Is it compulsory for candidates to use joined-up handwriting or cursive in these exams?

Cursive handwriting is not compulsory for candidates taking 0502 IGCSE First Language Spanish exams. No specific credit is awarded for handwriting. However, if handwriting is not legible this is likely to be self-penalising as examiners may not be able to understand what the candidate is trying to communicate. We recommend that candidates write in clear and legible writing, which does not necessarily have to be cursive.

Examples of candidates’ handwriting can be seen in the Example Candidate Responses Booklet, which you can find on the School Support Hub. You will see that some responses are written in cursive writing, and some are not. The comments provided by the Principal Examiner demonstrate that marks were awarded for the content of what the candidate wrote in response to the question, and not for the quality of the handwriting.