Cambridge International (CI)
How to Understand Cambridge
Cambridge International (CI) has been developed by a department of the University of Cambridge to provide high‑quality qualifications that meet the demands of employers and educators around the world. Cambridge has been offered internationally for almost two decades and Cambridge programmes are currently taught in more than 160 countries. The Cambridge syllabi and assessments aim to encourage independent learning, self-reliance, problem‑solving, and enquiry-based approaches to teaching and learning.
How does Cambridge work?
The CI qualifications offered at Huanui College are IGCSE, AS and A Levels.
IGCSE, AS and A Levels are subject qualifications. Students can enter into five subjects, and can apply to do a sixth subject at IGCSE Level. At A Levels, students take four subjects. They will get results reported separately for each subject.
Students should, as much as possible, plan their senior Cambridge courses over the two years of Year 12 and Year 13 so they are aware of prerequisites and workload.
Cambridge assessment
External examinations are the main means of assessment used by CI – the examinations are set and marked by Cambridge appointed examiners. Usually there are two or three papers per syllabus requiring a total time of approximately three hours, though this varies from subject to subject.
Many IGCSE syllabuses and some AS/A Level syllabuses have a coursework component. Coursework is an internal assessment and this component allows schools to introduce local material and to assess skills not tested by the examinations.
Science syllabuses include practical tests covering experimental and observational skills; languages have listening and speaking tests; and there are performance or practical assessments in Music, Physical Education, and Computing.
Results
Marks for the various components and papers are totalled for each subject and the grade boundaries are then determined. These grade boundaries differ from year-to-year and from subject to subject. Cambridge does not report these ‘raw’ marks to students but they do provide a scaled mark.
Results for the November examinations are available from approximately the third week of January and the final certificates are posted out in March/April. Cambridge does not return examination papers to candidates. Results for the May / June Examinations are published in August.
Notes on passing grade boundaries for A and AS Levels:
Cambridge Qualification ‘pass grades’ begin at ‘E’. University Entrance ‘pass grades’ begin from D at A-Levels.
Cambridge
results overseas
Cambridge’s international A and AS Levels satisfy the entry criteria for every university around the world and are considered equal in value to United Kingdom A and AS levels. They are recognised by universities in New Zealand, Australia, Canada, United Kingdom (including Oxford and Cambridge) as well as throughout the European Union. In the US they are accepted by all Ivy League universities (such as Harvard) and can earn students course credits up to one full year of credit. Cambridge publishes comprehensive lists of all institutions that recognise its qualifications, including details about entry criteria and the grades needed for entrance. If you are considering overseas study, you are advised to include three A Level subjects in your course of study.
IGCSE Level
(International General Certificate of Secondary
Education)
IGCSE courses are suitable for Years 10 and 11 students. Some subjects offer a choice of ‘Core’ and ‘Extended’ papers to cater for students with differing abilities. Students who enrol for ‘Core’ can only attain a maximum grade of C.
Results are graded on an eight-point scale from A* to G (see the table below). In New Zealand, a scaled mark is provided along with the grade. The results for each subject stand alone – they are not aggregated in any way, though the results are printed on a single certificate.
AS/A2 Levels
AS LEVEL
(Advanced Subsidiary Level)
AS Level courses can be taken by both Year 12 and Year 13 students. The courses can be quite challenging (particularly in Mathematics and the Sciences) and students must be well organised with good study disciplines and routines if they are to complete the courses successfully. Some of the courses run over 18 months or two years with examinations being taken in June or November of the second year. Results are graded on a five-point scale from A to E and, in New Zealand, a scaled mark is provided along with the grade.
A2 LEVEL
(Advanced Level)
A Level (sometimes called A2) is the second half of the AS Level course. Students wishing to complete the full A Level award complete the second part in their final year at school. The results from the AS and A Level Examinations are combined to produce a single grade on a six-point scale from A* to E. New Zealand students are given a mark as well as a grade using the same scale as the AS results. Students can repeat their AS Level examinations if they are unhappy with their first performance.
The AS/A Level structure gives students the opportunity to broaden their subject choices at Year 12 and Year 13. They can do two AS subjects instead of one A Level and, for University Entrance purposes, the two AS results are, in general, ‘equal’ to an A Level result.
In planning a course of study for Year 12 and Year 13, it may be useful to think of AS and A Level as similar to Stage I and Stage II courses at university. In the second year of university a student carries on to Stage II in some subjects but would also pick up some new subjects at Stage I.
Similarly, Year 13 students do not need to go on to complete A Levels in all their subjects but can take up some new AS Level courses to gain greater breadth in their studies.
