01740 655437 exams@entercic.org

Private Candidate
Exam Centre

Click here to enquire about your exams today

Private Exams North East is an approved Private Candidate Exam Centre and Learning Provider with our own, in-house teaching and assessment team and facilities, located in Durham, North East England, just off the A1. We’re registering Private Exam candidates for Autumn 2024 and Summer 2025. Truly independent, we work with the widest selection of learning providers available in the UK. We’re caring and supportive every step of the way and perfect for those learning outside a mainstream setting.

We work with you on an individual basis and operate our own, ‘person before profit’ philosophy, which makes us stand out in the sector.

Discover our GCSE Art Course!
View some of our centre

About us

Registering private candidates: Autumn ’25

 

Taking expressions of interest for 2026

Qualifications

GCSEs, iGCSEs, AS & A Level,
Functional Skills (paper & online)

Subjects

Almost all subjects possible.
Enquire for more information.

Exam Boards

AQA, Edexcel, CAIE, OCR, WJEC/Eduqas
Arts Award, Trinity and more.

Services

Exams, tutoring, mocks, marking,
Oxford tests, UCAS. Enquire for info.

Feedback 2025/2024

Welcoming and Positive

I just wanted to say that I was SO impressed at what you have all done at the centre and how welcoming you have made it! The place looks fabulous, a credit to you all! I was made to feel welcomed and valued for all 3 of my visits and I watched how the team spke to all the candidates and I saw how you made us all feel relaxed and welcome. An absolute treasure of a place to sit my exams as a mature student. I can’t thank the team enough! Keep up the great work and positive vibes! Suzanne.

Lucky to have you

Andrea and Team, thank you so much for all you do. We are so lucky to have you in the North East. Many thanks, Julianne

Less Stressful

Thank you for making the exam situation less stressful and more calming. I appreciate your kindness and how welcoming you all were. E.D.

Expertise and kindness

Thank you very much for your expertise and kindness during this journey of GCSEs for [C] and ourselves, as you know this journey was extremely difficult and stressful but you and your team helped us so much, and I’ll always be so grateful to you all. Love from [C] and the [D] family. 

Like walking into a hug

We just wanted to thank you both for making us so welcome yesterday, and for helping anticipate and answer all our questions. The centre is so lovely, like walking into a hug. And knowing that will make taking the exams so much easier. L.D. 2024.

“This exam centre is phenomenal! We have travelled from York and def worth travelling for. Great for any children with additional needs.”

S. E.

Parent, Summer 2025

“Your support has been a massive psychological comfort during a very difficult time. I would like to publicly acknowledge the brilliant service I have received from you and your company.“

D.W.

Exam Candidate, March 2024

“I have been extremely impressed with the exam centre staff and set up and I will highly recommend your services in the future.“

H. H.

Parent of Private Candidate, Summer 2024

Don’t leave your future to chance. Talk to us.

We are one of the very few private candidate exam centres in the UK approved to offer hundreds of subjects and examinations across the academic, vocational and artistic spheres. This includes GCSEs, iGCSEs, AS and A Levels, Functional Skills, Arts Award, LAMDA, Trinity exam boards and more.

Enter CIC is also an approved UCAS registered centre an approved University of Oxford Open Centre for admissions tests.

We support proctoring for both UK and international universities. 

 

Offering the AQA Unit Award Scheme (for SEND learners), we provide learners with an engaging and inclusive way to acquire accreditation.

This scheme is comprehensive, appropriately considerate and challenging, adaptable and provides flexibility for the learner.

So, whatever your interests at whatever level, you can be assured that you’re in the best hands to achieve your goals.

Years Established

Learners Supported

UNIQUE

Private Exams North East is unique in having an internal, qualified team for private candidates. This means you can simply sit your exam with us or we can teach, assess and examine you, giving you assurances that we can continue to support you under unexpected circumstances, such as the recent pandemic.

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SPECIALIST

As well as being an approved academic private candidate exam centre and learning provider, we are also an award-winning creative and cultural hub. Our specialist internal creative team offers private exam candidates an array of creative subjects: GCSE Art, GCSE Drama, GCSE Dance, BTECs Levels 1 – 3, Arts Awards and creative vocational qualifications.

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EXPERIENCED

Our depth of knowledge and breadth of national and international experience underpins your own programmes of learning.

This supports private candidates’ creative and GCSE, A level, IGCSE or other academic ambitions.

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INNOVATIVE

With Private Exams North East, private exam candidates can access many academic subjects previously unavailable to them due to course work requirements, or NEA assessments. For example, we recently supported GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition, Spoken Language Endorsements for English, Modern Foreign Languages and more.

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Did you know?

No matter how you study, you’re entitled to choose your preferred private candidate exam centre.

Since our inception in 2012, Private Exams North East has developed a strong reputation for being one of the most caring and responsive exam centres in the UK.

