Welcome to the Swansea College Exam Centre
We accept private or external candidates at our exam centre. Whether you are home educated, taking resits, a distant learner or a mature learner our Exams Officer will be able to enter you for exams.
Our examination-based services have enabled students from across the UK and overseas to achieve GCSEs, IGCSEs and A levels.
You can sit exams with the following exam boards; WJEC, AQA, Edexcel Pearson and Cambridge.
Our aim is to help students of all ages, backgrounds and circumstances to achieve recognised qualifications in the subject/s of their choice.
Important Information
Autumn exams – entries deadline
Cambridge International – 21st September 2022
WJEC, Pearson and AQA – 29th September 2022
Curriculum
We have developed 3 guides; the Guide for External candidates, the Exams Series Guide and the Ready Checklist Guide. It is important you read these guides before applying. You will be asked to agree to the Terms and Conditions mentioned in the Guide for External candidates when applying.
Bespoke assessment
Many subjects require some form of non-exam assessment (NEA), e.g. a project, coursework, an extended piece of research or a presentation. We are able to help you with this, by arranging an assessment with one of our tutors. The exact details will depend on the subject requirements.
If you would like to book an exam that has an NEA, we advise you apply as early as possible. See our Non Exam Assessment (NEAs), Coursework & Speaking test page for more information.
Subject specification
If you would like to take a qualification, we recommend you check the subject
specification, study according to the specification:
WJEC
AQA
Edexcel Pearson
Cambridge IGCSE
Cambridge International A levels
Timetable
It’s important you check the date of the exam, to make sure you are available and that the exams don’t clash.
WJEC
AQA
Edexcel Pearson.
Cambridge
Applying
When you are ready to apply, read our exams guide and complete the online application form on our website.
Your application will be considered once we receive your photo ID, a picture of a passport or driver’s license will suffice, if you don’t have either we can accept a birth certificate with a current up to date passport size photo.
Email your ID documents to: exams@swanseacollege.com
If you are resitting, we require your previous statement of results.
Once we are in receipt of your application and ID we will carefully check through your application, if we have any questions, the Exams Officer will email to confirm, an invoice for the exam fees will be emailed, once the invoice is paid, only then you will be entered for the exams listed on the application.
Once the Exam boards entries open, we will enter you for the exam and then send you your entry confirmation report and the Exams Newsletter
Your exam timetable will be sent 3-4 weeks before your exams.
If the candidate is 18 and above, we would only discuss the application with the candidate, unless written approval has been provided.
By submitting this form you have agreed to:
1. The Terms and Conditions set in the Guide for External Candidates.
2. The Data Consent for sharing your information to the relevant Exam boards and Exam staff at Swansea College and our Speciail Assesor and SENCo. The information would be details in your application and all relevant information you have and will send supporting your application.
3. If you wish to withdraw your application, you need to request this by email.
Emailing the College;
1. Make sure the candidate name is in the subject in every email
2. Parent/Guardians emails should always contain their full name in the email, no initials
3. Do not email us to let us know you have submitted an application or made payment unless you are asked to.
3. You need to allow 7 working days for all applications to be processing
Please note:
We have a zero-tolerance policy.
We have a duty of care for all our employees, including employees who are working from home or in the office.
We believe that all correspondents and complainants have the right to be heard, understood and respected. We also believe that our staff have the same rights.
If we receive any violence, aggression or raised voice over the telephone, in person and or in emails, we have the right to remove your entries from the exam board with no refund.
Please see our Privacy Policy for details of how we protect your information
FAQs
Yes, we have several classes throughout the year, including: GCSE and A level English, Maths, Science, Spanish, Italian and many other subjects. You can join our class or attend 1-2-1 tuitions to prepare you for your exams. We also offer classes Online. Please contact us for details. We recommend all external candidates have a qualified tutor or an online-learning provider. External candidates are welcome to come for tuition at our college.
We also have very successful After school tutoring classes at the college and Online for Maths and English for students in primary and secondary school. These take place in the afternoons and after school normally. If you would like to find out more please see the After school page of our website or contact us.
Past papers are available free of charge from the exam boards’ websites. Exam boards also have study guides and Specimen Assessment Materials (SAMs) for new courses.
You’ll sit the same GCSE exams at the same time as all the other students in the UK, and you’ll receive the same results, transcript and qualification. Your GCSE course will be accepted by colleges, universities and employers worldwide.
All written exams will take place at the college: 18 Mansel St, Swansea, SA15SG. Occasionally, exams may be sat at an external site. You will be told in advance if this is the case.
All morning exams start at 9.00 am and afternoon exams start at 1.30pm. Please note you must to arrive 30 minutes prior to your exam.
