Exams officers

Getting
started
A guide to exam
administration
 Cambridge Exams Cycle ...................................... 02
Your online tools .................................................. 14
Key dates and activities ....................................... 16
Key resources and support .................................. 18
Cambridge Guide to Making Entries .................. 20
Online training ....................................................... 22
A–Z of terms .......................................................... 23

b Getting Started A guide for exams officers

Welcome

Welcome to Cambridge Assessment International Education.

We are delighted that you and your school are now part of the
Cambridge community.

Exams officers play a key part in the continuing success of Cambridge schools around
the world. We work very closely with Cambridge schools and build strong relationships
with them. As an exams officer, you are a vital part of that relationship. Without you it
would be impossible to successfully run and administer our exams.
We provide detailed information on all aspects of the Cambridge exams officer role
and deliver all the support you need at each stage of the process. You will receive several
printed booklets, including the Cambridge Handbook, which details our regulations
and our exams’ administrative processes. You will also find more information online at
www.cambridgeinternational.org/examsofficersguide
This guide:
• gives you an overview of the exams cycle and your responsibilities
as a Cambridge exams officer
•  helps you get started with running Cambridge exams
•  tells you where to find more information and support.
We hope you find the guide useful and we look forward to working with you.

Online training for exams officers

Access our online training course ‘Getting to know the Cambridge Exams Cycle’ to
understand more about running Cambridge exams. See page 22 for more details.

Getting Started A guide for exams officers 1

 Cambridge Exams Cycle overview

Many different activities need to take place to successfully deliver

an exam. To help exams officers manage their workload, we group
the different tasks and activities you may need to carry out into six
different phases. We call this the ‘Cambridge Exams Cycle’.

s
ficate
certi 1. P
d rep
an ara
ults tio
s n
Re
6.

Results day,
enquiries, access Getting ready for
to scripts the series ahead
and appeals
5. Exa m day

What to do before, Entering candidates

2. Entries
during and immediately for Cambridge
after each exam examinations

Preparing for Internal

the exam day: rooms, assessment,
invigilators and submitting samples
storing confidential and marks
materials
n

Be
tio
4.

fo ra
re ode
t he m
exa nd
ms rk a
ewo
3. Cours

2 Getting Started A guide for exams officers

We run a number of exam series each year so The cycle has six phases:
many of our exams officers are administering
several series at the same time. 1. Preparation
The Cambridge Exams Cycle includes every
2. Entries
stage of the exam administration process,
from the preparation that takes place before 3. Coursework and moderation
the series starts to giving your candidates
their certificates. 4. Before the exams
All our support for exams officers is 5. Exam day
structured around the exams cycle, so at a
glance you can see which phase of the cycle 6. Results and certificates
an activity or task relates to – helping you
prioritise and manage your workload.

Key to icons
To make it easier for you to find the information you need we have developed a set
of icons. You will see them throughout our emails and guidance documents. They will
help you get to the information you need quickly.

Administrative forms Extra guidance

Associates Important dates

Checkpoint Important information

Cambridge International Direct, Regulations

called Direct for short

Getting Started A guide for exams officers 3

 1

1. Preparation
Prepare for the exam series ahead by:
• understanding the key dates and activities
• drafting your exams timetable
• w
 orking with teachers to identify candidates who may need extra support
during their exams.

Key dates and activities

The Cambridge Handbook contains an overview of the main activities and tasks for
each exam series. Monthly calendars showing all your key dates and activities are also
available from www.cambridgeinternational.org/examsofficersguide
See also pages 16–17 for a sample overview of key dates and activities for an exam series.
This will give you an idea of the activities you need to manage each series.

Preparing your exam timetable

We publish the final timetable for each exam series on our website at least six months
before the exams. We allocate all centres to one of six administrative zones. Some of our
documents, including the final timetable, are specific to your administrative zone.
Find out your administrative zone by visiting the ‘Exams administration’ section of our
website. Take the time to study the Cambridge timetable so you can create an exam
timetable for your centre. This will help you think about:
• the number of exams you will manage over the series
• the number of rooms you need to reserve
• the number of invigilators you need
• seating plans for each exam
• communicating your centre exam timetable to candidates and teachers.
Your exam timetable should show whether the exams will be in the morning or afternoon
sessions. To help maintain the security of our question papers we give you a Key Time (one
for the morning and one for the afternoon).
We have further enhanced our security measures by introducing an evening session
and Key Time for centres in administrative zones 4 and 5.

