Frequently asked questions

The March series is normally only available to schools in India. For March 2021 only we are also offering the March series to schools in Indonesia, Nepal, and Myanmar because many schools in those countries were unable to take part in the November 2020 series because of Covid-19.

The syllabuses available in the March exam series are those that receive the most entries from our schools in India, or that that we know are important to our schools in India.

For a list of available syllabuses, see this webpage. If a particular syllabus is not included in the March series, you can check to see if it is available in our June or November series.

Entries for Cambridge O Level syllabuses in India are significantly lower than entries for Cambridge IGCSE. Schools can still make entries for Cambridge O Level syllabuses in the June and November series.

Yes, the Cambridge ICE diploma is available in the March series. Candidates may enter syllabuses that contribute to the Cambridge ICE group award either in a single examination series or over two examination series, provided they are held during a 13-month period.

You must make a separate entry for students who wish to enter for the Cambridge ICE Award. This is done by entering the group award entry code ICE along with the syllabus entry codes. For two series students you must make the Cambridge ICE entry in their final examination series. Previous entry details must also be submitted for students who require results achieved in previous series to be included in the award of Cambridge ICE.

Failure to include ICE in the student entry will result in only Cambridge IGCSE certificates being issued without the Cambridge ICE certificate. You can find full details of the choice of subjects and entry criteria for the Cambridge ICE Award in the Cambridge Guide to Making Entries.

No, Cambridge Checkpoint is not available in the March series. The March series only includes specific Cambridge IGCSE and Cambridge International AS and A Level syllabuses.

We do not produce separate syllabuses for the March series. The ‘syllabus updates’ section on each syllabus webpage will highlight any differences for the March series. See this webpage to see what syllabuses are available in March.

For March 2021 we are making some additional adjustments to help schools disrupted by Covid-19. See this webpage for more details.

Yes, there is a separate eNewletter for the March exams series. The newsletter is sent automatically to all exams officers at our centres in India that have eligibility to offer Cambridge IGCSEs and AS & A Levels. We will also be sending it to exams officers in Indonesia, Nepal and Myanmar for the March 2021 series only.

If you are not receiving it, please contact us by emailing info@cambridgeinternational.org and we will add you to our distribution list. Please let us know if you change your email address.

At the moment, we plan to run the exams in future series as normal. We continue to monitor the global disruption caused by Covid-19 and we will update you if the situation regarding future exam series changes. We have published a range of adaptations to support schools and students. We are looking urgently at what more support we can give schools who have lost valuable teaching time as a result of the pandemic, and we will provide more information in early December.

If you are concerned that your candidate is unable to return to their registered centre to take their March series exams you can apply for them to transfer to another registered Cambridge centre, if the centre is eligible to make entries for the March 2021 series. Candidates who need to move to another centre can only continue with the exams if they move to a centre registered with us. Candidates cannot transfer to another centre for specific syllabuses or components. They can only transfer for all of their assessments in an exam series. Read the process for transferring candidates.

If this is not possible you can withdraw the entries before the end of the day on 14 December and we will issue you a credit. You can then enter the candidate for future exam series.

You must follow your usual Key Times when running exams in the March series. You must also make sure you are using the correct timetable for your administrative zone.

• Find your administrative zone: www.cambridgeinternational.org/adminzone
• Check your Key Times: www.cambridgeinternational.org/keytimes
• Find your timetable in ‘Support Materials’ area of Direct: Cambridge International Direct

If your centre is in Zone 5, you must follow your usual Key Times when running exams in the March series. All your exams will need to be timetabled using your afternoon (PM) and/or evening (EVE) Key Times, as shown on the Zone 5 timetable. You cannot timetable exams using your morning (AM) Key Time. You must make sure you are using the correct timetable for you administrative zone. Where possible, you can timetable exams to end at your Key Time for the PM or EVE session, so that exams do not finish too late in the evening.

You must follow your usual Key Times when running exams in the March series. All your exams will need to be timetabled using your afternoon (PM) and/or evening (EVE) Key Times, as shown in the Zone 5 timetable. You cannot timetable exams using your morning (AM) Key Time. You must make sure you are using the correct timetable for your administrative zone. Where possible, you can timetable exams to end at your Key Time for the PM or EVE session, so that exams do not finish too late in the evening.

• Check your Key Times: www.cambridgeinternational.org/keytimes
• Find your timetable in ‘Support Materials’ area of Direct: Cambridge International Direct

The exams series itself will take place in February and March and results will be available in May. Important dates include:

• Final entry deadline for first-time entries: 27 November 2020.
• Deadline for applying for access arrangements: 27 November 2020.
• Late entries deadline for first-time entries: 14 December 2020.
• Final deadline for retake entries from the November 2020 series: 22 January 2021.
• Question papers sent: mid January 2021.
• Exam series starts: 8 February 2021.
• Exam series ends: 12 March 2021.
• Provisional results released on Direct: 25 May 2021.
• Deadline for enquiries about results: 11 June 2021.
• Certificates sent: late June 2021.

