Component exemptions

If candidates cannot complete the entire course content, you should apply for an exemption for the component you have not been able to teach. We recommend that candidates should only be exempted from component 1 as a last resort. In the first instance, you should try to exempt candidates from component 2, 3, 4 or 5. We do not recommend exemptions from component 1 because this assesses two out of the three genres covered by the whole syllabus. You may have to change your usual entry option to make sure this flexibility meets the needs of your teachers and candidates. You must be able to justify why you are applying for an exemption from any component.

There are no compulsory components but candidates must be assessed in at least 50% of the syllabus. Calculating an assessed mark using less than 50% of the assessment means candidates risk receiving a grade that does not reflect their capabilities.

Candidates cannot answer on just part of a component. For example, if they are sitting Component 1, Poetry and prose, they must answer on both the poetry and prose sections.

You can find the entry option codes that match the combination of components your candidates enter below and in the ‘Cambridge Guide to making entries’, available on Cambridge International Direct.

• A Components 1 and 2 – Poetry and prose, Drama
• B Components 1, 3 and 4 – Poetry and prose, Drama (open text), Unseen
• C Components 1, 3 and 5 – Poetry and prose, Drama (open text), Coursework
• D Components 1, 3 and 5 – Poetry and prose, Drama (open text), Coursework carried forward

Please see section 5.5.3 of the Cambridge Handbook for more information.

No. You can select individuals or groups of students for exemption from a component. This allows flexibility in circumstances that may not affect all students – for example, if some students are learning remotely and others learning in your centre.

When applying for exemptions, you must tell us why your students cannot take the full assessment. We are not asking for further evidence. However, you must have explored how you could prepare candidates for the full assessment before you apply for a Covid-19 exemption.

If your candidates complete other components in the syllabus, we will calculate an assessed mark for the exempted component. An assessed mark is an estimated mark based on the candidate’s performance in other components in the same syllabus in the current series. We combine this with the marks they gained in the components they were able to sit and produce a syllabus grade. The weighting of each component remains unchanged.

If you are using one or more approved Covid-19 exemptions but your circumstances change and you can prepare students for a component, then you can withdraw from an exemption. Email us before the exam is taken at covidexemptions@cambridgeinternational.org with the subject line ‘June 2021 Covid-19 exemptions’ and an explanation of your request.

No. We will make sure all students receive a grade that reflects their attainment.

We asked schools to send us your feedback on our initial list of components that would be eligible for Covid-19 exemptions. The list of components eligible for a Covid-19 exemption above was updated in response to that feedback and we have published our response to your feedback here (PDF, 339KB).