accept Private Candidates.

Now, if you live in a rural area or overseas, your search for a centre might become a little more complex. Don’t be disheartened if your Awarding Body can’t suggest any suitable centres, that doesn’t mean there aren’t any available, it just means they don’t have them listed. So, your next stop is Google! Start searching for phrases such as ‘Where can I take my exams’ or ‘Private Candidate + Examination Centres + your location’, this should then give you a list of places to approach and contact with regards to taking your exams.

If you’re really struggling, or don’t have the confidence to find a centre yourself, you can opt to use an examination booking service. This service will find you a list of suitable centres as close to your location as possible and provide you with the fees. From there, you just need to contact your preferred centre and get yourself booked in.

Things to Remember:

• Start looking for a suitable examination centre early on so you’re not in a panic trying to find someone a few weeks before examination. We suggest you start to look in the January before the examination period of May/June in the year you wish to sit your exams.
• Be organised with your search. Don’t just randomly contact centres, make a list and jot down notes and information the centre relays to you.
• Make sure you get all the information. Have a list of questions asking important things like deadlines for registering, fees for the exams, things you need to take with to be accepted into the examination.
• If you’re studying at a school or college as well already (or you have recently left school), make sure you check with the Exams Officer to see if they can make space for you to sit the examinations at the school. This is often possible and either free or much cheaper than a separate centre.