Special consideration

Special consideration is a post-exam adjustment that we make to a candidate's mark to make allowances for some adverse circumstances, for example illness, bereavement, temporary injury or disruption to an exam. The information on this page explains our usual regulations, and any differences for the November 2024 exam series.

You can submit applications for different types of special consideration:

present but disadvantaged candidates
absent candidates
coursework-related special consideration.

What special consideration is available?

Candidates entered into the November 2024 series must:

have covered the whole course and
have completed a minimum of 15 per cent of the total assessment by component weighting in the relevant exam series. Carry-forward marks do not count.

Our usual minimum requirements for calculating an assessed mark are that the candidate must:

have covered the whole course and
have completed 50 per cent of the total assessment by component weighting in the relevant exam series. Carry-forward marks do not count.

How do I apply?

To apply for special consideration go to the 'Special consideration' area of Direct. Alternatively, you can complete the relevant forms, which are available from the 'Support Materials' section of Direct:

Special Consideration: Exam Day – Form 7
Special Consideration (Shortfall in Coursework): Coursework and moderation – Form 2
Special Consideration (Lost Coursework): Coursework and moderation – Form 3

You need to submit all applications for special consideration within seven days of the last exam of the syllabus affected.

If you need help you can refer to section 5.5 of the Cambridge Handbook.

What is being 'absent from a component for acceptable reasons'?

If a candidate is absent from an eligible component for an acceptable reason, we may calculate and award an assessed mark for the missing component. You can find more information, including some of the unacceptable reasons for special consideration, in section 5 of the Cambridge Handbook. We cannot calculate an assessed mark for all components, see below.

We cannot calculate an assessed mark for the following:

Cambridge International A Levels where a candidate has not completed any A Level components (A2 Level components) in the exam series
Any component that does not have a weighting e.g. an endorsed component
Syllabuses where a candidate has only completed a component that does not have a weighting e.g. an endorsed component.

We will not calculate an assessed mark for a component if the candidate can be awarded a syllabus grade using their marks from other components they have taken. We prioritise the marks the candidate has achieved over calculating new assessed marks. This means that we will not calculate an assessed AS Level mark for a candidate who is:

entered for a ‘best-of both’ A Level entry option and
is missing an AS Level component mark for an acceptable reason in the current exam series and
has a valid AS Level carry-forward mark. Instead we use their AS Level carry-forward mark to award the syllabus grade.

The usual minimum requirements for calculating an assessed mark are that the candidate should:

have covered the whole course
have completed 50 per cent of the total assessment by component weighting in the relevant exam series. Carry-forward marks do not count. If the candidate has completed less than 50 per cent you should still apply and we will consider whether we can calculate an assessed mark.

You can find more information, including some of the unacceptable reasons for special consideration, in section 5 of the Cambridge Handbook.

I am an Associate Centre – how do I apply for special consideration?

You should apply for special consideration using the relevant form rather than via Direct:

Log in to Direct and go to ‘Support Materials’.
Download the relevant form(s).
Complete and send them to your Cambridge Associate.
Your Cambridge Associate should check your form(s) and email to us within seven days of the last exam of the syllabus affected.

Frequently asked questions

How does Cambridge calculate marks for missing components?
- To work out a grade when a candidate has missed one or more components, we generate marks – which we call ‘assessed marks’ – for the missing components based on the candidate’s performance in their other components in the syllabus. 
  
  We work out what position the candidate is in, compared to all the other candidates, for the components they took. We put the candidate in the same position for the component(s) they missed. We check what mark candidates would normally receive in that position on the list, and give them those marks.
  
  For example, Amina is entered for a Cambridge IGCSE which has three components. She is absent for an acceptable reason for the Paper 1 exam, but she takes Paper 2 and Paper 3.
  
  In the exam series there will be
  
  Some candidates who take Paper 1, Paper 2, and Paper 3 as expected
  
  Other candidates who take Paper 2 and Paper 3 and are unable to take Paper 1, and who receive assessed marks.
  
  Our method for calculating assessed marks is designed to make sure that candidates with assessed marks for a component are not advantaged or disadvantaged.
  
  First, we add up the total marks for Paper 2 and Paper 3, for the candidates who took all three papers, and work out how many candidates scored each total mark.
  
  We also work out Amina’s total mark for Paper 2 and Paper 3. We compare her mark to the marks scored by the candidates who took all three papers.
  
  In Amina’s case, we find that 80 per cent of candidates have a higher total score than her for Paper 2 and Paper 3, and 20 per cent of candidates have a lower score than her.
  
  The next step is to look at the marks for Paper 1 that the candidates who took all three papers scored.
  
  We put Amina in the same position for Paper 1 as she is for the total score for Paper 2 and Paper 3.
  
  In Amina’s case, her mark for Paper 1 will put her in the position where 80 per cent of candidates have a higher score than her and 20 per cent have a lower score than her.
  
  This means the mark that Amina is awarded for Paper 1 will reflect how well she did on the other two papers, and it is not giving her an advantage or disadvantage compared to the candidates who took all three papers.
  
  Amina’s assessed mark for Paper 1 is added to her marks for Paper 2 and Paper 3 and she is awarded a syllabus grade in the usual way.
Are assessed marks fair? 
- Yes. In our Code of Practice, we say that candidates will be treated fairly in all circumstances (aim 5.2). To treat candidates fairly, our special considerations will not give a candidate receiving them an advantage over other candidates (5.2i).  
  
  The method we use to produce assessed marks reflects a candidate’s position relative to the other candidates for the components they have all done. This means it is designed to make sure that achieving each assessed mark is neither easier nor harder than achieving the same mark through completing the exam. 
  
  Of course, we strongly recommend that candidates plan to take all the components they can – it is better educationally, fairer for candidates, and reduces the risk that a candidate misses every component and cannot be given a grade.
Do assessed marks give candidates the same grade they would have got if they had taken the component? 
- We are confident that grades awarded where candidates have assessed marks are appropriate because the way that they are produced does not give candidates an advantage or disadvantage. 
  
  There are syllabuses where performance on the different components does not always correlate strongly. It may be that some candidates perform better on paper 1 than on paper 2, while other candidates perform better on paper 2 than on paper 1. Where this is the case, it is possible that a candidate’s grade using an assessed mark might not be the same as the grade they would have got from taking the component. However, to treat all candidates equally, we award an assessed mark that reflects a candidate’s position relative to the other candidates for the components they have all done.

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