Kevin Ebenezer

Recognitions Manager

What admissions officers need to know

Recruiting students with Cambridge

International qualifications:

UK NARIC Annual Conference

November 2014

Presentation Outline:

General overview

Cambridge IGCSE

Cambridge International Level 1/Level 2 Certificates

English Language Qualifications

Cambridge O Levels

Cambridge Pre-U

Cambridge International AS and A Levels

Cambridge AICE diploma

Global Perspectives and Research (GPR)

Working in Partnership with Ministries of Education

CIE Direct- verifying students’ results online

Certificates

Recognitions Database

Cambridge International Education worldwide

9000

schools

160

countries

40

governments 10000

schools

160

countries

40

governments

Cambridge Assessment structure

Cambridge programmes and qualifications

Cambridge IGCSE

Available since 1988 - taken in more than 140 countries

Globally recognised – aligned in standard to the UK GCSE

Available in 70 subjects, including over 30 languages

Syllabuses created for international student body - avoid cultural bias

2 exam sessions in June and November; March session for India

started in 2015

Candidature worldwide – in a variety of contexts

o More than 2500 UK schools - highest number of entries

o State bilingual schools in Spain, Italy, Sweden

o High schools in USA

o International schools in Europe, India, China

o National qualification in Bermuda, Seychelles, Mauritius, southern African states

IGCSE is awarded at Grades A* - G

Benchmarked to current UK GCSE – equivalent grade for

grade

Clear guidelines to explain the standard of achievement for

each grade

Clear assessment structure and assessment objectives

Cambridge conducts comparability studies - share

information with OCR

Criterion-referenced grading – good performance is rewarded

– no limits to % achieving particular grades

Percentage Uniform Mark in some countries from June 2010

Grading

Cambridge International Level 1/Level 2 Certificate Official title of a Cambridge IGCSE regulated by Ofqual is:

Cambridge International Level 1/Level 2 Certificate

Name which appears on the Register of Regulated Qualifications

21 IGCSE syllabuses have been regulated by Ofqual

Content of Cambridge International Level 1/Level 2 Certificate is identical to

Cambridge IGCSE - few exceptions are MFLs and English Literature

State schools in England can offer Ofqual-regulated syllabuses - funding is

available

UK independent schools can offer either Cambridge IGCSE or Cambridge

International Level 1/Level 2 Certificate version of the syllabus

21 Ofqual-regulated syllabuses

Syllabuses in blue have different code to Cambridge IGCSE syllabus because the

content or model of assessment meets NC requirements, e.g. MFL = all 4 skills

All the others syllabuses are identical

Art and Design Greek – MFL

Biology Hindi as a Second Language

Business Studies History

Chemistry Italian – MFL

English as a Second Language : (count - in oral) 0511 ICT

English Literature Mandarin Chinese

Enterprise Mathematics

First Language English* 0522 Music

French - MFL Physics

Geography Spanish - MFL

German - MFL

English Language Qualifications

English - First Language - 0500

English - First Language - 0522 (This syllabus is available to

UK schools and schools in administrative Zone 3.)*

English - Second Language (oral endorsement) - 0510

English - Second Language (count-in oral) - 0511

* Please note: November 2016 is the final examination series for syllabus 0522.

The 0627 syllabus replaces the 0522 – graded 9-1 and will only be available to

schools in England.

IGCSE English First Language

IGCSE and Level1/2 English First Language

Certifying Statement for CEFR

• gives a breakdown of a student’s IGCSE

English language result into component

grades and CEFR levels.