We specialise in supporting private candidates who are being educated within and outside mainstream settings.

Whether you are sitting your exam for the first time, resitting, or changing career, we are your one-stop, North East-based private exam centre.

When choosing your distance learning provider, always remember – the choice of exam centre is yours! 

We work with the home educated, independent learners, self-studying students, resitting students, adult learners, universities and UCAS.

Contact our friendly team today

Planning your studies?

Download our study planner.

Click to download our Study Planner

Mock Exams

In addition to the final examinations, we also run mock exams throughout the year. This is an opportunity to work directly with experienced professionals and an approved exam centre to build up your viable evidence of study. We always mark all exams. This gives candidates the full examination experience, helping to adequately prepare and plan for and address areas for improvement.

Find out more
Mock Exams

Mock exams can be taken in our exam centre or online in our bespoke exam system, whichever suits the candidate.

Opportunities

As well as being great for your learning portfolio, it is a great opportunity for private exam candidates to relieve some of the anxiety associated with sitting exams.

Trained and Qualified

Our experienced and qualified invigilators, exam staff and assessors provide feedback on performance during the mock exam to help get the most out of the exam experience.

Our invigilators, exam staff and assessors will provide feedback on performance during the mock exam and hints, tricks and techniques for getting the most out of the exam experience.

End of Unit Tests

We also offer an open service of end of unit tests. This is open to any private candidate whether they are studying with us or not and whether they are taking an exam with us or not.

These end of unit tests are perfect for testing subject knowledge and understanding of specific topics.

End of unit tests can be integrated into formative assessments and not just as summative tests such as mocks.

Testimonials

M. & J. M.

“Having returned to the UK from overseas at short notice and very close to the iGCSE/A level time, we were so grateful for all the help and support [Enter was] able to offer us. We made contact from overseas initially. Emails were answered promptly, our concerns and questions (and there were many!) were covered professionally and we felt extremely well-looked after. The invigilators welcomed the boys warmly and helped to quell any worries they were experiencing. They also took time to get to know them as individuals and always had something positive to say to them each time. We are now waiting for the results and are extremely glad we decided to use Enter for our boys. Their knowledge, experience and personal touch is wonderful. Thank you!”

LS

My daughter has really enjoyed using the centre again for this summers exam series, thank you all for your help.

Parent

My daughter has just done her first 2 GCSEs with you- thank you for the welcoming and friendly experience we’ve had! It was such a positive start to her exam-sitting career!

NH

I would recommend Enter CIC / Private Exams North East to anyone, they are professional and dedicated to each and every student and I am very appreciative for all the help they gave me.”

DM

“I just want to say thank you for being so kind and helpful to my daughter when she attended for her GCSEs. She has done so well, all her grades are 7, 8 and she even got a 9. We are so happy with her results.”

DH

“I just wanted to say a huge thank-you to everyone involved in the exams process. As a mature student I was embarrassed and worried about taking my GCSE’s again. Right from the first enquiry email to sitting each exam I was made to feel welcome and supported. The centre is easy to find, the staff are friendly and are great at keeping students calm. Everything at the centre is well thought out and works perfectly. I passed my exams receiving great grades and I genuinely believe it was partly down to how comfortable and relaxed I was made to feel. I would highly recommend Enter CIC to others.”

FB

“I completed my A-Level exams at this centre and couldn’t have been happier. The staff are extremely supportive and helpful and are the friendliest people to ever meet. Very happy with using this centre as a private candidate and would 100% recommend it. “

SE

We just wanted to say a BIG thank you! The care, compassion and understanding you have all shown my son has been phenomenal! It’s no exaggeration to say if it wasn’t for this exam centre, my son wouldn’t have coped sitting his GCSE’s. I’ll see you in 2 years with his younger brother!

RL

“Any time I had a question, query or quandry I was able to get in touch easily and the folks at the centre were quick to provide answers and support. They were knowledgeable, friendly and supportive from start to finish. I can’t sing your praises enough. It wasn’t easy as an adult to go back to doing something like this but you managed to make it so much easier, smoother and more pleasant than I ever would have expected. You were forthcoming with information and details well in advance so I felt fully kept in the loop and didn’t have to chase information once!”

MPJ

I just wanted to send a message to the team at Enter CIC for making the whole examination process so easy and stress free. My results were even better than I expected and a huge part of them being so successful is down to the lovely examination environment so thank you so much.

JK

I want to say a huge thank you to your centre and staff for the continuous support throughout the lockdown for allowing my examinations to go ahead. I received my IGCSE Mathematics results on the 4th March and I am over the moon.

Exam Boards

AQA
Edexcel
CAIE
OCR
WJEC/Eduqas

More information

Privacy
Terms
JCQ
Ofqual

exams@entercic.org