IGCSE · private candidates

Sitting IGCSE privately? You are doing the hardest version of it.

A private candidate gets the same papers as everyone else, with none of the scaffolding — no scheme of work, no mock timetable, no teacher tracking whether they are on pace. That is what this programme replaces.

Who it is for

If nobody is currently responsible for readiness, this is that person.

  • Home-schooled students entering Cambridge IGCSE through a private centre
  • Students who moved from a non-IGCSE system and want the qualification anyway
  • Students retaking one or more subjects to lift a grade
  • Students who left school early or changed schools mid-programme
  • Students overseas with no IGCSE-specialist teaching available locally

The programme

What it includes.

  • Full syllabus teaching from the start, not revision on top of assumed knowledge
  • A written study timeline working backwards from your target exam series
  • Regular assessment against that timeline, so drift is caught in weeks not months
  • Past papers to the correct board, marked with written feedback
  • Exam technique: question formats, timing, mark-scheme language
  • Guidance on finding and approaching an authorised exam centre
  • Five to a class in Kovan, or one to one online for students overseas

Registration

What we do, and what we don’t.

We teach. You register. Exam entry is made by the parent or student through an authorised Cambridge exam centre, and the fees are paid to that centre directly.

We will tell you which centres in Singapore accept private candidates, what the deadlines are for your target series, and how to sequence registration against your child’s readiness. We cannot register on your behalf.

[TO CONFIRM — Glen] confirm the current list of authorised Singapore centres accepting private candidates, and re-check each series — do not publish a centre list that goes stale.

How long it takes. A student with a solid foundation typically needs six to nine months of structured teaching per subject. Starting from scratch across several subjects, plan for twelve months or more. We would rather turn a family away six weeks before a series than take their money and watch it fail.

Questions

What parents ask.

Is 1-to-1 available for private candidates?
Yes — and for students outside Singapore it is the only format we offer. Private candidates covering several subjects usually benefit from it in any case, because the pacing has to be built around them.
How long will preparation take?
Six to nine months per subject from a solid foundation; twelve months or more starting from scratch across several. We assess at the diagnostic and give you a written timeline rather than an encouraging guess.
Can my child retake just one subject?
Yes. Single-subject retakes are one of the most common reasons families come to us, and they are usually the fastest wins — the student has sat the paper once and knows exactly where it went wrong.

Tell us your target series. We’ll tell you if it’s realistic.