Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their policy regarding schools and colleges that wish to allow students to sit their examinations privately; and whether records of the numbers of such candidates are kept by schools, colleges, local authorities, the Department for Education and examinations boards.

Students who enter for examinations through an examination-board approved school or college but are not on the roll of the institution are known as private candidates. A private candidate is responsible for his or her own entry; the school or college that acts as the examination centre is not responsible for the teaching of the examination subject. It is for schools and colleges to decide whether they will accept requests from private candidates to take examinations at their centre.

Schools and colleges may not prevent their own students entering examinations privately, although they may wish to encourage students to discuss any plans to do so with their teachers. If a student enters through another examination centre, the result will count towards his or her school's performance measures.

The Department for Education does not hold any information on private candidate numbers. The information will be held by some examination boards, schools and colleges.