To offer Pearson Edexcel International GCSE or International A Level, a school must be an approved Pearson centre. Schools outside the UK start by registering interest online. Pearson says a Regional Manager will contact them within two working days to discuss approval. Pearson runs a credit check, and publishes little else about the international process.
Who needs Pearson approval?
Any school that wants to enter its own students. Pearson says: “To offer any of our academic, vocational, or work-based qualifications, your organisation must be one of our approved ‘centres’” (Pearson). Without approval, students can only sit as private candidates, and Pearson’s IAL manual notes that private candidates’ entries “must be made through an approved centre”.
What is the process for international schools?
Short at the start, then handled by a Regional Manager. Pearson’s steps:
| Stage | What Pearson says |
|---|---|
| Register interest | Non-UK schools: “please complete a short form to register your interest and we’ll get in touch to discuss the next steps” |
| First contact | ”International Centres: Once we have received the form, please allow up to 2 working days for a Regional Manager to contact you to discuss the process of gaining approval” |
| Credit check | ”We will obtain a credit report from Dun & Bradstreet which will be used to determine the level of credit that can be granted” |
| Approval | Discussed with the Regional Manager; the international timeline is not published |
Sources: Becoming a centre; Approvals: Becoming a Pearson registered centre (11 August 2026).
For comparison, Pearson says UK approvals “may take between 5–20 working days” depending on the application type. It gives no equivalent figure for international centres.
How much does Pearson centre approval cost?
Pearson’s UK support site says “a fee of £1000 is charged to all post-16 organisations wishing to gain centre approval to deliver any Pearson qualifications”. It does not say whether this applies to international schools. Exam entry fees for schools outside the UK come from the regional office: Pearson asks non-UK centres to “contact your local regional office” (Pearson fees). Ask your Regional Manager for approval and entry fees in writing. Late-fee rules are public: from the late fee date “the entry … fee is doubled”, and it is “trebled from the high late fee date”. See exam fees 2026-27.
How does this compare with becoming a Cambridge school?
Cambridge publishes more of its process:
| Pearson Edexcel | Cambridge International | |
|---|---|---|
| First step | Register interest online | Express interest online |
| First contact | Regional Manager “within 2 working days" | "Within five working days” |
| Published stages | Register interest; Regional Manager discussion | Four steps: interest, application form, approval visit, contract |
| Stated timeline | Not published for international centres | ”Around 12 weeks” |
| Published approval fee | £1,000 on UK support site for post-16 organisations | Application fee; amount not published |
| Credit check | Dun & Bradstreet report | Not stated |
See how to become a Cambridge International school. Many schools are centres for both boards and choose subject by subject. See Cambridge vs Edexcel for schools.
What should a school have ready before contacting Pearson?
Pearson doesn’t publish an international checklist, so this is our recommendation, based on what any awarding body will ask about:
- Government approval to operate, and any approval needed for a foreign curriculum.
- The qualifications and subjects you want to offer, and your first exam series. International GCSE runs in May/June and November. IAL runs in January, June and October.
- An exams officer and a named head of centre.
- Secure storage and exam rooms for question papers and sittings.
- Company and financial details, since Pearson runs a credit check.
- Onscreen readiness, if you plan to use Pearson’s onscreen exams. See Pearson onscreen exams.
What changes once a school is approved?
The school takes on centre responsibilities for entries, secure materials and deadlines. For IAL in particular, the calendar is busier. Units are banked across three series, and cash-in codes must be entered: “no grade can be issued unless the cash-in code is entered”. See the IAL modular strategy guide and Cambridge vs Edexcel IAL.
How schools do this with AI Buddy
New Pearson centres often have teachers new to Edexcel specifications. AI Buddy provides past-paper-style questions for Pearson Edexcel International GCSE and IAL, marked instantly. Departments can build practice and mocks from the first term and see cohort readiness before their first entry deadline. Approval itself is between the school and Pearson.
Frequently asked questions
How does a school become a Pearson Edexcel centre?
Schools outside the UK register interest through Pearson’s online form. A Regional Manager then contacts them, within two working days according to Pearson, to discuss approval.
How long does Pearson centre approval take?
Pearson does not publish a timeline for international centres. For UK centres it says approval may take 5–20 working days, depending on the application type.
How much does it cost to become a Pearson centre?
Pearson’s UK support site states a £1,000 fee for post-16 organisations seeking centre approval. International schools should confirm approval and entry fees with their regional office.
Can students take Edexcel exams without an approved centre?
Only as private candidates, whose entries must still be made through an approved centre.
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Sources
- Pearson, Becoming a centre and Fees
- Pearson Support, Approvals: Becoming a Pearson registered centre (11 August 2026)
- Pearson, International Advanced Level Information Manual 2025/26 and Key dates 2026/2027