29 May 2020
The main focus of this update is on supporting schools with submitting grades. We know schools are getting ready to submit grades and rank orders to us via our Grade Submission System, and we are providing a range of support for centres as they use it.
We are also writing with further updates to our FAQs and university applications.
Our updates, FAQs and school support pages continue to be updated regularly, so please bookmark them for your reference.
We will send our next update to schools on 3 June 2020.
Submitting grades and rank orders
Using the Grade Submission System
Our Grade Submission System is now open so that exams officers can set up accounts for heads of centre, as well as any other staff who need access. If you are an exams officer, please make sure you set up an account for your head of centre as soon as possible, as this will make the process for approving and submitting grades easier. You can do this via the system at www.cambridgeinternational.org/submitgrades
Use our guidance to help you set up accounts.
We will open the Grade Submission System on 29 May for you to submit predicted grades and rank orders. It will close on 16 June. We will email exams officers when the system opens.
We have a wide range of support to help you use the Grade Submission System on our website, including:
- A walkthrough video
- A step-by-step online guide
To find this support visit Using the Grade Submission System.
You can also view our comprehensive set of FAQs.
Webinars
We have been running webinars to answer questions from exams officers about using the system. Our next webinars are planned for Wednesday 3 June at 08.30 UTC+1 and 14.30 UTC+1.
Exams officers unable to attend a webinar can access a recording of the session that took place on 27 May.
Demand for these webinars has been high and we plan to run extra sessions on Thursday 4 June. Again, we will send a registration email to exams officers.
Submitting evidence for the June 2020 series
We may ask some schools to provide evidence for the June 2020 series – however, we will not be requesting evidence from all schools. If we need you to provide evidence, we will contact you between 1-22 June with further details about what we need you to send us, and how you can do this. Please do not send us any evidence until we ask you to. Any evidence that we request must be submitted in a digital format.
In addition to last week’s guidance for avoiding bias, we have published a video to explain how teachers can ensure that their judgements about students’ performance are as objective as possible.
Updates to our FAQs
Our updated FAQs are here. Here are some recent key additions:
What has changed for results information in June 2020?
We will provide Statements of Results and Certificates for all candidates entered in the June 2020 series. Our June 2020 results documents will provide candidates with a syllabus grade for each syllabus for which they are entered. It is important to be aware that, as all June 2020 results will be issued using syllabus grades, information will not include references to marks or component level marks / grades.
Is it possible to include examples of results information that will not be available for June 2020?
We will not have marks available for the June 2020 series, so there are some information and services we cannot provide. This includes:
- PUMs (Percentage Uniform Marks)
- Component Mark and Component Grade Reports
- Syllabus Report by Component
- Reporting for oral endorsements
- Results Analysis
- CEFR certifying statements.
See our FAQ about this for more details.
Syllabus-specific FAQs for the November 2020 series
We know that many schools will be preparing candidates for syllabuses in the November 2020 series. You can find syllabus-specific FAQs with advice about coursework and practical skills for the November 2020 series on our Help page.
University applications
What grade predictions should schools submit to universities?
There are different requirements and processes for submitting predicted grades to Cambridge International for the June 2020 series, and submitting grade predictions to universities.
The grade prediction for a university application is the grade an applicant’s school/college believes they are likely to achieve in positive circumstances, to help universities understand the applicant’s potential. A school can issue a grade prediction to a university and, if needed, the student can know what it is. In such a case, the school should make it clear to the student that the prediction issued to a university has been produced to meet that requirement, and the grade may or may not be the same as the predicted grade submitted to Cambridge International.
We have produced a template letter to help schools explain the Cambridge International grading system to students and parents, including the requirements for predicting grades.
Under no circumstances should any school share the predicted grades they have submitted to Cambridge International with their students.
Staying in touch
You can find advice on our Covid-19 web page. If you have any questions, you can review our frequently asked questions, or contact us via www.cambridgeinternational.org/help
We will update schools again on 3 June. We wish everyone in the Cambridge International community well at this difficult time.
