26 Jun 2020
Now that the Grade Submission System is closed, the focus of this update is on the support we are providing for teaching and learning when school is closed.
We also have more information on university applications and further updates to our FAQs on marks in the November 2020 series and percentage uniform marks (PUMs).
We have decided to move our communications on our statistical standardisation to a later update.
We will send our next update to schools on 2 July 2020.
Teaching and learning when school is closed
Since March 2020, we have provided a growing range of resources on this website to help you deliver teaching and learning outside the classroom. Here are some updates on some of the latest resources:
Webinars
We have recently added two new webinars. Both webinars are helpful whatever your current school situation - whether you are teaching and learning remotely, planning to re-open your school, or teaching in the physical classroom.
In this recording, Paul Ellis, Head of Teaching & Learning at Cambridge International, and education consultant Dr Alison Borthwick, explore how to bridge the gap between home and school learning, and draw on learners’ independent skills. They also provide tips to help teachers foster and maintain independent learning.
In this recording, Paul Ellis, Head of Teaching & Learning at Cambridge International is joined by experts Amy Burke and Kevin Hawkins, to explore the impacts of the Coronavirus pandemic on wellbeing, as well as strategies for prioritising wellbeing in students and teachers.
Other resources and support
This leaflet gives an overview of the support available, which includes:
- A dedicated online community for teachers
- Tools to help remote teaching and learning
- Resources for you and your learners
- Ebooks from our publishing partners.
Many of the resources in this section will also help teachers to incorporate remote learning into the physical learning environment when they return to classrooms.
Applying to university
Universities worldwide are continuing to give assurances that they will accept grades from Cambridge International in the June 2020 series in the same way as previous series.
You can find more information about university admission policies in the statements of support document, which we have updated this week. It includes six new statements from universities in Canada, including McGill, which lists Cambridge International A Level as an accepted qualification eligible for credit.
Our Global Recognitions team has held several webinars recently with universities in popular study destinations to provide reassurance to schools and students about university applications. We plan to add the recordings soon.
Updates to our FAQs
Our updated FAQs are here. Below are some of the key updates:
Will candidate grades or candidate marks be used to calculate Cambridge International A Level results in the November 2020 series?
Marks from our assessments provide the most reliable and valid measure of a candidate’s performance. We will use any AS Level marks relevant to the candidate’s entry option to calculate their A Level result, in preference to using the A2 only option*. This includes AS Level marks from the June 2019 series for candidates entering staged ‘June carry-forward’ options. This is an exception to our usual 13-month rule for carrying forward marks.
We will soon be providing more detailed information about carry forwards.
* The A2 only option is only available to candidates entering a ‘June carry forward’ option in the November 2020 series and who had a valid AS Level entry in the June 2020 series.
Will Cambridge International A Level candidates receive a PUM (percentage uniform mark) in the November 2020 series if candidates in their region usually do so?
Candidates completing their full A Level in the November 2020 series should be aware that PUMs will not be available under the ‘A2-only’ route. The A2-only route is available to candidates entering for the ‘June carry-forward’ option for the syllabus who have no relevant AS marks from the June 2019 series. If a candidate needs their PUM, they should enter for the linear A Level option.
Will June 2020 question papers be available online for centres who didn't receive them?
We plan to make June 2020 question papers and mark schemes available on the School Support Hub to support learning and revision. No candidate sat exams in the June 2020 series and this means there will be some differences in the materials we can share with you for these question papers.
We will inform centres when the June 2020 question papers become available on the School Support Hub.
Staying in touch
You can find all our advice on our website. If you have any questions, you can review our frequently asked questions, or contact us via our help section.
We wish everyone in the Cambridge International community well at this time.