Becoming a centre requires a number of pre-approval checks, and successful applicants pay a fee for being approved as a centre.
If there is no authorised exam centre near you, and you are interested in applying, we will consider your application in line with our business strategy, existing provision and local conditions.
Before you apply, please check that you can answer these questions:
- Have you identified whether there is a need for a Cambridge English examination centre in your area?
- Is your institution financially sound?
- Could you provide us with a 3-year business plan with sales forecasts?
- Would you be prepared to visit state schools in your area to promote Cambridge English examinations and to increase candidate numbers?
- Do you have suitable computer facilities to enable you to increase the number of computer-based tests?
If you wish to enquire about becoming a centre, please complete our online enquiry form.
Since 2005 we have offered computer-based exam versions of many of our traditional paper-based exams. As leaders in the field of language assessment we are continually developing computer-based exams that ensure that we are at the cutting edge of technological developments.
Benefits of computer-based testing
For centres
- Quicker results turnaround time
- Increased number of test dates and ability to run multiple test sessions on one day
- Entries can be made closer to test dates
- Reduces amount of administrative preparation
- No need to pay for despatch, delivery and shipping duties
For candidates
- Many candidates feel more comfortable taking a test on a computer
- Candidates get their result quicker than paper-based tests
- Comfortable test-taking experience (easy-to-follow tutorial, sound quality using headphones for listening, clock to show how much time is left in the test)
- Answers can be edited as many times as necessary before submitting
- Extensive support material available, including computer-based practice tests
Connect Plus – delivering computer-based testing
Connect Plus, our new software, supports the delivery of our range of exams. Connect Plus is a system that offers the following:
- Easy to use and requires no advanced knowledge of computers, systems or networks
- Can be used on all major operating systems, with a straightforward installation process and user-friendly interface
- Adaptable to network settings and can be run entirely offline, with the possibility of multiple exams being run in one sitting
Find out more
Contact the Cambridge English Helpdesk for more information about what you need to get started with computer-based testing. Your local development manager will be able to help you throughout the registration process, give you details on any requirements and answer any other questions you may have regarding computer-based testing.
Over the last five years we have invited our top-performing centres to be part of our Platinum Centre Scheme. Platinum Centres have access to special benefits, including visits to Cambridge for administrative staff, invigilator, customer service, sales and marketing training and free seminar resources.
We are currently reviewing the scheme to ensure that the benefits offered continue to ensure that our centres represent excellence in quality of exam delivery and customer service standards. While this review is being undertaken we are not expanding our current Platinum Centre Network.
We welcome applications from institutions with a commitment to providing quality teacher training in language teaching. Institutions applying to run courses need to have been operating as an English language centre/department for at least three years and must be accredited by the relevant local accreditation agency.
The initial step in the application process involves matching your institution against the key features of the relevant Teaching Award. Before contacting your local office, we strongly advise you to read through the syllabus handbook and information provided on the Teaching Qualifications page.
If you wish to enquire about becoming a Teaching qualification centre, please complete our online enquiry form.
There are some great benefits of becoming a Cambridge English Preparation Centre. Learn more about how your school can benefit and how you can apply to join our network of more 52,000 registered schools around the world.
Become a Cambridge English Preparation Centre
IELTS (International English Language Testing System) is owned, developed and delivered through a partnership of the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and Cambridge English. The network of IELTS centres is administered by the British Council and IDP Australia.
How to apply to become a centre
Institutions interested in applying to offer IELTS should contact either the British Council or IDP Education Australia directly:
British Council
Visit www.britishcouncil.org or email: ielts@britishcouncil.org
IDP Education Australia
Visit www.idp.com or email: ielts@idp.com
For more information, visit the IELTS website
More and more people take Cambridge English exams to access life opportunities, such as employment, immigration or entry to higher education. Governments, employers, education institutions and other organisations therefore need to be able to trust the reliability and quality of our exams.
By observing our administration regulations, Cambridge English examination centres preserve that trust.
Detailed training and information is available to ensure centres are kept up to date on administering our exams and to explain why certain regulations are important to security. For example:
- ID checks are vital for reducing the risk of impersonation and identity fraud
- Test day photographs provide reassurance that a person presenting an exam certificate is the same person who took the test. Organisations accepting our exam and immigration staff are able to view test day photographs through our online Results Verification Service
- Removing electronic items from candidates before the beginning of a test prevents fraud and malpractice
- Seating plans are used in post-test analysis which can help identify whether malpractice has occurred
- Suitably trained invigilators and supervisors can patrol exam rooms and ensure candidates do not have opportunities to cheat.
In addition to our own inspections, carried out to check that regulations described in our Handbook for Centres are being adhered to, external organisations such as Australia's Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) also reserve the right to perform their own inspections of Cambridge English exam centres.