Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether military personnel are permitted to sit or re-sit GCSEs once their initial training has come to an end.

Members of the Armed Forces can sit, or re-sit, a GCSE at any point in their career, provided they do so through a recognised examination centre. Service Education centres are able to provide this facility free of charge in the UK and when serving overseas.

Where Service personnel choose to sit examinations at an external Examination Centre, for example where the examination is not offered by their Service Education Centre, financial support is provided through the Standard Learning Credit Scheme which allows Service personnel to claim 80% of course and examination fees (including GCSEs), up to a maximum of £175 per financial year. Standard Learning Credits are unable to be used for an examination resit only, as a course of instruction must be included.

Military personnel are also entitled to use Colleges of Further Education to attend a variety of education courses and to take examinations and resits, subject to payment of the appropriate fees.