No, parents and guardians are not allowed to wait in the college during exams. This is to ensure the quietness of the college when exams are taking place. We there ask all parents to arrange to collect the candidates after the exam has finished. The reception door will remained locked during the exams.
Free parking is available outside the college for a maximum of one hour (all day with a blue badge). There are fee-charging car parks available nearby.
We provide small lockers for candidates to leave their belongings while they sit the exam.
- Valid photo ID (the same photo ID provided when booking the exam)
- Black pen and pencil
- Calculator and other maths equipment (ruler, protractor, compass etc.) if allowed
We provide every candidate with water for each exam.
Candidate may bring their own water bottle, but they must bring a clear, plastic bottle with the label removed.
Candidates with medical reasons may bring other drinks or exams such as Lucozade or Lucozade tablets. Candidates will need to provide the college with medical evidence prior to the exams.
You may, however, this is not encouraged as it can disturb other candidates. Candidates leaving the room must be supervised.
Please let us know as soon as you can. If you don’t attend an exam you will be marked as absent. However, if there is a good reason for your absence, such as sudden illness, we can apply for Special Consideration for you. Please be aware that special consideration is awarded on the awarding body’s discretion and fees may apply for this. See our section on this above.
If illness or injury prevents you from doing your best then we can apply for Special Consideration on your behalf. Please be aware that special consideration is awarded on the awarding body’s discretion and fees may apply for this. See our section on this above.
Please call us as soon as you can. You may be allowed to enter the exam as a late arrival. You will still get the full amount of time allowed for the exam. However, please be aware that if you arrive more than 1 hour late (after 10.00 am for morning exams or 2.30pm for afternoon exams) your mark may not stand. This is up to the exam boards.
- Valid photo ID (the same photo ID provided when booking the exam)
- Black pen and pencil
- Calculator and other maths equipment (ruler, protractor, compass etc.) if allowed
No. The exam dates are set by the awarding bodies, and exams can only take place on those dates and at the times specified. We recommend checking dates of exams on the exam board websites.
Choosing my exams
There may be different reasons for this. Some subjects are not made available for private candidates by the exam boards. Other subjects may involve coursework or non-exam assessments. In this case we may be able to provide bespoke assessments (see fees section for more details). Please contact us or complete an application to find out if the subject you are interested in is available.
Swansea College cannot advise you on this issue. You are advised to check:
- That the exam/qualification is available for private candidates
- That you meet the age requirements or any other requirements
- That the qualification is accepted by your chosen University or other prospective institution or employer. We strongly recommend contacting your institution or employer before committing to exams.
iGCSEs (International GCSEs) were originally developed by Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) for students overseas who wanted a UK style education. They have proved very popular with UK based private candidates as they usually do not involve coursework. They are accepted by UK universities and other institutions as equal to standard GCSEs. We offer iGCSEs through Pearson/Edexcel.
A level and GCSE Science qualifications may require you to demonstrate your abilities in practical laboratory techniques. Please contact for more details on sitting exams with practicals.
Please note: iGCSEs in science do not have a practical requirement.
Some A level and GCSE language qualifications may require you to demonstrate your speaking and listening abilities. Please note: many iGCSEs in languages also have this requirement.
The Maths and Numeracy GCSE was developed by WJEC to allow students who are not particularly strong at theoretical maths to focus on the practical aspects of maths and still achieve a GCSE.
The Maths and Numeracy GCSE is accepted as an entry qualification by some HE and FE colleges and Universities, but not all. You are strongly advised to check with your intended institution before you decide which route to take.
Applying
UCI stands for Unique Candidate Indicator and is a 12 digit number with a letter at the end. If you have taken an exam before a UCI will have been created for you. You may find it on your previous exam paperwork or you can ask your previous exam centre for it. If you don’t have one, we can create one for you.
We can withdraw you from an exam any time before the entry deadline. We can also change the details of your entry (e.g. from Foundation to Higher) before the deadline. Changes made after the deadline count as new entries and have to be charged as such. Refunds are not given after the entry deadline.
After the exams
You can apply to have the exam checked or remarked. Or you may be able to re-sit the exam, depending on the subject.
You can see a copy of your completed exam paper (unmarked) after the results are released. There will be a fee for this service.
If you provide us with a stamped addressed envelope we can post the results and/or certificate to you. You can ask someone you know to collect them on your behalf, provided you let us know in advance and provide written statement authorising them to pick up your certificates.
Yes. Candidates are welcome to visit the college ahead of time (please email us in advance to arrange a time). Mock assessments can be taken at the centre for an additional charge. Alternatively, we can arrange for a separate exam room. Extra fees will apply.
WJEC exams are available in Welsh. Please use the codes for the Welsh language papers when you apply.
