Poland in the UK

English and Mathematics are the compulsory subjects for the GCSE exams in England. Nonetheless, as part of a recommendation from the Department for Education, many secondary schools in England require the approach of five GCSE-level subjects under the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) program.

To obtain EBacc, you must pass GCSE exams in the following required subjects:

• English Language and Literature,
• Mathematics,
• Science,
• Geography or History,
• A foreign language (any, including Polish).

Several exam boards, such as Pearson Edexcel, OCR, WJEC, AQA, and CCEA in Northern Ireland, offer GCSE exams. AQA exclusively offers the Polish language at the GCSE and A-levels.

GCSE exams can be taken at exam centres. Exam centres are authorised to organise and conduct state examinations at the GCSE and A-levels, among other levels. Examination centres may be managed by schools, educational institutions, training centres or other organisations that have obtained the appropriate authorisation from the relevant educational/examination authorities.

The main tasks of the UK examination centres include:

• Organisation of exams,
• Registration of candidates for examinations,
• Ensuring compliance with examination procedures and rules,
• Providing exam results to candidates,
• Ensuring the credibility and integrity of the examination process.

Polish can be taken at an accredited exam centre offering exams provided by the AQA exam board, which, in most cases, is the child's state school. The list of accredited exam centres for AQA can be found here.

To enter your child for the Polish language examination, you should contact the head of MFL or an exam officer/exam coordinator at your child's secondary school.

Expressing your willingness to enrol your child for the exam as early as possible is important. You can do this by speaking with representatives from secondary education institutions during open days before selecting a secondary school. Notifying the school about your child's intention to take Polish language lessons during the transition period between primary and secondary school is also recommended.

The AQA Examination Board offers examination centres to enter their students for the examination on a primary date (usually mid-February for exams in the summer session. The exam centres may still accept applications after this date (late entry); nevertheless, it is combined with an increased entry fee for the exams (usually as part of a very late entry in April). See here for more information on AQA's dates for accepting enrolment from exam centres.

Please note that registration deadlines for Polish language GCSE exams may vary from one exam centre to another due to their internal regulations. It is advisable to declare your desire to take the GCSE Polish language exams no later than at the beginning of the school year in which you want your child to take the exams, and then at the beginning of January, ensure that your child is enrolled. It is best to contact the relevant exam centre for accurate information on the subject.

From the perspective of the UK state exam regulators, the Polish language GCSE exam can be taken by anyone resident in the UK with no age restriction, usually in Y10 or Y11. In the case of languages, it happens that young people choose to take the exams in the earlier years. However, many centres authorised to conduct examinations reserve the right to accept children only from year ten (Y10). However, this is not a requirement of the exam regulators but an internal arrangement of some exam centres. It is advisable to contact the relevant examination centre for accurate information on the subject.a

Exam centres typically enrol candidates in Polish language exams. However, if an examination centre refuses to enrol your child for the exam, you should inquire about the reason.

The most common reasons for refusals are:

1. Lack of funds to organise the exam,
2. Unfamiliarity with the requirements of the specification, difficulty in finding a suitably qualified person authorised to conduct the oral examination,
3. Staff shortages, i.e., Polish-speaking teaching staff to enable support for the student taking the exam,
4. The lack of a Polish language GCSE exam preparation courses at the school in question,
5. Late information about the desire to take the exam, making it impossible to prepare the exams adequately,
6. Child's age, some centres stipulate that they do not enrol children before year ten (Y10),
7. Fear of lack of preparation and low exam results for the candidates.

After obtaining the reason for the refusal, seek a solution to the difficulty or, if no agreement is reached, search for another examination centre from the list of accredited examination centres.

Possible solutions to the difficulties reported by the exam centre:

1. Some people who enrol their child for the exam offer to find another funding source, including private funds, to organise the exam. Cost may include (i) an administrative fee (an entry fee), (ii) hiring an oral examiner, (iii) hiring an invigilator, and (iv) rental of the premises where the exam is held. In London schools, which are also exam centres, the cost of arranging exams ranges on average from £58.60 to £150. If the exam centre is not also a school, the cost of organising the exam increases. The administrative fee is a fee required by AQA. In 2024, the administrative fee for enrolment in the Polish language on time for the foundation and higher tiers was £58.60. Once the enrolment deadline is missed (late entry), an additional fee applies; 100% of the base application fee is added to the child's enrolment fee. When the enrolment deadline is significantly missed (very late entry), an additional fee is 150% of the base enrolment fee and is added to the child's enrolment fee.
2. Some parents send their children to Polish language classes at one of the local Polish Saturday Schools in the UK or to private Polish language classes, which offer the assistance of qualified teachers who can answer all the exam officer's questions.
3. It is advisable to hire an outside Polish language GCSE professional for a few sessions to support your child's preparation or ask a local Polish school for help.
4. It is advisable to enrol your child in a preparatory course (at a Polish school or with a private tutor) for the exam and keep the English school updated on your child's progress and predicted grade. You can also request a certificate from the educational institution organising the course to confirm the student's regular attendance.
5. It is advisable to express willingness to take the Polish language exam as soon as possible.
6. It is advisable to wait until your child reaches the appropriate age or search for another exam centre that accepts younger children.
7. In this case, a mock exam of the Polish language is advised. Many schools choose to hold mock exams and have them checked by a GCSE Polish language teacher from outside the school. Another option may be to conduct tests with the child at home and hire a qualified professional to mark the work and determine the child's level of language proficiency.   

You can enrol in a Polish language course at the GCSE level at a local Polish Saturday School (for a list of Polish Saturday Schools, see here) or hire a private Polish language teacher. Some English schools choose to hire a person to teach Polish at the GCSE Polish language level if more than a few candidates are willing to take the exam.

AQA recommends – but does not require – a two-year preparation course for the GCSE Polish. Polish Saturday Schools offer both year-long intensive courses and two-year courses, as the exam board recommends.

AQA recommends – but does not require – between 120 and 140 hours of study under the guidance of a teacher.

GCSE Polish examination is held during the so-called summer exam series – every year, usually between April and June. The first is a speaking exam, followed by reading and listening exams (both on the same day). The last exam is writing. Examination dates are published annually at the beginning of each new school year. You can find the dates of GCSE exams organised by AQA annually here.

No, there is no such requirement from AQA. The child can prepare for the exam independently. Nevertheless, some exam centres require taking such a course. Preparing for an exam on your own can be challenging for candidates, so it is worth considering enrolling in a GCSE Polish exam preparation course.

Yes, in many cases, GCSE Polish language exams are fee-based. The exam fee is usually charged to candidates by the school or exam centre where they take the exam. The cost of the exam may vary depending on the exam centre. However, many schools cover the cost of organising the exams. It is advisable to contact the relevant examination centre for accurate information on fees.

The exam centre should handle finding and assessing the qualifications or training of the person conducting the exam. However, they may ask for help finding the right person if they find it difficult.

Generally, the person conducting the oral exam should not be related to the person taking the exam. However, in exceptional cases where there is a lack of a suitably qualified person to conduct the exam, the examination centre may request permission for a candidate's family member to participate as an examiner, provided that the examination centre employs them. If so, the conflict of interest should be reported immediately to irregularities@aqa.org.uk.