Ask about your exact subject, code, tier, practical element and exam series in one message, and ask the centre to confirm them in writing. “Do you take private candidates?” gets a general yes. “Do you enter private candidates for Chemistry 0620, Extended, in the series I plan?” gets an answer you can rely on.
This page helps you write that question and record the answers. Final rules come from Cambridge and from the centre you use.
Why does a general yes not settle it?
Centres differ in which subjects they accept from private candidates, how they handle practical or oral components, and which series they enter. A centre can honestly say yes to private candidates and still be unable to take your subject, tier or series.
The private-candidate readiness checklist keeps each answer marked as confirmed or unresolved, so a guess never slips in as a fact.
What should you ask, exactly?
- Subject and code: the code from the Cambridge subject page for your exam year.
- Tier or option: Core or Extended, where the syllabus offers it. For English Second Language, the code depends on how speaking is assessed, so check the subject page.
- Practical or assessed components: how the centre handles them, and who arranges them.
- Series: the exam session you want, and whether the centre enters candidates in it.
- Written confirmation of all of the above.
Worked example: Hana’s enquiry sheet
Hana wants Mathematics 0580 (Extended) and Chemistry 0620. After writing to one centre, her sheet looks like this.
| Item | Centre’s answer | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics 0580, Extended, series chosen | “Yes, we enter private candidates for this.” Written | Confirmed |
| Chemistry 0620, theory papers | “Yes.” Written | Confirmed |
| Chemistry 0620, practical arrangement | “We will confirm the lab arrangement next week.” | Unresolved |
| Entry deadline | A date given in writing | Confirmed |
Two subjects look settled, but the Chemistry route is not complete. Hana does not plan her Chemistry teaching around an assumption. She writes the practical question in her diary for next week, and keeps a second centre’s contact details as a fallback.
The mistake to watch for
Hana’s first message read: “Do you accept private candidates for Maths?” The reply, “Yes”, was true but covered nothing she needed. She did not know whether Extended was included, whether her series was offered, or whether the answer was final.
The correction is one precise question per subject, containing the code, tier, series and a request for a written reply. A precise question is easier for a centre to answer quickly too.
Check yourself
1. Write the exact question for a student who wants English as a Second Language in a series of their choice.
Show answer
It should name the exact Cambridge code from the subject page, since the code depends on how speaking is assessed. For example: “Do you enter private candidates for the ESL syllabus with [code] in [series], and can you confirm in writing?”
2. A centre replies: “We usually take private candidates for sciences.” Confirmed or unresolved?
Show answer
Unresolved. It is general, it says “usually”, and it names no code, tier, series or practical arrangement. Ask again with the specific details.
3. List four details a Mathematics enquiry should contain.
Show answer
The syllabus code (0580), the tier (Core or Extended), the series, and a request for written confirmation. You may add the entry deadline and what the centre needs from you.
Where this leads next
Before you contact centres, read why study support and entry are separate. After entry, prepare questions about your statement of entry. Our exams and entry overview and guide to finding the correct syllabus help with the code step.
Some private candidates handle the learning alone. If you would like a teacher to check your work on a subject while entry is being settled, one-to-one Chemistry tuition is available, starting with a paid trial.