National Centre No. 13356

Your Private Exam Centre

GCSE · IGCSE · A Level · Pearson Professional · ACCA

Serving home educators, private candidates and adult learners across Ilford, East London and Essex since 2017.

9+
Years Experience
1,500+
Candidates Served
3K+
Exams Administered
Small-group
Exam Setting
3K+
Exams Administered
9+
Years
Experience
Student ready for exam registration and support
We are approved to accept candidates for,
Pearson Edexcel, OCR, AQA & CIE
Pearson Professional
ACCA On-Demand CBE
ISE Digital & Trinity College London

Everything you need to sit your exams

From GCSE to professional certifications, in one place.

GCSE & IGCSE

We welcome home-educated learners, distant learners, adult learners, career changers, resit candidates and anyone seeking to gain essential qualifications for compulsory study, employment, further study or personal development.

EdexcelAQAOCRCambridge International
  • A trusted exam centre for students studying outside mainstream education.
  • Gain the qualifications needed for employment, apprenticeships, college courses and further study.
  • Retake key subjects such as English and Mathematics to achieve your goals.

A Level & AS Level

We support candidates wishing to improve existing grades for university entry, complete additional subjects alongside their current studies, or take subjects that may not be available through their school or college.

EdexcelAQAOCRCambridge International
  • Improve your grades to strengthen applications to university, medicine, dentistry and other competitive courses.
  • Take extra A Levels to broaden your academic profile or meet entry requirements.
  • Access subjects that may not be available through your current school or college.

Other exams we offer

Other services we offer

We are approved to accept candidates for,

Pearson Edexcel
AQA
ACCA
Cambridge International Education
Trinity College London
Pearson VUE
UCAS
• NEW AT ARK FIRST IN ILFORD & EAST LONDON

ISE Digital. The English exam admissions teams actually want.

An on-demand, Trinity College London adaptive English exam — Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening in a single 105-minute sitting. Accepted by 98% of UK universities, including UCL, LSE and King's. Results in three to five working days. Faster, cheaper and more flexible than IELTS.

UCL LSE King's College London Manchester Warwick Edinburgh + hundreds more
• Ofqual regulated • ALTE Q-Mark • On-demand booking — no fixed dates
Trinity College London

ISE Digital

Integrated Skills in English · Reading · Writing · Speaking · Listening

98%
UK universities accept it
3–5
Day results — beat IELTS
A1–C2
Adaptive — all CEFR levels
105
Minutes · all 4 skills in one sitting
Ask centre
Flat fee · same at every level
1st
Centre in Ilford & East London
Ark Education reception and waiting area, Ilford

A calm, professional space —
built around you

Step inside a calm, professional exam environment — designed to give every candidate the best possible conditions for their exams.

  • Easy access — 7 minutes from Ilford Exchange, close to Ilford and Seven Kings stations
  • Small exam rooms — quiet, supervised spaces designed to reduce anxiety and support focus
  • Experienced, helpful staff — our Exam Officers have over 9 years in exam administration
  • Wide range of subjects — GCSE, IGCSE, A Level, professional certifications and on-screen exams, all under one roof
Plan your visit

Suitable for private candidates

9 years, 1,500+ candidates, and a reputation built on getting it right — every time.

Study independently, sit your exams with us

Register directly as a private candidate. We welcome home educators, adult learners, career changers, resit candidates and anyone pursuing qualifications independently.

Support for Access Arrangements

Our SENCo can guide you through the process of securing access arrangements, including rest breaks, extra time, word processors and other approved exam support.

UCAS References & Predicted Grades

We can support eligible private candidates with UCAS predicted grades and academic references, based on sufficient evidence and our professional assessment.

Results & Post-Exam Support

We offer post-results services, including reviews of marking, access to scripts and re-sit entries, with applicable awarding body and administration fees.

What our students say

Over 1,500 private candidates have sat their exams with us. Here's what some of them said.

★★★★★

"Sat my GCSE Arabic here as a private candidate since it wasn't offered at my school. The staff made everything so easy to arrange. Extremely professional from start to finish."

Private CandidateGCSE Arabic
★★★★★

"Used Ark's mock exam service to get predicted grades for my UCAS application. The feedback was incredibly insightful. A truly helpful and supportive experience."

Private CandidateUCAS Predicted Grades · Mock Exam Service
★★★★★

"Took A Level Computer Science with Ark and completed my NEA project under their supervision. Smooth, professional, fair pricing. The quality of service exceeded my expectations."

Private CandidateA Level Computer Science · OCR NEA Supervised
★★★★★

"You helped me pass my GCSE English and Maths resits. Without your support and motivation from day one, I would not have been able to do it. I am so grateful."

JasminderGCSE Maths & English Resits
★★★★★

"Thank you for always being there over the past two years. Thank you again for pushing me to be the best I can be!"

NadharaTwo Years of Support
★★★★★

"Without you I would probably still be panicking for all my science tests. You made my revision and life a little less stressful. I thought I was doomed before you started teaching me."

AndreeaScience Tuition
★★★★★

"I really appreciate your unwavering confidence and support. I never would have been able to take these first steps forward without you!"

MelissaStatistics Exams
★★★★★

"Ark Tuition has been instrumental in helping me achieve my professional goals. You have been lovely to work with — I wish you both nothing but the best."

ZainabProfessional Goals Achieved
★★★★★

"Thank you very much for all your help and support — we really appreciate it. God bless you all."

The Ahadi Family

Before exam day

Quick answers to the questions we hear most. Full list on our FAQ page.

View all FAQs →

Yes. If you are sitting a General Qualification exam, such as a GCSE or A Level, you must bring photographic ID with you on the day of your exam. This should be the same ID used at registration, for example a current valid passport. Candidates without the required photographic ID may not be permitted to sit the exam. For other qualifications, including professional, vocational or on-demand exams, ID requirements may vary. Please check the requirements set by your awarding body or test provider before attending the centre.

For General Qualification exams, such as GCSEs and A Levels, morning sessions start at 9:00am and afternoon sessions usually start at 1:30pm. For vocational, professional and on-demand examinations, start times vary and are based on your individual booking. Please refer to your booking confirmation or contact us if you are unsure of your scheduled start time. We recommend arriving at least 30 minutes before your scheduled exam time to allow for registration and identification checks.

We recommend arriving 30 minutes before your start time.

Where there are no restrictions, you may leave once you have completed your exam. For exams with key times, you will be asked to wait under supervised conditions until the correct key time.

For GCSEs, A Levels and other qualifications, simply complete the relevant online registration form. We will register you with the awarding body. For Pearson Professional tests, you must register directly with the awarding organisation or test provider