Key times for UK centres

The Key Times for UK centres work with the JCQ start times, except in specific
situations. For more information see Section 1.2.2 of the Cambridge Handbook.

4 Getting Started A guide for exams officers

 1. Preparation continued

You need to know your Key Time to work out your exams timetable. Candidates taking
timetabled exams must either be in the exam or under Full Centre Supervision at the
Key Times. To find out your Key Time:
• go to www.cambridgeinternational.org/keytime
• select your country from the drop-down list.
Your Key Times are shown in local time and then below in GMT/UTC. If your country
observes Daylight Saving Time (DST) this information is also shown.
Full Centre Supervision is a specific type of supervision for candidates. It means that they
must be supervised by teachers or invigilators and that they cannot communicate with
anyone not doing the exam, or have access to any form of external communication, for
example, a mobile phone, laptop or computer with or without access to the internet.
For more information about using Key Times and carrying out Full Centre Supervision, see
the Cambridge Handbook.

Access arrangements
Access arrangements are pre-exam arrangements made on behalf of a candidate with
particular needs, for example, the use of a scribe, modified papers or extra time. There are
two different groups of access arrangements, each with their own application form and set
of deadlines.
Group 1. Access arrangements: you must apply for these and keep a record of evidence
of need.
Group 2. Modified papers: before you apply, you must have submitted a final entry for the
relevant candidate, syllabus and component.
Read Part 1 of the Cambridge Handbook to understand each type of access arrangement
and the application process for each one.

Access arrangements for UK centres

You must tell us about any access arrangements you plan to use by sending us
Preparation – Form 1. You can still use your JCQ outcome letter as part of this evidence.
Although some of our access arrangements may not be included on your JCQ outcome
letter, we can use the additional information you submitted on JCQ’s Form 8 to help us
make our decision. For this reason, we recommend that you provide us with both your
JCQ outcome letter and JCQ Form 8 when we ask for evidence.

Getting Started A guide for exams officers 5

 2. Entries 2

The process of letting us know which exams each candidate will be

taking is known as ‘making entries’.

Estimating entries
At least six months before each series, we will ask for your estimated entries for exams
that take place before the main series starts. This helps us work out the number of question
papers, pre-release materials and exam materials you will need for these exams. We do not
charge a fee for estimated entries.

Working out your entries

It takes some time to gather all the information you need to make your entries. Work
closely with subject teachers and heads of department to make sure you enter the right
candidates for the right combination of components for a syllabus.
• Start working out your entries at least two months before the deadline by referring
to the Cambridge Guide to Making Entries. See pages 20–21 for help using the guide.
• Set and publish your own internal deadlines well before ours so you have enough time
to collect and submit all your entries.
• Display entry reminder posters to highlight your internal deadlines to teachers.
• Give your teachers a template for their entry information along with an example
of how to fill it in.
• Double check your entries with candidates and teachers before you submit them.

A2C
If you work in a UK centre you can submit entries using A2C. Find the basedata
compatible with your MIS package in the ‘Support Materials’ section of Direct.

6 Getting Started A guide for exams officers

 2. Entries continued

Making final entries

Submit your entries at least two weeks before the closing date so you have time to check
them and submit any amendments before the deadline, avoiding any late entry fees.
You need to submit your entries through Direct. Our quick and easy online entries
system is available at https://direct.cie.org.uk
Direct is password protected. After we have registered your centre we send you login
details by email. Keep these details secure. If you forget your password please email
info@cambridgeinternational.org

Confirming entries
If you submit your entries using Direct you can download statements of entry at any
point to confirm the status of your entries. A statement of entry is a document produced
for each candidate showing their details and entry options.
Ask candidates to check that their personal and entry information is correct on their
statements of entry. You may have to process a number of amendments or entry
withdrawals once you, and others, have checked all the statements of entry.

Amendments and late entries

If you submit any entries or entry amendments after the final entries deadline we will
charge your school late entry fees. Details of late entry fees are shown in the fees list,
which is available from the ‘My Messages’ section of Direct.

