A lifelong passport for study and work
Assessment has two important roles:
- to prove what a student has learnt
- to improve a student’s understanding and skills.
Good assessment lies at the heart of a good education. Our assessments are designed to be fair, valid, reliable and practicable, so that every Cambridge exam provides a true picture of a student’s ability, wherever and whenever the exam was taken. This means our assessments have real, lasting value and can be a lifelong passport to further study or employment.
Accurately assessing learning
Our end-of-programme assessments give students focus, motivation and a challenge. We assess what is of greatest value to our students - deep subject knowledge, conceptual understanding and higher order thinking skills. Assessment is in English and is accessible to speakers of English as a second or foreign language. Our flexible, linear assessment structure maximises teaching and learning time, encouraging a strong grasp of the subject being studied. This helps to support new thinking, and encourages cross-curricula connections.
Assessment materials
We provide a wide range of assessment materials for our schools. These include past question papers, examiner reports and mark schemes. When you become a Cambridge School, you’ll have access to our School Support Hub, which contains these and many other resources.
Assessment for learning
Assessment for learning (AFL) is an approach to teaching and learning that creates feedback that is then used to improve students’ performance. AFL connects teaching and assessment objectives across curriculum frameworks and syllabuses, and helps teachers plan learning for both the class and the individual student. We support teachers’ understanding of AFL through our professional development courses and qualifications. AFL also helps students identify specific goals, and how to achieve them, providing a clear focus for learning while also developing Cambridge learner attributes.
Cambridge CEM
Our partnership with Cambridge CEM provides you with a great opportunity for assessment for learning (AfL). Our baseline and diagnostic assessments measure learners' progress at each stage of the Cambridge Pathway, allowing you identify your students' strengths and weaknesses and tailor your teaching effectively. They can also predict learners' performance at Cambridge IGCSE, O Level and AS & A Level, so you can make sure learning is on track.
Cambridge Exams Officers
We also work closely with exams officers to help you run and administer our exams successfully. Our comprehensive support for exams officers includes an online guide, free online training, video tutorials and an extensive bank of answers to the most frequently asked questions.