If your child is learning at home, you’ll need to book and pay for their exams yourself.
General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) and International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE)
GCSEs are the usual exams children take between the ages of 14 and 16 (school years 10 and 11).
IGCSEs are similar, international, qualifications. They are accepted by colleges and universities around the world.
If your child wants to take these exams, you will need to
- choose the subjects they want to study
- find an exam board to use
Each exam board has its own topics and rules. Make sure you find out about these so your child studies the right things. See the websites for:
Your child will need a place to sit their exams. We suggest you book at least 6 months early to make sure they get a space. There is one exam centre in West Sussex called Learn with Confidence. You may need to travel to another centre if they don't offer exams in your child's subject or if there are no available places.
You can find exam centres on the JCQ Exam Centres page.
If your child is studying with an online service there may be extra costs when booking exams.
Functional skills
Functional Skills qualifications help children build practical English and maths skills.
They start at entry level and go up to Level 2, which is the same as a GCSE at grade 4. Your child can take the exams online or on paper.
Students who pass Level 2 can move on to:
- GCSEs
- on-the-job training and qualifications
- apprenticeships
- employment
You can find out more on Twinkl's page about Functional Skills Qualifications.
More information
For more details about exams for home educated children, visit the HE Exams Wiki.