Entries for group awards

Cambridge ICE, the Cambridge AICE Diploma and the Cambridge Pre-U Diploma are ‘group
awards’ which require the candidate to study specific subjects. If you want to enter
candidates for a group award, the entry procedures are slightly different. Read the relevant
sections of the Cambridge Guide to Making Entries before you make your entries.

Getting Started A guide for exams officers 7

 3. Coursework and moderation 3

This phase of the cycle is all about components that are assessed in
the centre and then moderated by us. Examples of such components include:
coursework, projects, field work, art work, speaking tests and assessed practical
work. You are likely to be involved when it comes to submitting internally assessed
marks and samples of work to us for moderation.

Submitting marks
You need to send us marks for all your candidates that are entered for internally
assessed components by the deadlines in the samples database on our website at
www.cambridgeinternational.org/samples
Most centres submit marks through Direct. Read Part 3 of the Cambridge Handbook
for instructions. Remember to send a copy of your marks with your sample.

Selecting samples
We need to moderate work that is internally marked by teachers in your centre to check
that candidates across all our centres have been assessed against the same standards.
To do this we ask you to send us samples of candidates’ work for each internally assessed
component you have entries for. Select your samples according to the criteria set out in
our samples database at www.cambridgeinternational.org/samples

Sending samples
Make sure the selected samples are packed appropriately and sent to us, with the
necessary forms, before the deadline. The forms you need to complete and return with
the samples are in the samples database at www.cambridgeinternational.org/samples
More information is in the Cambridge Handbook.
Returning samples
We usually return coursework samples after we have issued results and certificates but
we may keep some for research, exhibition, archive or other educational purposes.
For more information see the Cambridge Handbook.

8 Getting Started A guide for exams officers

 4. Before the exams 4

If you complete all the activities and tasks in this phase you will
reduce the number of issues you may have to deal with during live exams.

Pre-exam despatches
So that you have all the materials you need to administer Cambridge exams we will
send you a number of pre-exam despatches:
• Cambridge pre-exam despatch: Exam stationery, key administrative documents,
despatch labels and script packets.
• 
Cambridge bar-coded labels despatch: Bar-coded labels identify the contents of
each script packet you send back.
• 
Cambridge question paper despatch: Confidential question papers and
supporting materials.
Do not worry if you do not receive materials for any late or amended entries in the main
despatches; they will arrive at a later date. You can find out more about your pre-exam
despatches in the Cambridge Handbook, including what to do if a despatch does not
arrive or if you are missing any items.

Storing confidential materials

Before the exams start we will send you question papers and other confidential materials.
Do not open the packets. You must store them in a secure place at all times. Instructions
on handling and storing question papers are in the Cambridge Handbook. Read them
carefully; the security of question papers is vitally important. Our videos provide further
guidance at www.cambridgeinternational.org/beforetheexams

Preparing the exam room

To give all candidates the same experience, each exam room needs to be set up in exactly
the same way.

• Desks 1.25 m apart in all directions. • Appropriate heating, lighting and ventilation.
• No helpful display material visible. • Noise levels outside the exam room
• A clock that all candidates can see. at a minimum.
• Our Notice to Candidates and • T he centre number, start and finish time
Candidate Warning poster displayed displayed so all candidates can see them.
inside and outside the exam rooms.

Make sure you are aware of our regulations and have read and understood the
Cambridge Handbook.

Getting Started A guide for exams officers 9

 4. Before the exams continued

Training invigilators
You are responsible for training your invigilators. You need to make sure that they:
• understand what is expected of them
• know the regulations for conducting Cambridge exams
•  feel confident and supported so they can invigilate all your exams effectively.
Conduct a training session for your invigilators before the exam series, even if they are
experienced. We have produced a simple PowerPoint presentation and training notes that
you can adapt to train your invigilators or read to refresh your own memory. You can
download these resources at www.cambridgeinternational.org/beforetheexams

Forecast grades
We ask you to submit forecast grades for all of your candidates. A forecast grade is the
grade the teacher expects each candidate to achieve for each syllabus they are entered for.
We use forecast grades to help us:
• set syllabus grade thresholds
• make a post-exam adjustment to a candidate’s mark to make allowances for any
adverse circumstances, for example illness, bereavement or temporary injury.
Most centres submit forecast grades through Direct. Read Part 4 of the
Cambridge Handbook for instructions.

