In short: Private candidates sit GCSE, IGCSE and A-Level French at an approved exam centre that agrees to enter them. Start with the official JCQ private candidate search, then ask each centre one question before anything else: “Will you run the French speaking test for my child’s exact specification?” Many centres that accept private candidates only run written papers.
- Where to search: JCQ for GCSE and A-Level, Pearson for Edexcel International GCSE, Cambridge for Cambridge IGCSE, and the British Council outside the UK.
- When to book: in the autumn, ideally before Christmas, for exams the following May and June. Board entry deadlines are usually 21 February, and most centres close earlier.
- What to ask: the specification code, the speaking test date, the full fee including speaking, and the centre’s own deadline.
- Below: a list of UK centres whose own pages (or the volunteer-run HE Exams Wiki) mention French or language speaking tests, last checked in November 2026.
Every year, parents tell us the same story. Their child has worked hard at French at home, and then they spend weeks phoning exam centres, only to hear “we take private candidates, but not for languages”. The speaking exam is the reason. It’s compulsory, it has to be conducted at the centre, and not every centre has a French speaker free to run it.
This guide explains where to look, what to ask, and which centres say they can help. It’s written for families who are homeschooling, students whose school doesn’t teach French, and students resitting after leaving school.
What Is a Private Candidate?
A private candidate is a student who sits an exam at a centre without being enrolled there as a student. The centre makes the exam entry, hosts the exams and passes on the results. You can’t enter directly with the exam board: every entry goes through an approved centre.
Private candidates include:
- Home-educated children taking GCSE or IGCSE French, often at 15 or 16, sometimes earlier.
- Students whose school or sixth form doesn’t offer French, or has dropped it.
- A-Level students resitting after results day, once school is over.
- Adults and bilingual students who want a formal qualification in French.
For the full picture of how we help, see our page on French for private candidates and home-educated students.
Why French Is Harder to Place Than Other Subjects
A centre can host a maths GCSE with an invigilator and a quiet room. French needs more than that:
- The speaking test is compulsory. It’s 25% of GCSE and IGCSE French and 30% of A-Level French. There’s no written-only version.
- Someone qualified has to conduct it. At GCSE and A-Level, the test is usually conducted by a teacher at the centre and recorded, then marked by the exam board. A parent can’t be the examiner.
- It happens before the written exams. Speaking tests usually take place in a window in the spring, before the written papers in May and June, so the centre has to plan for it early.
- Each board has its own format. A centre set up for AQA’s speaking test may not run Edexcel’s, or the Edexcel International GCSE.
So a centre can genuinely welcome private candidates and still say no to French. That’s why the first question you ask matters more than the distance from home. If you’d like to understand the test itself, we explain it step by step in The French Speaking Exam Without a School.
How to Find an Exam Centre, Step by Step
1. Choose the qualification and specification first
Centres enter candidates for a specific specification, so you need to know which one before you call. The main options are:
| Qualification | Board and code | Speaking test |
|---|---|---|
| GCSE French | AQA 8652 | 7 to 9 minutes (Foundation) or 10 to 12 minutes (Higher), plus 15 minutes’ preparation. 25% of the GCSE. |
| GCSE French | Pearson Edexcel 1FR1 | 7 to 9 minutes (Foundation) or 10 to 12 minutes (Higher), plus 15 minutes’ preparation. 25% of the GCSE. |
| International GCSE French | Pearson Edexcel 4FR1 | 8 to 10 minutes. 25% of the qualification. Not tiered. |
| IGCSE French | Cambridge 0520 (graded A* to G) or 7156 (graded 9 to 1) | Conducted and recorded by the centre. |
| A-Level French | AQA 7652 or Pearson Edexcel 9FR0 | 21 to 23 minutes, including 5 minutes’ preparation, with a research project. 30% of the A-Level. |
Not sure which to choose? Our guide to IGCSE or GCSE French for homeschoolers compares them. In practice, the right choice is often the one a centre near you can run.
2. Search the official finders
- GCSE and A-Level in the UK: the JCQ private candidate search. Enter your postcode, qualification and exam board, and it lists schools, colleges and specialist centres that have told JCQ they welcome private candidates, nearest first. JCQ updates the list once a year, usually in December or January, and describes it as a signposting tool only. Centres not on it may still accept you, and centres on it may have stopped.