You can find the key dates and Cambridge Administrative Guide for the March 2021 series here.

You must make sure you are using the correct timetable for your administrative zone:

• Find your administrative zone: www.cambridgeinternational.org/adminzone
• Check your Key Times: www.cambridgeinternational.org/keytimes
• Find your timetable in ‘Support Materials’ area of Direct: Cambridge International Direct

Yes. There are differences in the content of some syllabuses between the November 2020 and March 2021 series that you may need to know about.

For example:

• Cambridge IGCSE History (0470) has a different topic for component 2 for each exam series and year. Therefore, you must make sure you are teaching the correct topic so your candidates are prepared for the exam in March 2021.
• Cambridge International AS & A Level History (9489) replaces AS & A Level History (9389) from 2021 and 9389 is not available in the March series. Therefore, you cannot carry forward AS Level marks for 9389 from the November 2020 to the March 2021 series. Instead, your candidates will need to take the whole A Level (9489) again. However, 9389 is still available in the June and November series in 2021.

See our ‘syllabus changes for the March 2021 exam series’ page for details of all the differences in syllabuses for the March 2021 series.

No, the Cambridge Administrative Guide for the March Series, the final timetable, and the Cambridge Guide to Making Entries are only available online here: www.cambridgeinternational.org/march - we will not send you a printed copy.

Yes. These are available on the March series section of the website.

You must send us estimated entries for all the syllabuses and components you plan to make entries for. This is a new regulation for the March series only, to help us with question paper production. we will not send you a printed estimated entry form.

You must submit estimated entries for the March series using our online form – we will not send you a printed form. Estimated entries are your calculation of how many candidates you will enter for exams. We use estimated entries to work out which materials and question papers you need for exams that take place before the main exam period. See section 2.2 of the Cambridge Handbook.

The Cambridge Guide to Making Entries tell you how to make entries for:

• Cambridge IGCSEs.
• Cambridge International AS & A Levels.

The Cambridge Guide to Making Entries is available on our website: www.cambridgeinternational.org/march.

You can also find video tutorials and additional help on our website here.

The Cambridge Administrative Guide for the March Series, the final timetable, and the Cambridge Guide to Making Entries are only available online here: www.cambridgeinternational.org/march - we will not send you a printed copy.

You need to submit a final syllabus entry on Direct for every candidate who is planning to sit an exam. Your final entries tell us how many candidates will sit each syllabus and component at your centre, so we can work out the number of question papers and other exam materials we need to send you. Your final entries also tell us how many completed exam scripts we should receive back from your centre, after your candidates sit their exam(s). When we receive your exam scripts, we match them to your final entries, to make sure we can release a result for all your candidates.

Check your final entries carefully before you submit them. We charge late entry fees for any entries or amendments you submit after the entries deadline. Your Cambridge Guide to Making Entries contains syllabus and option codes, along with detailed instructions about submitting entries to us. You must make final entries for each candidate for each syllabus and option required.

You can make changes or amendments to your entries until the deadlines shown below. However, if you make entries or amendments after 27 November, we will charge a late entry fee, see the fees list in the ‘My Messages’ section of Direct.

• Final entry deadline for first-time entries: 27 November 2020.
• Late entries deadline for first-time entries: 14 December 2020.
• Final deadline for retake entries from the November 2020 series: 22 January 2021.

We might not accept entries or amendments after these dates because we may not have enough time to send you the question papers and other materials you need for the exam. If you need to make entries or amendments after 22 January 2021 then please contact us so we can support you: info@cambridgeinternational.org.

For more information, see the Cambridge Guide to Making Entries: www.cambridgeinternational.org/march

If you have already submitted your entries on Direct, you can still make changes before the entry deadline, and then re-submit your amendments to us using the 'Amendments to Submit' tab. You can find more details in the Cambridge Guide to Making Entries: www.cambridgeinternational.org/march

If you make entries or amendments after 27 November 2020, we will charge a late entry fee, see the fees list in the ‘My Messages’ section of Direct. We might not accept entries or amendments after the entry deadlines, because we may not have enough time to send you the question papers and other materials you need for the exam.

You can check your entries are correct on Direct:

1. Log in to Direct and click ‘Administer Exams’.
2. Select the relevant exam series link on the dashboard.
3. Click ‘Entries’. You can see all your entries.

Statements of entry are available to download from Direct within 48 hours of submitting your entries. We do not send printed statements of entry.