10 Getting Started A guide for exams officers

 5. Exam day 5

This phase of the cycle is the one you have been waiting for – when
the candidates sit their exams. It is when you start to see the benefits of all your
hard work and preparation.

Running exams
Before each exam check that you and your invigilators are ready.

• Is the exam room set up correctly? • Do you have any private candidates?
• Do you have the right question papers and You must make sure you have checked
candidate materials? their photo ID.
• Do you have the right attendance register? • Do you know what to do when:
• Do you have the right number of – candidates enter the room?
invigilators? – candidates are seated?
• Do you have a tested method of calling – a candidate asks a question during
for assistance? the exam?
• Do your candidates know where they need – the exam finishes?
to be and when?

Meet regularly with your invigilators to talk through any issues and to check they are
recording any incidents. Read Part 5 of the Cambridge Handbook to make sure you feel
confident about running Cambridge exams in your centre.

Malpractice
You are responsible for reporting any cases of suspected malpractice to your Head of
Centre. Your Head of Centre must immediately report all cases of suspected malpractice to
us using the correct form. See section 5 of the Cambridge Handbook for more details.
Download the forms from www.cambridgeinternational.org/forms

Inspections
We inspect centres regularly to quality assure the delivery and conduct of our exams. The
inspections are unannounced and usually, but not always, take place when the exams are
being held. Cambridge inspectors look at your arrangements for the security of exam
material and for conducting exams.
Inspections should be a positive experience as our inspectors are there to help you get
things right. If they spot something that does not comply with Cambridge regulations they
will explain why and will help you identify what you need to do to meet the regulations
next time.

Getting Started A guide for exams officers 11

 5. Exam day continued

Special consideration
Special consideration is a change we make to a candidate’s mark after an exam. This may
be because something unexpected happened to the candidate – for example: illness,
bereavement, temporary injury or disruption to an exam. You can apply for special
consideration online through Direct.
Simply go to https://direct.cie.org.uk, log in using your normal login details and navigate
to the ‘Special consideration’ area. You can submit applications for:
• present but disadvantaged candidates
• absent candidates
• c oursework-related special consideration.

Packing scripts
Specific instructions for packing your scripts are in the Cambridge Handbook. Make sure
you attach the correct bar-coded label to the front of each packet of scripts.

Sending scripts
You should send scripts to us as soon as each exam is over. If this is not possible, then
you must send them at the end of each week. Keep scripts in a secure place while you are
waiting to send them – do not read or make copies of them. For guidance on returning
your scripts visit www.cambridgeinternational.org/scriptreturn

6. Results and certificates

This is the final phase of the Cambridge Exams Cycle when your
candidates will receive their results. We issue certificates after the deadline for
enquiries about results has passed. This makes sure all centres have the time to
query their provisional results.

Understanding and preparing for results

We release provisional results on Direct and then follow up with a provisional results
despatch through the post. The statement of results shows the subjects the candidate was
entered for and the grades that have been awarded. We send printed statements of results
to centres outside the UK in the provisional results despatch.

12 Getting Started A guide for exams officers

 6. Results and certificates continued

• Check with your IT department that all the systems you need will be available on and
around results days. Check that you can access Direct and the Candidate Results Service.
• Book a room for distributing results.
• Arrange for other members of staff to help you distribute the results if necessary.
Make sure your candidates know:
•  what time to arrive and where to go to get their results
•  what to bring with them (for example, you will need private candidates to bring
some photo ID)
•  what to do if they need someone else to collect their results
•  about any alternative methods for receiving their results.

Results for group awards

You need to be aware of the grading system for group awards to handle any queries from
your candidates when they see their statements of results. See the relevant sections of the
Cambridge Guide to Making Entries for more information.

Candidate access to results

We have a service for candidates who want to access their results directly. You can control
which of your candidates have access to this service through Direct. Find out more at
www.cambridgeinternational.org/results

Enquiries about results

If you would like to query the result we have awarded to a particular candidate or group of
candidates, we offer a number of enquiries about results services. We charge a fee for each
enquiry. You can submit enquiries about results through Direct.
For more information, read our enquiries about results guides which are available at
www.cambridgeinternational.org/ear

Certificates
Certificates confirm candidates’ results as final. We send you certificates up to eight
weeks after provisional results are released. This is to allow time for us to resolve any
enquiries about results.