- AQA: its private candidates hub explains entries, fees and the conditions for each subject.
- Pearson Edexcel: the private candidates pages cover GCSE, International GCSE and A-Level entries. Outside the UK, use Pearson’s international centre finder.
- Cambridge IGCSE: Cambridge’s private candidates page explains how to find a Cambridge centre that accepts private candidates.
- Your local council: many councils’ elective home education teams keep a list of local centres that accept external candidates. Ask them directly.
3. Shortlist, then ask the speaking question first
Call or email your three closest centres and ask whether they’ll run the French speaking test for your specification. Only then ask about dates and fees. Centres often fill their speaking slots before their written-exam places.
4. Book before the centre’s deadline, not the board’s
Exam boards’ standard entry deadline for the summer series is usually 21 February. Entries after that pay late fees. Centres set their own, earlier deadlines so they can process forms. For example, one London centre’s deadline for summer 2026 GCSE entries was early February, with a higher fee for late applications.
5. Confirm everything in writing
Get the specification code, tier (for GCSE), speaking test date, written exam dates, total fee and cancellation terms in an email.
UK Exam Centres That Mention French or Language Speaking Tests
We checked centres’ own websites and the volunteer-run HE Exams Wiki in November 2026. This list is a starting point, not a guarantee: arrangements change every year, and centres decide case by case. Always confirm the French speaking test for your exact specification before you pay.
Centres that say they run French or language speaking tests
| Centre | Where | What it says about French | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| David Game College | London | Lists GCSE French “incl. speaking examination” for private candidates (£380 for summer 2026, £500 after its deadline). Also takes IGCSE and A-Level entries. | GCSE and IGCSE entries |
| Exam Centre Birmingham | Birmingham | Lists GCSE French (AQA or Pearson Edexcel) for private candidates, with the speaking test held at the centre in May. Also lists A-Level French. | GCSE French |
| A-Team Academy | Birmingham, London, Manchester | Says it hosts the GCSE French speaking test on site. Its Birmingham price was listed at £450, covering the board fee, all four papers and the speaking test. | Exam centre |
| London PT College | London | Supports private candidates for GCSE and IGCSE modern foreign languages where the board allows it and an approved speaking examiner is available. Publishes summer 2027 fees. | Summer 2027 fees |
| Excel Exam Centres | London (Walworth, Dalston, New Cross, Stratford, Catford) | Takes AQA and Edexcel GCSE, IGCSE and A-Level entries. A 2025/26 fee comparison listed languages with speaking at about £300. | Website |
| Intuition Exam Centres | Manchester | Accepts private candidates. Its A-Level list includes French, with spoken test dates to be confirmed. | Exam centre |
| 3A Tutors | Staple Hill, Bristol | Listed on the HE Exams Wiki as able to accommodate orals for foreign languages, including French. | HE Exams Wiki: South West |
| Ealing Independent College | London (W5) | Listed on the HE Exams Wiki for written exams and foreign language speaking tests across Edexcel, AQA, OCR and WJEC. | HE Exams Wiki: South and South East |
Centres that accept private candidates (ask about French speaking)
| Centre | Where | What we know | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tutors & Exams | Several towns, including Bolton, Coventry, Doncaster, St Neots and Wimbledon | A national network of private candidate centres for AQA, Edexcel, OCR and Cambridge. Ask each branch about the French speaking test. | Website |
| Nottingham College | Nottingham | Private exam entry service for GCSEs with every board except Cambridge. Its page doesn’t mention speaking tests. | Private exam entry |
| Private Exams North East | North East England | A private candidate exam centre. French speaking not confirmed. | Website |
For other regions, the HE Exams Wiki keeps volunteer-maintained pages for the Midlands, the East of England, Northern England and Wales. Entries are written by parents, so some are out of date, but they often mention languages.
Scotland and Northern Ireland: we didn’t find a centre in either that advertises a French GCSE or A-Level speaking test for private candidates. Use the JCQ search and your council’s home education team, and consider travelling to a centre in England for the speaking test if needed. Ask the centre whether it can schedule your speaking test and written papers to limit the number of trips.
Questions to Ask Every Centre
Copy this list into your email:
- Do you accept private candidates for [specification code, for example AQA 8652]?
- Will you conduct the French speaking test for that specification, and roughly when?
