Exam centre · Barking
Private exam centre in Barking for GCSEs and A-Levels
Quick answer
LCB Tutors is an approved exam centre in Barking where students can sit GCSE and A-Level exams. It can help private candidates, students resitting, and home-educated students. Exam boards set the entry deadlines, so contact us early to check whether we can take your subject, board and series, and for our fees.
Can I sit my GCSEs or A-Levels at LCB?
Yes, LCB is an approved exam centre at our Barking site, and students can sit GCSE and A-Level exams here. Whether we can accept a particular entry depends on the subject, the exam board and the exam series. Please contact us with those details and we will confirm what we can offer, along with our fees and dates.
Our address is Suite 1 - 1st Floor, Roding House, Cambridge Rd, Barking IG11 8NL.
Who is a private exam centre for?
A private exam centre is for anyone who needs to sit an exam but is not entered by a school or college. The Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) says private candidates include:
- Home-educated students
- People who are self-taught or have private tuition
- Distance learning students
- Students taking a subject their school does not offer
- People resitting an exam, including adults
If you are resitting A-Levels to improve a university application, our guide on resitting A-Levels as a private candidate in London walks through the options.
How do private candidate entries work?
In short: you find a centre, the centre makes your entry with the exam board, and you pay the centre. JCQ explains that you are responsible for making your own entries through the centre and paying any fees. Each centre sets its own fees and its own internal deadlines.
Here is how it usually works:
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Check your course | Confirm the exam board and the qualification code for each subject. |
| 2. Find a centre | Contact a centre early. Centres do not have to accept private candidates. |
| 3. Make your entry | The centre enters you with the exam board before the deadline. |
| 4. Pay fees | You pay the centre's fees. Late entries usually cost more. |
| 5. Check your statement of entry | Make sure every subject, paper and tier is correct. |
| 6. Sit your exams | Follow the centre's instructions and the JCQ rules on the day. |
AQA tells private candidates that it is up to the school or college whether to accept them, and that you should find a centre well before the entry closing date. Pearson Edexcel says you pay your centre any fees for your exams, and centres may add their own admin charge.
When are the entry deadlines?
Exam boards set the entry deadlines for each exam series, not LCB. JCQ publishes key dates and timetables for each series, and each board lists its own entry dates. Centres often need your details well before the board's deadline, so they have time to process your entry.
Our advice: contact us as early as you can, ideally months before the exam. Late entries can cost more, and some may not be possible.
What about coursework, practicals and speaking tests?
Some qualifications include non-exam assessment (NEA), and this needs planning before you enter. AQA lists, for example, the practical skills endorsement in A-Level sciences and the spoken language endorsement in GCSE English Language. JCQ advises checking with the centre whether it will accept and submit NEA for you.
If you are resitting, AQA says you can usually carry forward an earlier NEA result, even if it came from a different exam board. Check this with your board before you enter.
What if I need extra time or other access arrangements?
Access arrangements, such as extra time or a reader, must be arranged with the centre when you make your entry. JCQ is clear that you should raise this at the time of entry. Please tell us about any needs when you first contact us, and bring any evidence you have.
Can I get tutoring before I sit the exam?
Yes. Many private candidates and resit students want help with the content as well as a place to sit the exam. We teach GCSE and A-Level Maths, Science and English in small groups of 3–5, in Barking or online, taught to your exam board. See our GCSE tutoring and A-Level tutoring pages, or our prices.
How LCB can help
Message us on WhatsApp or call 07386 241 960, or email contact@lcbtutors.com. Tell us the subjects, exam boards, qualification codes and the series you want to sit, and we will tell you what we can offer, our fees and the dates you need to meet. If you also want tuition, book a free assessment.
Questions parents ask
- How much does it cost to sit an exam at LCB as a private candidate?
- Fees depend on the subject, the exam board and how early you enter. Please contact us with your details and we will give you an exact quote.
- Can I sit different subjects at different centres?
- AQA says this can be possible, as long as all your entries use the same Unique Candidate Identifier (UCI). Check with each centre and your exam board first.
- Do I need to be studying with LCB to sit exams here?
- Please contact us about your situation. Tell us your subjects, boards and series, and we will confirm whether we can accept your entry.
- Where can I find other centres that take private candidates?
- JCQ has a searchable list of centres that accept private candidates on its private candidates page. You can also contact local schools and colleges directly.
Sources
Last updated 1 October 2026
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