UK centres need to download their statements of results from Direct.

Getting Started A guide for exams officers 13

 Online tools for
Cambridge exams officers
We have a number of online exam administration tools to help
you carry out many of your tasks.

Direct
Cambridge International Direct, called Direct for short, is the key online tool for all
Cambridge exams officers. You can use it to:
• create centre-specific timetables
• securely submit and amend your entries
• download statements of entry and a wide range of administrative and support materials
• submit your internally assessed marks and forecast grades
• download results
• control access to the Candidate Results Service
• submit enquiries about results.
We email you login details when your centre registers with us. Keep these details secure.
If you forget your password, email info@cambridgeinternational.org

Secure Exchange
You can submit work for specific syllabuses to us through Secure Exchange.
If you enter candidates for syllabuses that require work to be submitted this way we will
email you login details for the site.
To access Secure Exchange, go to https://exchange.cambridgeinternational.org
Guidance on preparing and submitting the work is available from the 'Exam administration'
section of our website at www.cambridgeinternational.org/examsofficersguide

14 Getting Started A guide for exams officers

School Support Hub
This valuable resource contains past papers, mark schemes, examiner reports and schemes
of work for many qualifications. We email login details to the nominated School Support
coordinator in each centre.
If you are a School Support coordinator you will be responsible for administering the
website, including creating login details for the teachers in your centre. To access the site,
go to www.cambridgeinternational.org/support

Cambridge Primary and Cambridge Lower Secondary support sites

If your centre offers either the Cambridge Primary or Cambridge Lower Secondary
programmes we will give you access to the relevant password-protected websites.
These websites contain a range of materials to help teachers plan and deliver the
programmes, including curriculum frameworks, schemes of work, past question papers
and recommended published resources.
To access the sites, go to https://primary.cambridgeinternational.org
or https://lowersecondary.cambridgeinternational.org

Getting Started A guide for exams officers 15

 Overview of the key dates and
activities for each exam series

To help you familiarise yourself with what happens during each

exam series we have produced a sample overview of the key dates
and activities for a typical exam series, on the next page.

Key dates for June 2020 series Key dates for March 2020 series
(UK) (India only)

Key dates for Cambridge IGCSE, International AS & A Level and Pre-U Key dates for Cambridge IGCSE and Cambridge International AS & A Level
Entries 10 October Estimated entries deadline Preparation 10 June Final timetable and Cambridge Guide to Making Entries available on CIE Direct
Preparation 31 October Final timetable and Cambridge Guide to Making Entries available on Direct Entries 17 July Estimated entries deadline
21 January Deadline for ordering modified papers 13 September Entries open on CIE Direct
Entries 21 February Final entries deadline Preparation 13 October Application and entries deadline for candidates requiring modified papers
Preparation 21 February Deadline for notifying us of access arrangements 13 October Application deadline for non-delegated access arrangements
Before March–April Exam stationery sent Entries 1 December Final entries deadline for first-time entries
the exams Early April Question papers sent 21 December Late entries deadline for first-time entries
Entries 17 April Late entries deadline Preparation 21 December Application deadline for timetable deviations
Exam day
Before the exams
27 April
30 April
Start of timetabled exam period
Deadline for forecast grades
Key dates for June 2020 series Before exams
Entries
Mid December
26 January
Early question papers sent
Retake entries deadline (from the November 2019 series only) Key dates for October 2020
Exam day 12 June End of timetabled exam period (International) Preparation 31 January Notification deadline for centre-delegated access arrangements
Checkpoint test series
Results and June–July Marking and grading period Before exams Late January Exam stationery sent
certificates 11 August Results released for Cambridge IGCSE and Cambridge International AS & A Level Early February Question papers sent
12 August Cambridge Pre-U results released online (released to candidates on 13 August) Exam day 17 February March 2020 series starts
Key dates for Cambridge IGCSE, O Level and International AS & A Level
23 August Deadline for priority enquiries about results and priority copy of script requests Teacher assessment 27 February Deadline for internally assessed marks and samples Key dates for Cambridge Primary Checkpoint and Lower Secondary Checkpoint
20 September Deadline for enquiries about results Entries 10 October Estimated entries deadline Before exams 27 February Deadline for forecast grades.
14 October Deadline for copy of script requests Exam day 6 March March 2020 series ends Entries 10 May Estimated entries deadline
Preparation 31 October Final timetable and Cambridge Guide to Making Entries available on Direct
Late October Certificates despatched Results and 19 May Provisional results released on CIE Direct Preparation 1 July Deadline for ordering modified papers
21 January Deadline for ordering modified papers certificates Late May Provisional results despatch sent
Entries 21 February Final entries deadline 21 July Deadline for access arrangements
Our key dates are sometimes different from JCQ’s. See www.cambridgeinternational.org/jcqdifferences 6 June Enquiries about results deadline
Release of general qualification results for JCQ boards: AS & A Level 12 August, GCSE 19 August (both released to candidatesPreparation
24 hours later) 21 February Deadline for notifying us of access arrangements Late June Certificates sent Entries 16 August Final entries deadline
For more information go to www.cambridgeinternational.org/examsofficersguide Before March–April Exam stationery sent Entries Late entries deadline
For more information go to www.cambridgeinternational.org/examsofficersguide 16 September
the exams Early April Question papers sent
Before exams Early September Question papers and administrative materials despatched
Entries 17 April Late entries deadline
Exam day Late April Start of timetabled exam period
Coursework and Deadline for submission of work and marks for Cambridge Primary and Lower Secondary
moderation 7 October Checkpoint Global Perspectives
Before the exams 30 April Deadline for forecast grades
Exam day Mid June End of timetabled exam period
Exam day 5 October October test series starts
Results and June–July Marking and grading period 16 October October test series ends
certificates 11 August Deadline for receipt of scripts
Results released for all qualifications 24 October
20 September Deadline for enquiries about results Results and 17 December Diagnostic feedback available from Direct
October Certificates despatched certificates
Late December End of series reports available from the Cambridge Primary and Lower Secondary support sites

