25 Jun 2021
Our Grade Submission system closed on 16 June, and many of you will be in the process of sharing evidence and rationale documents with us as part of our Quality Assurance process.
Today we are sharing a video message from our Chief Executive, Christine Özden for our schools and learners. Christine would like to share her appreciation for all your incredible efforts to continue teaching amidst the disruption of recent months and for all the hard work that has gone into delivering the June exam series.
This week’s update includes reminders about our Quality Assurance Process for the June 2021 series, plus the latest guidance on our November 2021 series, including:
- Component exemptions, adjustments and guidance
- Understanding your options
- Special consideration
- Withdrawals
- Withdrawals for Cambridge Checkpoint
June 2021 series
The guidance in this section is for schools using school-assessed grades for the June 2021 series.
Quality Assurance
Now that Quality Assurance is underway, a number of schools have been in touch with questions about the process, and with questions about using the portal. If you have not yet submitted your evidence to us, you can find our guidance for using the Quality Assurance portal.
Last week, we sent out this email with some additional guidance about uploading files. You may find this useful.
If you have any questions about using the portal, please contact us.
Post-results checks and appeals
We are currently finalising guidance for schools about the post-results checks and appeals services we will offer for school-assessed grades in June 2021. We plan to share this with you in our update next week.
November 2021 series
We are planning for exams to go ahead in November 2021 where it is permitted and safe. We know exams are the fairest and most accurate way of assessing candidate performance. We will continue to help schools manage the impact of the pandemic.
Routes to grades for November 21
Component exemptions, adjustments and guidance
As we have already confirmed, component exemptions, component adjustments and guidance for components are available for our November 2021 series. We can now share more details with you about these options:
- Component exemptions – by using a component exemption (also known as a Covid-19 exemption), candidates do not take the component but can still receive an overall syllabus grade. You must apply to use component exemptions and you can do this until 21 September (at 23:59 UTC + 1). Make sure you read and understand our ‘Covid-19 exemptions regulations supplement’. See the component exemptions page of our website for more details about the available exemptions and how to apply.
- Component adjustments – by using a component adjustment, candidates take the component in a way that is easier to manage. They produce a reduced amount of work and you send all the work to us. You must apply for permission to use component adjustments and you can do this until 21 September (at 23:59 UTC + 1). See the component adjustments page of our website for more details about the available adjustments and how to apply.
- Guidance for components – to help you run exams we have provided general guidance for specific syllabuses. You do not need to apply to use this guidance, it is available for all candidates. This may help teachers and candidates adapt their teaching and learning around the disruption caused by Covid-19. See the guidance for components page of our website for more details.
Understanding your options
There are several options available to you and your candidates for November 2021. We have created some resources to help you work out which routes to choose, or how you can use different options at the same time:
Interactive guide
Our interactive guide should help you understand the routes to grade options available for your candidates. Start by choosing one of the options to find out more about how that route works, how to use it, and how you might use other routes alongside it.
Our website
To see what support is available, see our November 2021 webpages.
You can find out more about a particular route to grades (guidance for components, component adjustments, component exemptions and/or special consideration) and, if applicable, how to apply.
Scenarios
We know that all our centres and candidates are facing different and changeable situations. The following scenarios are examples of how you might use the different routes to grades, depending on the specific situation your centre and candidates are experiencing.
Scenario 1 - You enter candidates for a syllabus that has three components:
- Candidates are unable to prepare for component 1. You apply to exempt them from that component.
- Candidates are unable to fully prepare for component 3. You apply for component adjustments for some or all candidates to allow them to take the component in a way that is easier to manage.
- Candidates sit the exam for component 2 on the timetabled date.
- We calculate assessed marks for component 1 and your candidates receive a syllabus grade.
Scenario 2 - You enter candidates for a syllabus that has four components:
- You apply to use component adjustments for component 1 for some or all candidates to allow them to take the component in a way that is easier to manage.
- Candidates are unable to prepare for component 2.
- You apply to exempt them from that component.
- Candidates sit the exam for component 3 on the timetabled date.
- One of your candidates is affected on exam day for component 3 by adverse circumstances – for example, non-Covid related illness, injury or bereavement; or by Covid-19, such such as illness and/or self-isolation.
- You apply for special consideration – present but disadvantaged via Direct. If your application is accepted, we will adjust the candidate’s mark for component 3.
- Your country/region then goes into lockdown at short notice. The exam for component 4 will not be able to go ahead.
- You apply for special consideration – absent for an acceptable reason for all candidates due to take the exam for component 4.
- We calculate assessed marks for components 2 and 4 and your candidates receive a syllabus grade.
We know that our package of support and guidance does not explain every situation that you and your candidates may experience. If you still have questions about your route to grades, please contact us: info@cambridgeinternational.org.
Special consideration
Special consideration is a post-exam adjustment that we make to a candidate's mark. We do this to make allowances for some adverse circumstances, for example illness, bereavement, temporary injury or disruption to an exam.
We know many of you have questions about special consideration, and whether we will expand our special consideration process in November 2021 for candidates who, for an acceptable reason, miss some components they were entered for. We will provide more information about this as soon as possible.
Withdrawals
We understand that you may need to withdraw candidates for Covid-specific reasons. To support you, we have extended our withdrawal deadline until 21 September 2021. We recommend that you keep your entries on Direct until as close to 21 September 2021 as possible, to reduce the administration work you may need to do if you withdraw candidates early and then re-enter them. Until 21 September 2021 you can withdraw candidates on Direct and still receive a credit.
If candidates have to miss every component of a syllabus for a Covid-specific or medical reason, you can still withdraw them until 25 November 2021 and you will receive a credit. If this happens please email us at info@cambridgeinternational.org. We generate invoices weekly. We recommend you pay for the entries you know you have made within normal payment terms and the credit will follow.
Please note: Our entry deadlines for the November 2021 series have not changed and remain as published. You can find them on the key dates page here.
Withdrawals for Cambridge Checkpoint – October 2021 test series
We have extended our withdrawal deadline for Cambridge Checkpoint so, until 16 September 2021, you can withdraw candidates on Direct and still receive a credit. We recommend that you keep your entries on Direct until as close to 16 September 2021 as possible, to reduce the administration work you may need to do if you withdraw candidates early and then re-enter them. If candidates have to miss every component of a syllabus for a Covid-specific or medical reason, you can still withdraw them until 22 October 2021 and you will receive a credit. If this happens, please email us at info@cambridgeinternational.org.
Stay in touch
You can find all our advice on our Covid-19 information page.
If you have any questions, you can review our frequently asked questions, or contact us via our Help website. For British Council partner schools, please contact your local British Council representative.
We wish everyone in the Cambridge International community well at this time.