• evidence of proficiency in all 4

language skills (speaking, listening,

writing and reading) according to the

CEFR criteria

• a supplementary document which

provides support to students who

require evidence of their competence

in English as part of their university

application

Cambridge O Level

Cambridge O Level offered for over 50 years

Equivalent to GCSE in UK

Wide range of subjects – for international audience

Cambridge O Level Grades A*-E only

Percentage Uniform Mark in some countries from June 2010

Linear assessment - includes written, oral and practical

examinations

2 exams sessions - June and November

Cambridge O Level English Language syllabus 1123 – not an

approved SELT but accepted by a number of UK universities as

proof of English language ability

Top 10 countries for Cambridge O Level and

Cambridge IGCSE

Cambridge O Level Cambridge IGCSE

Singapore UK

Pakistan Egypt

Mauritius India

Brunei UAE

Maldives China

Bangladesh Zimbabwe

Sri Lanka Malaysia

Nigeria Saudi Arabia

Zimbabwe Argentina

Zambia Indonesia

Cambridge Pre-U

• Alternative to A Level taken mainly in the UK

• 25 Principal Subjects

• Cambridge Pre-U Diploma = 3 Principal Subjects plus Global

Perspectives and Research (GPR)

• Global Perspectives and Research (GPR): skills-based qualification

which can also be a standalone qualification

o Growing number of UK HEIs accept GPR as equivalent to an

A Level or in lieu of an AS as a 4th subject

Grading

Distinction

D1

D2

D3

Merit

M1

M2

M3

Pass

P1

P2

P3

A Level

A/B boundary

C/D boundary

E/U boundary

Cambridge Pre-U exists in a defined relationship to A Level.

It is accessible to all who currently achieve pass at A Level

Grade Principal

Subject

D1 TBC

D2 145

D3 130

M1 115

M2 101

M3 87

P1 73

P2 59

P3 46

Current UCAS Tariff

Cambridge International AS and A Level

UK universities accept Cambridge AS and A Level qualifications as

equal to UK A Levels

Passing Grades:

A Level: A*- E

AS Level: A- E

International relevance (not UK-centric)

2 exam sessions - June and November

March AS session for India 2016

360 class contact hours, usually over 2 years

Available in over 50 subjects – specialise or retain breadth

Retakes only permitted for whole subjects

Internationally recognised and respected - no immediate plans for change

(unlike UK)

Regularly update individual subjects so remain excellent preparation for

university

Why choose Cambridge International AS & A Levels?

The qualifications aim to develop students’ knowledge,

understanding and skills through:

• In-depth subject-content

• Learning to work independently

• Applying knowledge and understanding to new as well as

familiar situations

• Handling and evaluating different types of information sources

• Thinking logically and presenting ordered and coherent

arguments and explanations

• Working and communicating in English

Assessment Options for Cambridge AS and A Levels

Top 10 countries for Cambridge International AS & A Level

• Pakistan

• Mauritius

• Malaysia

• USA

• China

• Brunei

• New Zealand

• Zimbabwe

• India

• Nepal

Cambridge Advanced International

Certificate of Education

Cambridge AICE Diploma

Learners will have to achieve a minimum of seven credits

(including Cambridge International AS Level Global

Perspectives) from subject groups 1, 2, and 3 (and

optionally Group 4) to be awarded the Diploma.

Learners must achieve at least one credit from each of

Groups 1, 2 and 3.

The remaining credits can come from any of the groups.

A maximum of two credits can count from Group 4.

A Cambridge International AS Level is awarded one credit,

and a Cambridge International A Level is awarded two

credits.

Cambridge AICE Diploma

Double credit study

(A Levels)

Single credit study

(AS Levels)

Grade Points Grade Points

A* 140 - -

A 120 A 60

B 100 B 50

C 80 C 40

D 60 D 30

E 40 E 20

AICE Diploma with

Distinction:

Awarded to students with a

score of 320 points or above

AICE Diploma with Merit:

Awarded to students with

between 220 and 315 points

AICE Diploma at Pass

level:

Awarded to students with a

score of between 120 and

215

points

Students who do not meet

the requirements of the group

award will receive certificates

for their individual subjects.

