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Exam policies and JCQ regulations
Five policies cover almost everything candidates ask us at A-Team Academy: photo ID is checked for every exam, JCQ malpractice rules apply in every hall, access arrangements need evidence in advance, late entries carry the awarding body surcharge at cost, and withdrawals before the entry deadline carry an administration fee of £100 per subject, higher for some subjects, with no refund after the deadline. Here is each one in plain English.
JCQ-approved centre
Bring photo ID to every exam
Every candidate shows photo ID at reception before every paper: a passport or a UK driving licence, provisional included. The name on your ID must match the name on your entry exactly, because that is the name the awarding body prints on your certificate, and changing it afterwards is slow and expensive. If your name has changed, show us the deed poll or marriage certificate before entries are submitted. No photo ID at all? Contact us well before exam day and we agree an accepted alternative under JCQ guidance.
Phones, notes and the malpractice rules
Having a phone, smartwatch or notes on you in the exam hall counts as potential malpractice even if the device is switched off and never touched. JCQ requires us, like every centre, to report suspected malpractice to the awarding body, and outcomes range from losing marks in a paper to disqualification from the whole subject. Our side of the bargain: invigilators remind everyone before the start, and secure storage for bags and devices sits outside every hall, so an honest mistake is easy to avoid.
Extra time and access arrangements need evidence
Private candidates can have the same access arrangements as school candidates: 25% extra time, supervised rest breaks, a reader or scribe, or a separate smaller room. What JCQ will not accept is a request without evidence. You need a specialist assessor’s report, an EHCP or current medical evidence showing the arrangement is your normal way of working. Tell us when you register, not the week before the exam, because approvals go through JCQ and take time. For the May and June 2027 series that means raising it well before entries close on 1 February 2027.
Exam day rules at a glance
- Photo ID matching your entry name, every exam
- Arrive 30 minutes before the start time
- Black pens, and a clear pencil case if you bring one
- Calculators allowed unless the paper says otherwise, covers removed
- Water in a clear bottle with the label removed
- No phones, smartwatches or notes past the hall door
- Bags and coats go into storage outside the hall
- Invigilators’ instructions are JCQ rules, follow them and all is well
Late entries cost more, at cost
Entries for the November 2026 series close on 1 October 2026, and entries for May and June 2027 close on 1 February 2027. After the deadline the awarding bodies charge a late entry surcharge, which we pass on at cost with no mark-up, and as the exams get closer the boards will refuse new entries altogether. If you are cutting it fine, check the exam dates page and call us the same day.
Refunds stop when the entry is submitted
Exam entry fees are paid in full at registration. Withdraw before the series entry deadline and we refund the fee less a non-refundable administration fee of £100 per subject, higher for some subjects, plus any applicable transaction fees. After the deadline no refund is possible: by then your entry has been submitted, the board fees are paid and your seat is reserved, so the place cannot be reallocated. Miss a paper through illness and the fee is still gone, but special consideration may protect your result: tell the invigilation team or the office on the day and provide medical evidence.
GCSE Maths, English Language and the single sciences are £250 a subject; English Literature, History, Geography and most other GCSEs are £300; GCSE French and Spanish are £450; all listed A-levels are £400. Entry costs more at our other centres, see the fees page.
The ones we answer most
What ID do I need to sit an exam?
You need photo ID that matches the name on your entry, ideally a passport or a UK driving licence, including a provisional. If you have neither, contact us before exam day and we agree an accepted alternative under JCQ guidance.
Can I get a refund if I withdraw from an exam?
Before the entry deadline, yes, less a non-refundable administration fee of £100 per subject (higher for some subjects) plus any applicable transaction fees. After the deadline no refund is possible, because your entry, board fees and seat are already committed. If your plans change, contact us immediately with any supporting evidence.
Can private candidates get extra time?
Yes, private candidates can have 25% extra time and other access arrangements, provided JCQ-acceptable evidence supports the request, such as a specialist assessor’s report or an EHCP. Raise it when you register so the approval clears before exam day.
What counts as malpractice in the exam hall?
Anything that could give an unfair advantage counts, and the commonest case by far is simply having a phone or smartwatch on you, even switched off. We are required to report suspected malpractice to the awarding body, so use the free storage outside the hall and the problem never arises.
Every question we get asked
Results, resits, home education, music exams and more, answered in one place on our FAQs page. If a policy on this page raised a question, the answer is probably there.
Read the FAQs →Still not sure?
Policies exist so exam day is boring, in the best way. If anything on this page affects your entry, call Birmingham on 0121 517 0110 or send a message, and we sort it before entries close.