For more information go to www.cambridgeinternational.org/examsofficersguide

For more information go to www.cambridgeinternational.org/examsofficersguide

Monthly calendars and key date cards

Our Key Dates cards summarise the important deadlines for each exam series.
Monthly calendars showing all your key dates and activities are also available
from our website at www.cambridgeinternational.org/preparation
It is a good idea to save these dates in your diary or print and display them for
easy reference.

16 Getting Started A guide for exams officers

 Oct Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct

WE SEND WE SEND WE SEND WE SEND

Final timetable Entries confirmation despatch Exams Cambridge Certificates

and Cambridge IGCSE,
Guide to Making O Level,
Entries available International
to download WE SEND WE SEND AS & A Level
from Direct results
Early question Question papers
papers

WE SEND WE SEND WE SEND

Pre-exam Bar-coded labels Cambridge Pre-U

despatch results

YOU SEND YOU SEND YOU SEND YOU SEND

YOU SEND

Forecast grades Scripts

Estimated Final entries Enquiries
entries and internally Immediately after about results
assessed marks the exam

YOU SEND
Sample timeline of key activities for a June exam series

Access arrangement
applications

YOU SEND YOU SEND

Internally assessed Special

samples consideration
applications

Getting Started A guide for exams officers

For more detailed information about key activities, refer to the Monthly calendars for each exam series.

17
 Key resources and support from
Cambridge International
This section is all about the documents you need to guide you
through the Cambridge Exams Cycle and the support available
to you.

Cambridge Handbook
This handbook contains the regulations that centres have to

Exams officers
follow when conducting Cambridge exams. It forms the legal Cambridge Handbook
2020 (International)
contract between us and the centre.
Regulations and

The handbook also details the administrative processes you need guidance for administering
Cambridge exams
Includes:

to follow and the deadlines you need to meet for each exam • Cambridge IGCSE,
• Cambridge O Level
• Cambridge International
AS & A Level

series. It is a key document for you and your Head of Centre. • Cambridge Pre-U
• Cambridge Primary Checkpoint
and Lower Secondary Checkpoint.

We will send you a printed copy at the end of October each

year. You can also access a copy from our website. Valid for
exams in 2020

Cambridge final timetable

The final timetable lists the date, session and duration of each Cambridge IGCSETM,
O Level, International AS & A Level and Pre-U exam in date and subject order. It also shows
the range of dates for practical exams and speaking tests. You can access a copy through
Direct and at www.cambridgeinternational.org/timetables
You need to know your administrative zone to download the right timetable. To find out
your administrative zone go to www.cambridgeinternational.org/timetablingexams,
click on ‘Administrative zone’, select your country and click ‘Get Administrative Zone’.

