Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE)
Est Year: 1858
Gender Accepted: Co-Ed
About CAIE Board:
Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE) is an international board of education established in 1858. The CAIE board is part of the International Education group at the University of Cambridge, which works towards shaping knowledge and cultivating essential skills through a meticulously designed structure. Through the university’s governance, the board strives to offer a flexible framework for students aged 3 to 19. Additionally, the board provides world-leading academic research, learning, and assessment activities supported by the university's teaching and research department.
Currently, the Cambridge International Education (CAIE) board is affiliated with over 10,000 schools in 160 countries across nine regions: North America, Latin America, the UK and Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and North Africa, South Asia, East Asia, Southeast Asia and Pacific, and Pakistan. Cambridge representatives are appointed to each region to regulate the administration of the affiliated schools.
CAIE Board Highlights:
The Cambridge International Examination (CAIE) Board Academic Structure:
The academic blueprint of the Cambridge International Education (CAIE) board is classified into five stages of education. They are:
Cambridge Early Years:
This stage covers students from ages 3 to 4.5. It is a play-based programme with a holistic curriculum and engaging resources. Moreover, the curriculum in this stage fundamentally covers the students' personal, social, and emotional development.
Cambridge Primary:
The Cambridge Primary stage of education offers an adaptable curriculum with flexible assessment options, support and resources, and insight into potential. This stage serves students aged 5 to 10. The curriculum includes 10+ subjects, including English, Mathematics, and Science.
Cambridge Lower Secondary:
This stage applies to students from ages 11 to 13. The academic aspects in the Cambridge Lower Secondary stage of education are similar to those in the Cambridge primary stage, wherein the curriculum is explicit with flexible assessment options, support and resources, and insight to predict performance. This stage focuses on improving the students' comprehensive ability by offering 10+ subjects, including English, Mathematics, and Science.
Cambridge Upper Secondary:
The Cambridge Upper Secondary stage offers a broad and adaptable curriculum. The age group in this stage ranges from 14 to 15. The Cambridge Upper Secondary stage provides a fair, valid, and reliable assessment with efficient support and resources. Moreover, this stage has three classifications: Cambridge IGCSE, Cambridge ‘O’ level, and Cambridge ICE. While Cambridge IGSCE offers over 70 subjects, Cambridge ‘O’ level provides more than 40 subjects.
CAIE Exam Board Timetable:
The CAIE board exam timetable is classified based on the administrative zones. There are six administrative zones, each consisting of a collection of regions in which the schools are affiliated with the CAIE board. Moreover, all CAIE centres that govern the CAIE-affiliated schools are allotted to one of the six administrative zones. Since India is under the 4th Administrative zone, the timetable for the same is as follows:
Cambridge IGCSE Test Timetable
Cambridge O Level Test Timetable:
Cambridge International AS Level Timetable:
Cambridge International A Level Timetable:
CAIE Registrations for Schools:
Schools that wish to offer Cambridge qualifications must demonstrate their eligibility by registering with Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE).
CAIE Registration Procedure for Schools:
The procedure to register with the CAIE consists of four steps. They include:
Filling up the Expression of Interest Form
Filling up the Application Form
An Approval Visit by the CAIE
Attestation Post Approval
Filling up the Expression of Interest Form:
Schools must access the Expression of Interest Form from the CAIE official website and fill in the necessary information such as ‘contact details’, ‘the Cambridge programmes the school intends to offer’, and ‘whether the school is ready to offer the programmes’. Before filling out the form, the school must consider their aim for implementing the curriculum, assess its resources and facilities, and identify its impact on its faculty. Once the form is filled with the necessary information, it will be assigned to the local Cambridge representative. Based on their assessment, further guidance regarding the consecutive steps is given within five working days.
