19 Nov 2021
In our update this week you will find:
- A reminder for centres using school-assessed grades about our Quality Assurance process and Post-results checks and appeals for November 2021
- NEW Updates on component exemptions and adjustments and special consideration for schools running exams in June 2022
- NEW Guidance for centres about our Portfolio of Evidence contingency approach for June 2022, including more information about gathering evidence. You can also register for our upcoming webinars.
November 2021 series
Submitting evidence as part of our Quality Assurance process for school-assessed grades
A minority of Cambridge schools have had to use the school-assessed grade process for the November 2021 series.
After schools have submitted their school-assessed grades to us, we will ask them initially to send us the evidence they have used to determine grades for a sample of candidates, plus the Rationale Document. We will ask to see this information for at least one syllabus. We may have contacted you already to ask for this.
You can find support to help you submit your evidence and Rationale Documents to us on our website, including a step-by-step guide and a video.
Post-results checks and appeals
You can find guidance on the post-results and appeals services we will be offering to centres using school-assessed grades for the November 2021 series on our website.
You can find more information about each of our post-results checks and appeals in our supplement to the Cambridge Handbook: Guidance on post-results checks and appeals for school-assessed grades in the November 2021 series.
You can also see our deadlines for submitting post-results checks and appeals for the November 2021 series.
Exams from June 2022
Component exemptions, adjustments and guidance
As the pandemic continues to affect students in different parts of the world, we are making component exemptions, component adjustments and guidance for components available to you in our June 2022 series. We have added details of what is available to the June 2022 area of our website, along with information about special consideration.
By using a component exemption, candidates do not take the component but can still receive an overall syllabus grade. Exempted candidates do not sit the exam for the exempted component or complete the coursework/speaking component. You do not send any candidate work to us for the exempted component. For more information about what component exemptions are available, how to apply, and answers to frequently asked questions, visit our webpage.
Component adjustments are different from the component exemptions explained above. 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. You can read more about what adjustments are available on our website.
You will be able to apply for component exemptions and/or adjustments from 24 January until 17 April 2022 (at 23:59 UTC+1).
Special consideration
What is 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.
Will special consideration be available for the June 2022 exam series?
For the June 2022 series we are again expanding our special consideration process for candidates who unexpectedly, for an acceptable reason, miss some components they were entered for. As long as these candidates have taken at least one eligible component in the exam series, they can receive a grade. This is a temporary measure in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
- Eligible components are components taken in the exam series and which count towards the syllabus grade.
- Carry-forward components and components that do not have a weighting, e.g. an endorsed component, are not eligible.
- For Cambridge International A Levels, candidates must take at least one A Level component (A2 Level component) in the exam series to be awarded an A Level grade. Candidates who have taken only AS Level components will receive an AS Level grade.
- We cannot calculate an assessed mark for a component that does not have a weighting, e.g. an endorsed component, if a candidate is absent for this component for an acceptable reason.
Find out more about Special Consideration for the June 2022 series.
Portfolio of Evidence from June 2022
Preparing a portfolio of evidence in case exams cannot take place
In our update on 30 September we explained that in countries and regions of countries where exams cannot take place, we will ask schools to submit a portfolio of three substantial pieces evidence for each student. This will be marked by Cambridge International examiners. The portfolio of evidence replaces the school-assessed grade approach.
NEW We can now share our guidance Collecting a portfolio of evidence for the June 2022 series. This explains the types of work that can be included in the portfolio and gives advice about when and how to gather this work. Given the uncertainty that still surrounds the pandemic, we recommend that schools have a portfolio in place for their students, in electronic form, by the start of the exam series.
In December, we plan to share the Rationale Document template, arrangements for carrying forward results from previous exam series, the timeframe for submitting the portfolio to us, and an overview of how we will mark the work in the portfolio.
Book your place on our webinar: Using Portfolios of Evidence for June and November 2022
We are running webinars on Wednesday 24 November, where we will provide more information about collecting evidence, and answer your questions about the overall process.
You can register using the links below:
Stay in touch
View our latest updates on our Covid-19 information pages.
If you have any questions, you can review our frequently asked questions or contact us via the Help website.
For British Council Partner Schools or Cambridge Associate schools, please contact your local British Council representative or Cambridge Associate.