Cambridge Guide to Making Entries Cambridge Assessment International Education

The Triangle Building, Shaftesbury Road
Cambridge, CB2 8EA, United Kingdom
t: +44 1223 553 554
www.cambridgeinternational.org
Copyright © UCLES 2019
Cambridge O Level
Cambridge International AS & A Level

This booklet contains all the information you need to make

your entries for each exam series. Download a copy from the
Cambridge Guide to Making Entries

‘Support Materials’ section of Direct. See pages 20–21 for

help using the guide. Cambridge
Guide to
Making Entries
Including syllabus and option codes
June series 2020
June series 2018

Mauritius centres

*5128252531*
(administrative zone 4)

Guide Making Entries cvrs_nospine.indd 4 15/10/2019 10:03

18 Getting Started A guide for exams officers

Cambridge Exams Officer eNewsletter
This eNewsletter goes out at the beginning of each month.
It is an essential resource, and includes:
• reminders about key dates and activities for that month
• important alerts
• guidance on key processes
• updates on new services.
You should automatically receive the eNewsletter. If you do
not, please email us at info@cambridgeinternational.org
and we will add you to our distribution list. Let us know if
you change your email address.

'Exam administration' section of

the Cambridge website
Visit the 'Exam administration' section of our
website to:
• download key resources including timetables, the
Cambridge Handbook and the latest eNewsletter
• find your administrative zone and Key Times
• view our online tutorials to help you through
specific processes like making online entries and
storing confidential materials
• download our key dates documents.
To access the website go to www.cambridgeinternational.org/exam-administration

The ‘Help’ section of our website

An online bank of answers to frequently asked questions about Cambridge exams
and services. If you have a question about administering our exams, just go to
www.cambridgeinternational.org/help

Customer Services
Our team of experienced staff are dedicated to providing quick, clear and accurate
responses to any query you have.
Email us at info@cambridgeinternational.org or call +44 1223 553554.

Getting Started A guide for exams officers 19

 Cambridge Guide to Making Entries
The Cambridge Guide to Making Entries contains all the information you need to make
entries. Each entry is made up of two pieces of information: a syllabus code and an
option code. Below is an example of how this information is displayed in the guide.
You can download it from the ‘Support Materials’ section of Direct.

20 Getting Started A guide for exams officers

Getting Started A guide for exams officers 21
 Online training

The better prepared you are for an exam series, the easier it will be
to manage. As part of your role, we recommend you take part in the
training we offer, so that you keep up to date with all our regulations.

Take part in our training programme

We run a quarterly webinar for new exams officers called ‘Welcome to being a Cambridge
exams officer’. This webinar is designed to give an overview of all the support and resources
we provide.
We also run regular interactive training on key tasks you will need to complete,
e.g. making entries. Information about upcoming training is published in our monthly
eNewsletter at: www.cambridgeinternational.org/exams-officer-enews
All our online training is free to access and available via our Online Learning Area:
http://learning.cambridgeinternational.org

Accessing our online training course

‘Getting to know the Cambridge Exams Cycle’ is our free-to-access online course. It allows
experienced exams officers to refresh their skills and new exams officers to get an overall
understanding of the exams cycle.
The course is available to complete at any time. To find out more about accessing the
course, visit www.cambridgeinternational.org/exam-administration and click on the
‘Support and training’ tab.

22 Getting Started A guide for exams officers

A–Z of terms

A
Access arrangements
A pre-exam arrangement made on behalf of a candidate with particular needs, for example,
the use of a scribe, modified papers or extra time.
Administrative zone
An administrative zone is a part of the world where the clocks read similar times. We have
six administrative zones and allocate every centre to one depending on their country and
location. We publish a different version of the timetable and Cambridge Guide to Making
Entries for each administrative zone for each series.
Using Key Times and administrative zones together helps us make sure countries in similar
time zones have their candidates under exam or supervisory conditions at the same time to
maintain the security of question paper content. You can check your administrative zone and
Key Times at www.cambridgeinternational.org/timetablingexams

