182 Replies to “What is Home Schooling?”

  1. Hi,
    Due to the pandemic and distance learning concerns, we plan to homeschool our children. Currently on IB in MYP, but will move to IGCSE.

    We will engage professional help but neet to know if there are standardise tests to track progress.

    • Hello Jerry,

      Thank you for writing in.

      Standardised tests such as the Cambridge Checkpoint exams are not available for private candidates. But there are available Checkpoint books that you can buy to help you assess your children’s progress. Checkpoint books are a series of structured and comprehensive course books in English, Mathematics and Science. You may search on Amazon UK site and look for publishers who published the IGCSE books.

      The only tests available for private candidates are IGCSE/O-Level exams. It is a secondary school final exam, and as private candidates, they can sit for the IGCSE exams at any age. When you deem that your children are ready for it, register them to your local British Council or to the nearest registered Cambridge school. You may try to search for any registered Cambridge schools who would accept private candidates here: https://www.cambridgeinternational.org/i-want-to/find-a-cambridge-school/.

      You may also consider our A* online courses for your children’s IGCSE preparations. Our courses are complete and comprehensive and many private candidates are taking our courses as their home education programme. Please have a read at this page to learn how it works: https://www.igcsecentre.com/cambridge-igcse-revision-courses/

      Should you have any questions, feel free to contact us so we can further assist you. Thank you.

  2. Hi,
    Are there formal standardized test available to track progress of my children.
    They are currently on IB ciriculum MYP, but due to the pandemic and distance learning issues, we plan to homeschool (with professional help), but will need to track progress (switching to IGCSE).

    • Hello Jerry,

      Thank you for writing in.

      Standardised tests such as the Cambridge Checkpoint exams are not available for private candidates. But there are available Checkpoint books that you can buy to help you assess your children’s progress. Checkpoint books are a series of structured and comprehensive course books in English, Mathematics and Science. You may search on Amazon UK site and look for publishers who published the IGCSE books.

      The only tests available for private candidates are IGCSE/O Level exams. It is a secondary school final exam, and as private candidates, they can sit for the IGCSE exams at any age. When you deem that your children are ready for it, register them to your local British Council or to the nearest registered Cambridge school. You may try to search for any registered Cambridge schools who would accept private candidates here: https://www.cambridgeinternational.org/i-want-to/find-a-cambridge-school/.

      You may also consider our A* online courses for your children’s IGCSE preparations. Our courses are complete and comprehensive and many private candidates are taking our courses as their home education programme. Please have a read at this page to learn how it works: https://www.igcsecentre.com/cambridge-igcse-revision-courses/

      Should you have any questions, feel free to contact us so we can further assist you. Thank you.

  3. Hello,
    I am a parent of homeschooling children in UK. Though we still have time but I’d like to know a few things since gcse and igcse are completely new for me (being from another country).
    1- what is the minimum age a child can sit for IGCSE?
    2- Can we spread out igcse over a span of few year like 3-4 years rather than 2?
    3- If a child cannot pass more than 2 exams do they have to repeat the whole exam or they retake just the 2 failed ones? I’m not sure if something like that exists for igcse.

    Kind Regards

    • Hi Sidra,

      Thank you for writing in. Please kindly read our answers below:

      1. Typically, the examination is taken by students aged 14 – 16. However, we have also experienced some countries accept private candidates registration below age 14. Please kindly check with your local British Council for this. There is no maximum age limit for private candidates, meaning you can be 45 years old and still eligible to apply for IGCSE exams as private candidates.

      2. The whole IGCSE syllabus takes approximately 1-2 years to finish. The 2 year period is usually for schooled students, following the school calendar plus holidays etc. For homeschooled students, they are free to study at their own pace and schedule. As a private candidate, you may judge your readiness to sit for the exams independently.

      But when it comes to sitting in for the exams, the general guideline is to sit IGCSE within 13 months. This is because some universities/colleges might require not more than 13 months apart between the first exam and the last. However, some colleges/universities do have longer allowance. Please get confirmation from them directly.

      3. Candidates will obtain separate certificates for each subject. If a candidate receives a failing grade for one subject, they have to sit in for the whole subject. They cannot retake a component of the exam. Furthermore, please follow our advice earlier and complete all IGCSE exams within 13 months. This is because there are colleges/universities that would only accept exam results that are within a certain period.

      To learn more about IGCSE, please kindly read this post: https://www.igcsecentre.com/what-is-igcse/.

      You might also want to check our our A* subscription courses. These courses had produced many A* candidates worldwide. Have a read at this page to learn how it works: https://www.igcsecentre.com/cambridge-igcse-revision-courses/

      If you need further assistance, feel free to write to us again. Thank you.

  4. Hello, thanks a lot for this article, my son is 8 years old . Going to be 9 by September 2020. I plan to start grade 1 with him . We are a bit late in starting our home school program due to some issues. 1- If I enroll my child for 5th grade, how can I proof to the school that my child has covered all subjects from grade one to four since he was homeschooled and he has no certificate for each grade?
    Can I start grade one with him at this age and register him at 5th grade just to optain the primary certificate while being a bit older than others ? Also , after getting the certificate , can I homechool him again for 7th grade up to grade 11 without enrolling him again in to private school again? Thanks again for your support .

    • Hello Mara,

      If you plan to enrol your child for 5th grade, the school may require you to provide documentation of studies or learning. Such documentation is available in the UK home education organisation, you may acquire one in your home country. You may show them any standardized tests your child may have taken as proof. The school may also require your son to take an assessment test and they will decide which grade your son should be in.

      There would be no problem if you don’t mind having your child with younger children in the same class. However, we suggest that you first check with the school for the age limit in 5th grade. Schools usually have an age limit for each grade.

      And yes, you can homeschool him again after obtaining a Primary certificate. We suggest that you homeschool him until he is ready to sit in for IGCSE/O Level/ or any equivalent exams. And as a private candidate, he can sit for the IGCSE exams at any age.

      If you have further questions, feel free to write to us again. We are here to help.

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