4 February 2021

Dear Private Candidate

Special Notice to Private Candidates about Pearson’s May/June 2021 exam series

Thank you for contacting the British Council, we appreciate this is a very challenging time for you.

As you may know, Pearson has cancelled their International GCSE and International AS/A Level exams for
the May/June 2021 series. More information on this decision can be found here.
• This follows the UK government’s decision to cancel GCSEs and A Levels in England.
• Pearson has cancelled all exams globally - exams are not being sat in any country.
• The British Council was not part of Pearson’s decision to cancel these exams.

Pearson will instead award Teacher Assessed Grades, which are grades based on the judgement of a
student’s academic ability by a teacher rather than an exam marked by the Awarding Body.

Unfortunately, the British Council cannot provide Teacher Assessed Grades because we do not deliver
teaching to private candidates directly.

Teacher Assessed Grades are only available to schools because they deliver teaching to students directly.

What should I do now?

For private candidates wishing to receive a Teacher Assessed Grade for International GCSE and
International AS/A Levels in May/June 2021:
• If you have already registered with the British Council to sit Pearson exams in May/June, you must now
withdraw your entry. We will provide you with a full refund.
• We recommend that you instead consider making an exam entry with a registered Pearson school.
o We do not hold a list of Pearson Schools, but they can be found by searching on the internet.
o We are working with Pearson to encourage schools to accept private candidates.
o If you cannot find a Pearson School who can help you, or there are no Pearson Schools nearby,
then you will need to wait until the end of the year to sit your exams.

Pearson has announced an additional exam series for International GCSE later this year and has confirmed
their International AS/A Level October exam series will go ahead as planned.

The British Council will support all private candidates to sit these exams.

Thank you again for contacting us and we apologise for any inconvenience.

Kind regards, and please stay safe.

The British Council