GCSEs Online: Can You Sit GCSE Exams From Home?

Hoping to sit a GCSE online without ever setting foot in an exam hall? You can, as long as it’s a Pearson Edexcel International GCSE, which you sit from home while a live Pearson invigilator keeps an eye on things over your webcam. UK GCSEs from AQA, OCR, Edexcel and WJEC, and Cambridge IGCSEs, are still sat in person at an exam centre, so the at-home route is specifically the Pearson Edexcel one.

Pass My GCSE has a handy guide to sitting GCSE exams at home, and it describes itself as one of the only providers in the world offering these exams online. This post gets to the fun bit: picking your subjects, and which exam series each one runs in.

Start With What You Want the Grade For

At Courses and Exams, we always suggest working backwards from your goal before falling for a subject. Is it for a college course, a career change, or simply because you’ve always fancied studying history properly?

The good news is that a Pearson Edexcel International GCSE is graded 9 to 1, just like a GCSE, and it’s internationally recognised. Pearson describes its International GCSE qualifications as globally recognised, with content and assessment designed specifically for international learners. Most colleges, universities and employers accept them, but some courses ask for a UK GCSE, so it’s always worth checking the entry requirements of the course you have in mind before you book.

How Many Subjects Can You Choose From?

There are 17 Pearson Edexcel International GCSE subjects you can sit online from home. In this post we’re shining a light on ten of them, but they’re far from the only options. The rest of the list includes:

• Maths
• English Language and English Literature
• Science (Double Award), Biology, Chemistry and Physics

If you’d like to see everything side by side, the online exams Pass My GCSE offers are set out in one place. One thing to know: you can’t choose whether a subject is onscreen or on paper. Pearson sets the format, so some subjects are typed and others are handwritten, printed and scanned.

Humanities: History and Geography

If you love a good story about the past, International GCSE History online could be a great fit. It’s an onscreen subject, so you type your answers and there’s no printing or scanning to worry about. Paper 1 covers depth studies, where you answer on two of eight options, such as the French Revolution or Germany between 1918 and 1945. Paper 2 is the investigation and breadth studies paper.

Prefer maps to monarchs? International GCSE Geography online is also onscreen and split into two papers. The physical geography paper takes in rivers, coasts, hazardous environments and fieldwork, while the human geography paper looks at economic activity and energy, rural and urban environments, and global issues. Both History and Geography run in the Summer and November series.

Beliefs, Faith and the Wider World

International GCSE Religious Studies online is paper-based, so you handwrite your answers in a printed booklet. Paper 1 is about beliefs and values, and Paper 2 focuses on the religious community, where you study one religion from Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism or Sikhism.

For a closer look at one faith, International GCSE Islamic Studies online is a single onscreen paper covering the Prophet Muhammad’s life and teachings, the early Muslim community, living the Muslim life today, and passages from the Qur’an and Hadith.

If current affairs are more your thing, take a look at International GCSE Global Citizenship online. It’s one onscreen paper, with topics including politics and governance, economic development and the environment, culture and community, technology, and a citizenship community action project. All three subjects in this group are Summer only.

Languages: French and Spanish

Brushing up a language you half-remember from school? You can sit International GCSE French online, with a listening paper and a reading and writing paper. Both are completed on paper at home, so you’ll need a printer and a scanner to hand.

The structure is the same if you go for International GCSE Spanish online instead. The big difference is timing: French runs in both the Summer and November series, but Spanish is Summer only.

Business, Economics and Further Pure Maths

Curious about how companies tick? International GCSE Business online is onscreen, with one paper on investigating small businesses and another on investigating large businesses.

Its close cousin, International GCSE Economics online, is also onscreen. The first paper covers microeconomics and business economics, and the second moves on to macroeconomics and the global economy.

And if numbers make you happy, International GCSE Further Pure Maths online stretches you with topics such as logarithms and indices, quadratics, series, vectors, coordinate geometry, calculus and trigonometry. It’s paper-based, with two handwritten papers and a calculator allowed. Business, Economics and Further Pure Maths all run in the Summer and November series.

Matching Your Subjects to the Right Series

Pearson Edexcel International GCSE exams can be sat online in the Summer and November series, not at any time of year. Here’s how the ten subjects above split:

• Summer and November: French, History, Geography, Business, Economics and Further Pure Maths
• Summer only: Spanish, Religious Studies, Islamic Studies and Global Citizenship

Exams start at 09:00 or 13:30 UK time, so if you live overseas, convert the times before you plan your day. Pearson’s remote invigilation service isn’t available in every country, so check Pearson’s published guidance for where you live, and remember the same ID rules apply wherever you are.

What You’ll Need Whichever Subject You Pick

Whatever you choose, the set-up is the same. Pass My GCSE enters you with Pearson as a remote invigilation candidate and guides you through the ID check and Pearson’s familiarisation session, which is compulsory. You’ll need a quiet, private room, valid in-date photo ID, a laptop with a webcam, a phone with Pearson’s app, a backup recorder, and a responsible adult (not your tutor or teacher) available for the whole exam.

Fancy studying before you sit? Pass Learn offers GCSE courses and exams online, with self-paced courses you can pair with an exam. If you’re mainly trying to improve an old grade, Pass My GCSE’s page on GCSE resits online and at a centre explains both routes.

Conclusion

Whether it’s history, languages, faith, business or tricky maths, start with your goal, check the series, and make sure your course accepts an International GCSE. When you’re ready to look at the practical side, Pass My GCSE’s guide to GCSE exams at home covers booking, equipment and exam day in one place.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are these ten the only subjects I can sit from home?

No. They’re ten of the 17 Pearson Edexcel International GCSE subjects available online. Others include Maths, English Language, English Literature, the sciences and Science (Double Award).

Can I choose whether my subject is onscreen or on paper?

No, Pearson sets the format. History, Geography, Business and Economics are typed onscreen; French, Spanish, Religious Studies and Further Pure Maths are on paper.

Can I sit Spanish in the November series?

No, International GCSE Spanish is Summer only online. The same goes for Religious Studies, Islamic Studies and Global Citizenship, so plan around the Summer series for these.

Do I need a reason to sit my exam at home?

Not at all. The online route is open to anyone, with no evidence or reason needed.

Will a college accept my International GCSE?

Most colleges, universities and employers accept it, as it’s graded 9 to 1 like GCSE and internationally recognised. Some courses ask for a UK GCSE, so check your course’s entry requirements first.

When will I get my results?

Results come from Pearson on the results day for your series, and Pearson then issues your certificate.

Written by

Courses and Exams Team

We help thousands of students each year with revision, courses and online exams.