Understanding retake entries - International

Why is it important to make correct retake entries?

Understanding what a retake entry is means you can work towards the correct entry deadline and are not charged late entry fees unnecessarily. Centres and candidates sometimes think a ‘retake’ is when the candidate sits a subject again. However, we have a specific definition of what a ‘retake’ actually is.

What is a retake entry?

Entries are only retakes when both of the following are true:

• The exam series the entry is being made for has a separate retake entry deadline.
• The candidate is being entered for the same syllabus as they were in the exam series immediately before the current one.

Which exam series’ have retake entry deadlines?

Only the November exam series has a separate retake deadline. You do not need to tell us if entries for the June exam series are retakes.

The November exam series has a separate retake deadline because June exam series results are always released a few days before the November first time entry deadline. Therefore, we provide a later retake entry deadline which allows you more time to decide which candidates to enter for retakes in November.

The amount of time between November results being released and the June entry deadline means there is no need for a separate retake deadline for June.

If a candidate is sitting the same syllabus as in the previous series, but a different combination of components, is this still a retake?

Yes. Any entry for the November exam series for a syllabus the candidate sat in the previous June exam series is a retake. They do not need to sit the same combination of components.

Candidates who are carrying forward marks from June to November are also retake entries. This includes candidates who are completing an A Level syllabus as a staged assessment, where they sit the AS components in June and complete the A Level in November.

If we don’t tell you an entry is a retake, can this be added afterwards?

It is not possible to change the retake indicator once you have submitted an entry. If you do not tell us an entry is a retake by ticking the retake indicator box then we will charge you late entry fees (for entries made after the first time entry deadline).

What happens if previous candidate and centre details are not included when submitting a retake entry?

You must always submit previous candidate and centre details when you submit a retake entry. Without these, we cannot verify that an entry is a retake. If you don’t provide these details you will be charged late entry fees (if it is after the first time entry deadline for the series).

Examples

Example 1:

A candidate took Cambridge IGCSE Physics (0625) in the June exam series and wants to improve their result by sitting a different combination of 0625 components in the following November exam series. This is a retake entry.

Example 2:

A candidate took Cambridge IGCSE Physics (0625) in the November exam series and wants to improve their result by sitting a different combination of 0625 components in the following June exam series.

This is not a retake - the June exam series does not have a separate retake entry deadline.

Example 3:

A candidate took the AS components of Cambridge International A Level Mathematics (9709) in the June exam series and wants to carry those marks forward and complete the A2 components of 9709 in the following November exam series for a full A Level result.

This is a retake entry.