ENTERING FOR EXAMS

Homeschooled Candidates
All Cambridge IGCSE subject courses lead to an examination that has to be taken in a registered examination centre.

Latham Online homeschooled students are classified as 'Private Candidates'  for the purposes of IGCSE examination entry. They are also referred to as external candidates.  

Private candidates need to apply to take  Cambridge IGCSE exams a at registered examination centre. We can help you find your most convenient exam centre that accepts external candidates.  But you have to apply to the exam centre yourself.  We cannot do this for you.  The centre you choose will support you with any exam related queries.

​Please ask for our lists of exam centres if we have not sent them already.

Students Registered
​at a School

  • Latham Online students who attend, or are registered at a school that is a Cambridge registered examination centre, will ordinarily take their IGCSE examinations at that centre and will be regarded as internal candidates.  
  • Internal candidates at a school cannot also be entered as a private candidate. 
  • We can advise you about exam entry at your school, if you have studied a course we us that you have not been studying at your school.

Finding an Exam Centre

In many countries there are  registered Cambridge schools which accept private candidates.  It is, however, at the school’s discretion as to whether they are prepared to accept private candidates.  Outside the UK, the British Council is often the exam centre of choice.
​
Cambridge IGCSE students have a choice of sitting their exams in the May/June or the October/November examination series.  Most schools enter their students for the May/June series.   Note that many centres do not offer an October/November sitting.  The May/June series of exams usually have a booking deadline of January or mid-February and the October/November series of exams usually have a booking deadline of August to mid-September.

Closing dates

  • It is important that you find out the closing date for entering an exam.
  • You should aim to book your exam about 6 months before the chosen exam date. This will allow you plenty of time and speak to an examining centre well in advance of those dates, and will give you the best chance of getting a place at your preferred centre.  
  • You can book your exam closer to the exam date, but we would not recommend that you do this as you may not be able to secure a place and will have to pay 'late fees' if you do.

Subject Details

  • Exams for IGCSE English (second language), French and Spanish include an oral component. You should check that the centre you have chosen will assess this.
  • Students taking their exams in countries in Cambridge Zone 3 have the option of having their papers in some subjects graded either A* – G  or 9 – 1. The subject course code for which you register with your chosen exam centre will indicate your choice. Where there is a choice, both course codes are shown in our Course Pages under  Exam Papers.

Payments to Examination Centres

  • Each Examination Centre will have a set of fees for private candidates to sit their exams there.
  • The fees will comprise of the Cambridge examination entry fee + Examination Centre administration fee.
  • The Examination Centre sends the entry fee to Cambridge Assessment International Education in U.K. 
 The Latham School is a registered school with Cambridge Assessment International Education