- For GCSE: can my child sit Higher or Foundation tier, and when must we decide?
- What is the total fee, including the speaking test, administration and any late fee?
- What is your deadline for entries, and when do you need payment?
- Can you support access arrangements if my child needs them, and what evidence do you need?
- How will we receive results and certificates, and can you request a review of marking if needed?
- What happens if my child is ill on the day?
What If No Centre Near You Will Run French Speaking?
- Widen the radius. Families regularly travel a few hours for the speaking test. Some centres schedule it separately from the written papers.
- Change specification. If a centre runs the Edexcel International GCSE speaking test but not AQA’s, switching boards early in the course costs little. Late in the course, it costs more, because the topics and vocabulary lists differ.
- Ask about Pearson’s Remote Oral Examiner Service. Formerly called London Centre Orals, it’s a Pearson service through which French speaking tests can be conducted remotely by a Pearson examiner. The centre has to request it. Ask your centre whether it’s available for your qualification and series.
- Ask a local school. Some schools with a French department will host a private candidate’s speaking test if asked early and politely. They have no obligation to.
Sitting French as a Private Candidate Outside the UK
Families living abroad usually take the Pearson Edexcel International GCSE (4FR1) or Cambridge IGCSE (0520/7156), because those are designed for international centres. A-Level options abroad are more limited.
- In many countries, the British Council runs exams for private candidates. Search “British Council exams [your country]” for the local page.
- Use Pearson’s international centre finder and Cambridge’s private candidate guidance.
- International schools often accept external candidates. Ask early, because their speaking slots are limited too.
Key Dates for the 2027 Exams
- September to December 2026: choose the specification and contact centres.
- December 2026 to January 2027: JCQ refreshes its private candidate list. Confirm your centre and the speaking test.
- Most centres’ deadlines: January to early February 2027.
- Board entry deadline: usually 21 February 2027. Late fees apply after this.
- Speaking tests: usually in the spring, before the written exams.
- Written exams: the main GCSE and A-Level exam period is expected to run from about 10 May to 18 June 2027.
- Results: A-Level results on Thursday 12 August 2027, GCSE results on Thursday 19 August 2027.
There’s no November resit series for GCSE French. November resits are only for GCSE English Language and Maths. A missed June series means waiting a year.
How We Help
Finding a centre is only half the job. The other half is making sure your child walks into the speaking test prepared, with no school teacher to rehearse with.
Our Private Candidate Super Pack includes 10 hours of 1-on-1 online tutoring with a native French speaker, mock exams on top of those hours, registration support and all our resources. We contact the exam centres for you, including the ones that run the French speaking test. Families who want tutoring only can choose our GCSE French tutoring or A-Level French tutoring.
See the details for GCSE and IGCSE private candidates or A-Level resits and private candidates, or book a free consultation and we’ll look at the centres near you together.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a homeschooled child sit GCSE French?
Yes. Homeschooled children sit GCSE and IGCSE French as private candidates at an approved exam centre. The centre makes the entry and must agree to conduct the compulsory French speaking test.
How do I find an exam centre for private candidates near me?
Use the JCQ private candidate search at jcq.org.uk/private-candidates for GCSE and A-Level, Pearson’s centre finder for Edexcel International GCSE, and Cambridge’s private candidate page for Cambridge IGCSE. Your council’s home education team may also keep a local list.
Do all exam centres offer the French speaking test?
No. Many centres that accept private candidates only host written exams. Ask whether the centre will conduct the French speaking test for your specification before you discuss fees or dates.
When should I book an exam centre for June exams?
In the autumn before the exams, ideally before Christmas. Board entry deadlines are usually 21 February, and most centres close their entries in January or early February.
Is there a November resit for GCSE French?
No. The November series is only for GCSE English Language and Maths. GCSE French can only be sat in the summer series. Pearson also runs a January series for some International GCSEs, so ask your centre whether it offers International GCSE French in January.
Can I sit IB French as a private candidate?
No. The IB has no private candidate route. IB students resit at their own school. See our IB French tutoring.
Written by Amélie Trizzulla-Messaoudi, Head of Tutoring at French Exams. Centre details were checked in November 2026 from centres’ own websites and the HE Exams Wiki. If you run a centre and your details have changed, contact us and we’ll update this page.