Filling Up the Application Form:
Schools that have submitted the Expression of Interest Form and are authorised by the CAIE are given an application form by the local Cambridge Representative. The form is structured with questions that will help the board get a clear understanding of the following five key areas:
Mission and Educational Values
Educational Management and Leadership
Approach to Teaching and Learning
The support of the Physical Environment for the Secure Administration of the Exams (Physical Schools Only)
The Online Provisions of the School (Online Schools Only)’
Legal Requirement
Once the application form is completed, the school must submit it to the local Cambridge Representative. The representative will review the form and may contact the school for additional information. Once the requirements are met, the Cambridge Local Representative will authorise an approval visit.
An Approval Visit by the CAIE
This step acts as a medium to verify the evidence necessary to confirm whether the information mentioned in the application form is accurate. The approval visit is organised and administered by the local Cambridge representative or a specialist, who must be briefed about the school and the intention behind joining hands with Cambridge Education. Additionally, the approval visit is carried out in two forms. They are:
In-Person Verification for Physical Schools
Online Verification for Online Schools
In-Person Verification for Physical Schools:
In the case of Physical Schools, the duration of the visit depends on the number of qualifications intended to be offered. On an estimate, the in-person approval visit will last half a day or even longer. The verification will involve a combination of document verification, a review of classrooms and facilities, and the school’s processes for managing exams and security arrangements.
Online Verification for Online Schools:
The duration of the virtual visit depends on the number of Cambridge programmes offered and the amount of evidence required. The visit will comprise a discussion, document verification, and lesson observation. During the virtual visit, additional priority is given towards evaluating the school’s approach to online teaching and learning activities.
Attestation Post Approval:
In this step, the board sends a contract letter to the approved schools based on the respective ‘Approval Visit’. The school authority must sign and return the contract letter to the CAIE board. Additionally, the school must pay any relevant fees to complete the CAIE registration process. Once the fee is paid, the board offers a ‘Welcome Pack’ that consists of
Information about the Cambridge curriculum
Details on the Professional Development Programme
CAIE Code of Practice
A certificate and wall plaque confirming the school’s status as a Cambridge School
Login information for Administrative and Teacher Support Websites
Marketing and Promotional Resources to Enable Effective Communications
Detailed Guide to the Exam Officers and teachers concerning exams.
CAIE Syllabus:
The CAIE Board curriculum offers 55 subjects that are chosen to prepare students for university-level education. CAIE-affiliated schools can offer these subjects in almost any combination. These subjects are taught at two levels: Cambridge International A Level, which is typically a two-year course, and Cambridge International AS Level, which is generally a one-year course. Additionally, the subjects are even included under the Cambridge IGCSE curriculum. The tables below list the subjects taught under the Cambridge IGSCE, A and AS levels.
Cambridge Subjects taught under the A and AS Levels:
Cambridge IGCSE curriculum:
CAIE Boards Results:
The CAIE Board results are generally released in January for students participating in the November exam series and in August for students participating in the June exam series. Students can access the results by visiting their respective schools or accessing the CAIE results portal.
CAIE Marking and Grading Scheme:
The CAIE Board receives over 8 million answer sheets to correct from all over the world. While specific exams are assessed on paper, some exams that include multiple-choice questions are marked automatically by a computer. Once the marking is done, the board sets the respective grades for each candidate. The designated grade boundaries are assigned based on statistical evidence and expert judgment analysis.
The CAIE grading scheme primarily consists of four elements: grades, numerical values, verbal interpretation, and grade point value. These are systematically structured in the following manner.
However, the grading scheme under the Cambridge IGCSE and Cambridge ‘O’ level adopt a 9-1 grading scale. The grading system used in these two levels is as follows:
In any of the CAIE levels of education, once the grades are assigned, the school calculates the Grade Point Average (GPA) to help students achieve any of the following reasons:
High School Graduation
Eligibility to Participate in Interscholastic Extracurricular Activities
Awards and Recognitions Programmes
Placement on the Honour Roll and/ or Membership in Honour Societies
College Admissions and Scholarship Competitions
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