You can also find the following documents in the 'My Messages' section of Direct, we do not send you printed copies of these documents:

• Statements of entry.
• Candidate entry list.
• Centre summary of entries.
• Candidate entry warning list.

The candidate name shown on the statement of entry is the name that we will print on statements of results and certificates. You must ask your candidates to confirm that the name shown is correct. Any amendments to certificates may be subject to a fee.

You can make entries until the late entries deadline. However, if you make entries or amendments after 27 November 2020, we will charge a late entry fee, see the fees list in the ‘My Messages’ section of Direct.

We might not accept entries or amendments after the entry deadlines, because we may not have enough time to send you the question papers and other materials you need for the exam.

Our final entry deadline for the March series is 27 November 2020. Fees for late entries will be charged as normal. However, a school will receive credit for any withdrawals made before the end of the day on 14 December 2020. This is to support schools that may be uncertain about making entries because of the ongoing impact of the pandemic.

Yes. You can submit entries for candidates entered in the previous November series without incurring late entry fees up until 22 January 2020.

November 2020 results will be available on Direct from 11 January for Cambridge International AS & A Levels and from 19 January for Cambridge IGCSEs.

The 13-month rule extension does not apply beyond November 2020, so marks can only be carried forward from March 2020 and/or November 2020 to March 2021. This means the March 2021 entry options will broadly work as normal.

It is not possible to carry forward marks from the June 2020 series. This is because the exams did not take place and we issued grades only, and did not calculate marks. For example, candidates normally carry forward the AS Level mark and not the grade but as they do not have a mark, they will not be able to carry forward their AS Level result to A Level in the usual way.

The only exception to this is where a March 2021 A Level candidate wants to be graded solely on their performance on the A2 components; this would be indicated by selecting an option code that includes a June carry forward component. The candidate would have needed to have been entered in June 2020 for either AS or the full A Level for the syllabus for this grading route to be available to them.

Yes. You can enter candidates for the March, June, or November series.

No. The fees for the March series will be the same as our other exam series.

You should use the samples database on our website: www.cambridgeinternational.org/samples – this contains information for the March exam series, as well as June and November.

To see March specific information, select India from the Country/territory dropdown. This will give you a March series drop down option.

Yes, we have made adjustments to certain components for the March 2021 series to help schools disrupted by Covid-19. For example, the adjustments give candidates more flexibility in producing certain coursework or change reduce the compulsory elements of a course.

See our website for more information.

We do not send you printed statements of entry. They are available to download from the ‘My Messages’ section of Cambridge International Direct after you have submitted your entries.

We understand that there may be circumstances when a school needs to withdraw all of its entries because of national or local restrictions that relate to Covid-19. You must first tell us you need to withdraw entries and keep the entry on our system until you receive instructions from us. A school will receive credit for any withdrawals made before the end of the day on 14 December 2020.

You must follow your usual Key Times when running exams in the March series. You must also make sure you are using the correct timetable for your administrative zone.

• Find your administrative zone: www.cambridgeinternational.org/adminzone
• Check your Key Times: www.cambridgeinternational.org/keytimes
• Find your timetable in ‘Support Materials’ area of Direct: Cambridge International Direct

If your centre is in Zone 5, you must follow your usual Key Times when running exams in the March series. All your exams will need to be timetabled using your afternoon (PM) and/or evening (EVE) Key Times, as shown on the Zone 5 timetable. You cannot timetable exams using your morning (AM) Key Time. You must make sure you are using the correct timetable for you administrative zone. Where possible, you can timetable exams to end at your Key Time for the PM or EVE session, so that exams do not finish too late in the evening.

You must follow your usual Key Times when running exams in the March series. More details about your administrative zone, and your Key Times, are available on our website:

• Check your administrative zone: www.cambridgeinternational.org/adminzone
• Check your Key Times: www.cambridgeinternational.org/keytimes

We understand that there may be circumstances when a school needs to withdraw all of its entries because of national or local restrictions that relate to Covid-19. You must first tell us you need to withdraw entries and keep the entry on our system until you receive instructions from us. A school will receive credit for any withdrawals made before the end of the day on 14 December 2020.

Individual syllabuses specify whether you are able to do this or not. If this option is available, you can carry marks forward once within a 13-month period for Cambridge IGCSEs and twice for Cambridge AS Levels. See section 2 of the Cambridge Administrative Guide for the March series: www.cambridgeinternational.org/march. You cannot carry forward marks for the March series to the following June series because there is not enough time to do so.

We plan to release results on 25 May 2021 on Direct. We plan to send out your provisional results despatch by the end of May 2021.

The deadline for submitting enquiries about results is shorter than for the June and November exam series. The deadline for enquiries is 11 June 2021. You should refer to the enquiries about results guide (March series) available on our website

We plan to send your certificates to you by mid-June 2021.