AQA Exam Centre in Leicester for Private Candidates and GCSE Resits

Finding somewhere to sit your exams should not be the hardest part of getting a qualification. Raedan Institute is an AQA approved examination centre (centre number 25369). We welcome private candidates, home-educated students, adult learners, and anyone who needs to resit.

At a glance

Exam board	AQA. Centre number 25369.
Qualifications	GCSE and A-level
Fees	From £200 per subject
Next exam series	November 2026: GCSE English Language and Maths resits. Summer 2027: full series.
Access arrangements	Available. Please tell us as early as you can.
Where	Raedan Institute, 2 Overton Road, Leicester, LE5 0JA

Who we can help

• Home-educated students who need a centre for their GCSEs or A-levels
• Resit students who need a grade 4 or above in GCSE English Language or Maths for college, an apprenticeship, university, or work
• Adult learners returning to education
• Students who want an extra qualification their school does not offer
• Students who have moved school or area partway through a course
• Tuition centres, home education groups, and other organisations looking for an exam centre for their learners (see below)

Subjects

We accept entries across AQA's GCSE and A-level subjects. Please talk to us before you start a course, because some subjects involve more than written papers:

• Practical endorsements in A-level Biology, Chemistry and Physics
• Speaking tests in modern languages, and the spoken language endorsement in GCSE English Language

We will tell you honestly whether we can support these for a private candidate before you pay anything.

GCSE resits

The November series is for GCSE English Language and Maths only, and is open to students aged 16 or over. The summer series covers every subject.

• November 2026 resits. The entry deadline is in early October 2026, so please contact us straight away.
• Summer 2027. Entries close early in 2027.

Need teaching as well as an exam entry? We can do both under one roof: see Saturday Tuition and our weekday classes.

Fees

Fees start from £200 per subject. The fee covers the exam board's entry fee, invigilation, and administration. Subjects with coursework, practical work, or speaking tests cost more because they take more staff time. Entries made after the exam board's deadline attract late fees, which we pass on at cost.

Access arrangements

If you have a disability, a learning difficulty, a medical condition, or a temporary injury, you may be entitled to arrangements such as extra time, a reader, a scribe, a word processor, rest breaks, or a separate room. These must be applied for in advance, with evidence, under the Joint Council for Qualifications rules, and the deadlines fall months before the exams. Please tell us when you first enquire.

How to enter

• Contact us with the subjects, exam board, specification codes, and tier (Foundation or Higher) you want to sit.
• We confirm whether we can accept the entry, the fee, and the deadline.
• Complete the private candidate entry form and bring photo ID.
• Pay the fee. Your entry is made only once payment is received.
• We send your statement of entry and your personal exam timetable.
• On exam days, arrive early with your photo ID and your equipment.
• Results are issued on the national results days. Certificates follow a few months later and can be collected from the centre.

Exams for other organisations

We work with tuition centres, home education groups, alternative providers, and community organisations whose learners need somewhere to sit their exams. Your learners are entered through our centre as private candidates, and we handle entries, invigilation, access arrangements, and results. Contact us to discuss numbers, subjects, and fees.

Frequently asked questions

What is a private candidate?

Someone who enters for an exam through a centre without being taught there, for example a home-educated student or an adult studying independently.

Can I sit exams from other boards with you?

We are mainly an AQA centre at present. Ask us, and we will tell you honestly whether we can help.

Do I need to have studied with you?

No. But if you would like teaching as well, we offer it on weekdays and Saturdays.

When do I get my results?

On the national results days in August for the summer series, and in January for the November series.

What if I miss the entry deadline?

Late entries are sometimes possible but cost more, and very late entries may not be accepted. Please do not leave it late.

Can I get extra time?

Possibly. See Access arrangements above, and tell us as early as you can.

Get in touch

• Phone: 07725 974 831
• Email: info@raedan-institute.co.uk
• Visit: Raedan Institute, 2 Overton Road, Leicester, LE5 0JA

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