How it works
NEO is a Tutors & Exams Referral Partner. That means our learners can sit their exams as private candidates at any of their centres across the UK, with a partner discount on standard entry fees. The exam entry itself is made by the parent or carer, directly with Tutors & Exams — not by NEO, and not by a Local Authority — so that the family sees and agrees the centre's terms, fees and refund rules for their own child.
- We agree the learner is ready
The learner's Qualified Educators and Practitioner-Mentor confirm the subject, the awarding organisation, the specification code and (for maths) the tier. We put all of this in writing for you, so the application form can be completed without guesswork.
- The parent or carer applies online
You complete the Tutors & Exams application form on their website, choose the most convenient centre, select "learning partner" and give NEO's name and partner code. We give families the code directly at onboarding; please don't share it.
- Access arrangements are put in place
If the learner needs extra time, rest breaks, a reader, a scribe, a word processor or a smaller room, you say so on the application and upload the evidence. The Tutors & Exams access arrangements team then works with you directly, and we help you gather what they need.
- Tutors & Exams takes it from there
The centre confirms the entry, sends a statement of entry, timetable and joining instructions, and runs the exam day. Results and certificates go straight to the family. Please share results with us — we don't receive them automatically.
What you will need to apply
Tutors & Exams only treats an application as complete once everything is in, so have these ready before you start. When you are ready, apply on the Tutors & Exams website.
- The learner's details — full legal name as it should appear on the certificate, date of birth and home address.
- Subject, awarding organisation, specification code and tier — we give you these in writing. Most NEO learners sit Pearson Edexcel International GCSEs (for example English Language A 4EA1, Mathematics A 4MA1 Foundation or Higher).
- Photo ID — a passport or driving licence. A learner with no photo ID can use the centre's "no ID" form instead.
- A head-and-shoulders photo of the learner. It is printed on their desk card on exam day, alongside their name, the date, the time and the exact paper, so they can check everything is right before they start.
- Access arrangements needs and evidence — see below.
- Payment — entry fees are paid directly to Tutors & Exams by the family or, where a Local Authority is funding them, as agreed with the commissioner. Exam fees are separate from NEO fees.
Check with us first.
A wrong specification code or tier cannot always be corrected after the deadline. Before you submit the form, ask your Practitioner-Mentor or email neo@nudgeeducation.online and we will confirm the details for your child in writing.
You can visit a centre before exam day. Tutors & Exams hold monthly open days from December, with no booking needed, and most centres run in-person mock exams.
Access arrangements
Tutors & Exams have a specialist access arrangements team and process a high volume of them every year. Arrangements are approved by the centre against the awarding organisation's rules — NEO cannot approve them, but we can make the evidence strong.
Access arrangements reflect a learner's normal way of working. That is where NEO helps: from the first weeks of a placement, our SENCo and Qualified Educators record how a learner actually works — the extra time they use, the rest breaks they take, whether they type rather than write — so that when the application is made, the evidence is already there. Where a learner has an EHCP, a diagnostic report or a letter from a specialist, keep a copy ready to upload.
The centre's access arrangements team contacts the bill payer directly if more evidence is needed. Please reply quickly; arrangements cannot be put in place without the evidence file, and the deadline is earlier than the entry deadline.
Evidence by 20 December.
For the summer 2027 series, Tutors & Exams need access arrangements applications and all supporting evidence by 20 December 2026. If your child will need any arrangement, apply as early as you can — there is no advantage in waiting.
Key dates — summer 2027
Tutors & Exams' deadlines are earlier than the awarding organisations' own, because the centre checks every application before it is submitted. A complete application — information, evidence and payment — must be in by the standard deadline to pay the standard fee. Dates below are from the Tutors & Exams 2026–27 calendar; always check the Tutors & Exams entry deadline dates page for the current version.
| What | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Access arrangements — application and all evidence | Sun 20 Dec 2026 |
| Standard entry deadline — all UK and International qualifications | Sun 7 Feb 2027 |
| Entries close — Art & Design, Fine Art and other portfolio subjects | Sun 7 Feb 2027 |
| Late fees apply from | Mon 8 Feb 2027 |
| Entries close — subjects with coursework, practicals or speaking assessments | Sun 14 Mar 2027 |
| Entries close — everything else | Sun 4 Apr 2027 |
Pearson Edexcel International GCSEs also have a January series, so a learner who is ready early, or who needs a second attempt, is not always waiting until the summer. Ask us about timing — we enter learners when they are ready, not by year group.
Who does what
NEO
Teaches the course and prepares the learner. Confirms subject, specification, tier and readiness in writing. Gathers evidence of the learner's normal way of working. Helps the family through the application. Arranges in-lesson mock papers.
The family
Makes the entry on the Tutors & Exams website, agrees their terms, pays the entry fee, uploads ID and evidence, and is the centre's point of contact. Gets the learner to the centre on the day. Receives results and certificates.
Tutors & Exams
Approved examination centre. Processes the entry and access arrangements, provides the venue and invigilation, issues the statement of entry and timetable, runs the exam day, and administers results, post-results services and certificates.
NEO is not an examination centre and does not make entries. Commissioners who want exam fees included in a placement should raise this at referral so it can be written into the agreement.
Remote invigilation
For some Pearson Edexcel International GCSE subjects — including English Language A, English Literature and Mathematics A — Tutors & Exams can arrange exams at home with a dedicated remote invigilator through their remote invigilation service. It suits learners living abroad or a long way from a centre, and it carries an additional Pearson charge per subject on top of the entry fee. The learner needs a laptop with a webcam, a printer, a scanner and a second device positioned to show the room, and must pass a short systems check six weeks before the exam. Practical and portfolio subjects, including Art & Design and Human Biology, cannot be sat this way. Email us if you think it is right for your child and we will put you in touch with the remote team.
Still on roll at a school?
Learners on NEO Tuition stay on roll at their current school. In most cases that school remains the exam centre and makes the entry — including for GCSE sciences, where the school signs off the practical work. We work with the school to make sure what we teach lines up with what the learner will be entered for. If the school cannot or will not enter the learner, the Tutors & Exams route above is open to them too.
Questions about exams?
Ask your Practitioner-Mentor, or email us and our examinations officer will come back to you within two working days.