Global Perspectives and Research (GPR)

New Cambridge A Level in GPR launched this year

• GPR is a skills-based qualification which:

• uses a cross-curricular (interdisciplinary) approach

• helps develop critical thinking and a range of study and research skills

• can also be taken as a stand-alone qualification and certificated

separately

• is taught as two successive one-year courses: AS Global

Perspectives (a taught course) and an independent Research Report to

gain full A Level

• Global Perspectives: study of a number of topics of global relevance:

culture, ethics, environment, economics, politics, science & technology

• Research report: Single piece of extended writing (between 4500 and 5000

words) i.e. a dissertation or a report based on an investigation or field study

• is excellent preparation for undergraduate study - gives real evidence of

independent, critical thinking

Global Perspectives

Critical thinking and research skills taught through an

exploration of a broad range of global issues

Analyse

Research

Reflect

Communicate

Gathering, synthesising and

communicating information

Analysing and evaluating

planning, processes and outcomes

Collaborating with others to

achieve a common outcome

Developing and justifying a line

of reasoning

Global Topics

Culture

Environment

The Critical Path

Enquiry/ Question Deconstruction Reconstruction

Reflection / Communication

Politics

Ethics

Science/

Technology

Economics

Ministries of Education - working in partnership

Work with MoEs to provide national curriculum & assessments

e.g. Mauritius School Certificate and Higher School Certificate

Provide syllabuses that support the national curriculum in

countries from Bermuda to the Maldives and Tonga to Brunei

Validate local exams e.g. Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho &

Malaysia

Work to support education projects e.g. in Bahrain

Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Egypt & Macedonia

Currently developing first-language Cambridge IGCSE Bahasa

Indonesia for state schools in Indonesia, where many schools

are currently adopting the Cambridge curriculum.

Ministries of Education - working in partnership

Work with Ministries of Education to provide national

curriculum & assessments e.g. Mauritius School

Certificate and Higher School Certificate

Provide syllabuses that support the national curriculum in

countries from Bermuda to the Maldives and Tonga to

Brunei

Validate local exams e.g. Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho &

Malaysia

Work to support education projects e.g. in Armenia,

Bahrain, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Egypt & Macedonia

Singapore-Cambridge curriculum

Co-operation between Cambridge International Examinations, Ministry of

Education and Singapore Examination and Assessment Board (SEAB)

A rigorous, holistic education with compulsory subjects (MTL, PW, GP/KI)

plus minimum 4 content based subjects including a contrasting subject

A Level

Qualification UK equivalent

Higher 1 (H1) AS Level

Higher 2 (H2) A level

Higher 3 (H3) Old S

level/UG

H1/H2

A

B

C

D

E

S

Ungraded

H3

Distinction

Merit

Pass

Ungraded

An application form is available on our website at

www.cie.org.uk/ciedirectapplicationform

CIE Direct:

verify students’ results online

www.cie.org.uk/recognitionsearch

Recognitions Database

Recognitions database hits:

unique visitors 2012 - 2015

How to add a university

statement of recognition

www.cie.org.uk/programmes-and-qualifications/recognition-and-acceptance/

Or email: recognitions@cie.org.uk

Statement of Results

• A statement of results is provided for

international candidates only.

• The statement provides:

• candidate’s number and centre number

• list of subjects with unique syllabus code

for each subject

• grades achieved in each subject

• a percentage uniform mark for some

countries from June 2010

• For Group Award candidates, the statement

will show the result achieved in the ICE or

AICE (Diploma) Group Award

Sample certificate:

Cambridge International AS and A Level

Watermark

Number of subjects

Signature of VC

of University of

Cambridge

Upper and Lower

case reporting of

grades achieved

Hologram

Serial number

Other hidden security features

are also present on official

Cambridge documentation

Sample of a Cambridge IGCSE certificate

Difference in qualification title

Name of candidate and Centre number

List of subjects

Signature of VC of University of Cambridge

Cambridge Hologram

Sample of a Cambridge International Level 1/ Level 2 Certificate

Difference in qualification title

Candidate’s date of birth stated on the L1/L2 certificate

Ofqual’s reference number (QN) stated on the L1/L2

certificate

Additional signature on the L1/L2 certificate

Additional logos of the regulators of qualifications

in England, Wales and Northern Ireland

Learn more!

Getting in touch with

Cambridge is easy

Email us at

info@cie.org.uk

or telephone

+44 (0) 1223 553554

www.cie.org.uk