Cambridge Handbook 2025 - Regulations and guidance for administering Cambridge exams - interactive guide

Sep 18, 2026

Cambridge Handbook 2025 is an interactive regulatory guide for exams officers, setting out responsibilities and operational requirements for administering Cambridge exams during 2025. It covers the Cambridge exams cycle, centre and associate duties, key times and full centre supervision, and detailed guidance on preparation, entries, coursework and moderation, and arrangements before and on exam day. It also includes timelines, materials handling, invigilator requirements, and special consideration processes.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages178

Reading Time7 h 29 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

The Cambridge Exams Cycle

Centre and Cambridge Associate responsibilities

Key Times and Full Centre Supervision

Section 1: Preparation

Support from Cambridge

Preparing your exams timetable

Access arrangements

Section 2: Entries

Candidates

Estimated entries

Final entries

Entry fees, late entries, entry changes and retake entries

Section 3: Coursework and moderation

The samples database and Submit for Assessment

Internally assessed coursework

Examined coursework

Non-coursework tests

Section 4: Before the exams

Forecast grades

Pre-exam and question paper despatches

Receiving question paper despatches

Storing confidential materials

Preparing the exam room

Invigilator requirements

Section 5: Exam day

At the beginning of the exam

During the exam

At the end of the exam

Packing and sending scripts

Special consideration

For exams officers Cambridge Handbook 2025 Regulations and guidance for administering Cambridge exams Includes: • Cambridge Primary Checkpoint and Lower Secondary Checkpoint • Cambridge IGCSE™ • Cambridge O Level • Cambridge International AS & A Level • Cambridge Professional Development Qualifications. Valid for exams in 2025 This is an interactive guide Contents Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 4 The Cambridge Exams Cycle .............................................................................................. 6 Centre and Cambridge Associate responsibilities ................................................... 7 Key Times and Full Centre Supervision .......................................................................... 21 What are Key Times? .......................................................................................................................... 21 Why are Key Times important? ..................................................................................................... 21 What are my Key Times? ................................................................................................................... 21 Who is responsible for implementing Key Times?............................................................... 21 How do I use Key Times?.................................................................................................................... 21 What is Full Centre Supervision? ................................................................................................. 22 Section 1: Preparation ........................................................................................................... 25 1.1 Support from Cambridge .................................................................................................... 25 1.2 Preparing your exams timetable ............................................................................ 28 1.3 Access arrangements ............................................................................................................ 32 Section 2: Entries ..................................................................................................................... 47 2.1 Candidates .................................................................................................................................. 47 2.2 Estimated entries ...................................................................................................................... 49 2.3 Final entries ................................................................................................................................ 50 2.4 Entry fees, late entries, entry changes and retake entries ....................... 55 2.5 Group awards, staged assessment and carrying forward marks for internally assessed components .............................................................................. 58 2.6 Alternative venues .................................................................................................................. 61 Section 3: Coursework and moderation ..................................................................... 63 3.1 The samples database and Submit for Assessment .......................................... 64 3.2 Internally assessed coursework ..................................................................................... 65 3.3 Examined coursework .......................................................................................................... 67 3.4 Non-coursework tests ......................................................................................................... 70 3.5 Submitting marks for internally assessed coursework and non-coursework tests ....................................................................

FAQs

Who is the Cambridge Handbook 2025 guide for?

It is for exams officers administering Cambridge exams in 2025, including responsibilities for centres and Cambridge Associates.

What are Key Times and Full Centre Supervision?

Key Times are specified timings that centres must observe, and Full Centre Supervision describes the supervision requirements during the exam cycle.

What guidance does the handbook provide for the exam process?

It covers preparation, entries, coursework and moderation, storing confidential materials, exam-room preparation, invigilator requirements, exam-day procedures, and special consideration.

Sep 18, 2026

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