C
Cambridge International
Cambridge Assessment International Education is part of the Cambridge Assessment
Group. Cambridge Assessment is the brand name of University of Cambridge Local
Examinations Syndicate (UCLES), which is a department of the University of Cambridge.
Cambridge International Direct
The key online tool for all Cambridge exams officers. Exams officers should use Direct
to securely submit and amend entries and to carry out administrative tasks throughout
the exam series.
Candidate
A person who has been entered for an assessment.
Candidate Results Service
A service that gives candidates access to their results directly through a secure website.
You can control which of your candidates have access to the site and what they can view
through the ‘Administer Exams’ page on Direct.
Centre
A school, institution or organisation approved by and registered with us for the entry
of candidates to Cambridge programmes and qualifications, and to carry out related
assessments.

Getting Started A guide for exams officers 23

 A–Z of terms continued

C
Component
A component is part of or a section of the subject exam. An individual syllabus usually has
several components. A component is sometimes referred to as a paper.
Coursework
Any component specified in a Cambridge syllabus that is assessed in the centre and is
then moderated by Cambridge International.

E
Enquiries about results
Services available to centres after the release of provisional results if they want to have
a candidate’s script reviewed or their candidates’ coursework re-moderated.
Entries
The candidates you have entered for a Cambridge qualification in a particular exam series.
Estimated entries
An approximation of the number of candidates a centre will enter for assessments.
Exams officer
The person appointed by the Head of Centre to act on behalf of the centre, with specific
responsibility for administering Cambridge exams. The Head of Centre may also be the
exams officer.

F
Forecast grade
The grade a teacher expects a candidate to achieve for a syllabus.
Full Centre Supervision
A specific type of supervision for exam candidates. If candidates are not in their exam
at the Key Time they must be under Full Centre Supervision. This means that they must
be supervised by teachers or invigilators. They cannot have access to any form of external
communication, for example, a mobile phone or the internet. For further details see Part 4
of the Cambridge Handbook.

24 Getting Started A guide for exams officers

G
Group award
An award given to a candidate who has studied and passed assessments from a specified
number of subject groups. Examples are Cambridge ICE, a group award for Cambridge IGCSE,
and the Cambridge AICE Diploma, a group award for Cambridge International A Level.

I
Internally assessed mark
A mark awarded by the centre for an internally assessed coursework or speaking test
component.
Invigilator
A suitably qualified person, sometimes referred to as a supervisor, who is appointed by
the Head of Centre to be responsible for the proper conduct of a particular exam in line
with Cambridge regulations. Invigilators work closely with and often report to the
exams officer.

K
Key Time
A time, defined by the location and country of a centre, specified by Cambridge
International, when all candidates taking timetabled exams must either be in an exam
or under Full Centre Supervision. The Key Time will always be expressed as GMT/UTC.
You can find your Key Times at www.cambridgeinternational.org/keytime

M
Malpractice
An action by a candidate or centre that breaks Cambridge regulations and potentially
threatens the integrity of Cambridge exams.
Moderation
The process to bring the marking of an internally assessed component to an agreed
standard in all participating Cambridge centres.

P
Private candidate
A candidate taking Cambridge exams who is not a registered student with your centre.

Getting Started A guide for exams officers 25

 A–Z of terms continued

S
School Support coordinator
The designated person who is responsible for creating and maintaining access to the
School Support Hub for staff in their centre. They are also responsible for authorising
Cambridge training bookings for teachers at their centre.
Scripts
A candidate’s response to a whole question paper or component.
Series
A group of exams in the same range, for example, Cambridge IGCSE and Cambridge
International A Level, with the same closing date for entries and timetable period.
A series is identified by a month and year, for example June 2020.
Session
A period in a day in which an exam takes place, which is either in the morning, afternoon
or evening. The evening session only applies to centres in administrative zones 4 and 5.
Special consideration
A post-exam adjustment made to a candidate’s mark, by Cambridge, to make allowances
for any adverse circumstances, for example illness, bereavement or temporary injury.
Statement of entry
A document showing a candidate’s details and the entry options the candidate has been
entered for.
Statement of results
A document produced for each candidate giving details of all the syllabuses they have
entered and the syllabus grades they have been awarded.
Syllabus
A complete description of the content, assessment arrangements and performance
requirements for a qualification. A course leading to an award or certificate is based
on a subject syllabus.

*3974431515* Copyright © UCLES November 2019