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.
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:
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:
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.