Cambridge IGCSE Geography - Rationale Document - Completing the Rationale Document for each syllabus

Oct 23, 2026

Uploaded by Hazel

Rationale document guidance for a centre submitting candidate portfolios of evidence for Cambridge IGCSE Geography (syllabus 0460). It explains why a Rationale Document is required for each syllabus, what Cambridge examiners need it for, and the consequences of incomplete submissions. The text specifies who completes it (Head of Department or teacher) and what the finished document must include: selection of work, syllabus coverage and assessment objectives, security and authenticity, and access arrangements. It also covers handling private candidates and follow-up questions and evidence choices.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages5

Reading Time13 min

AccessFree to download

Rationale Document overview

Why the Rationale Document is required

Who completes the Rationale Document

When to submit the Rationale Document

What the completed Rationale Document must include

What happens after submitting

Private candidates

Selection of work

Candidate awareness of submitted evidence

Explaining pieces of work and evidence choices

Evidence 1: Cambridge past paper

Evidence 2: School test based on Cambridge questions

Evidence 3: Coursework assignment

Rationale document Centre number Centre name Level and title of syllabus Syllabus code xx123 XXX School Cambridge IGCSE Geography 0460 Why you must complete the Rationale Document for each syllabus The Rationale Document explains how you have produced and chosen the candidate evidence for your candidates’ portfolios of evidence. You must complete a Rationale Document for each syllabus. We need to see the Rationale Document when Cambridge examiners are marking your candidates’ portfolios of evidence. Failure to complete and submit the Rationale Document correctly may result in delays to your candidates receiving grades. If you are completing this form for an A Level syllabus, you must explain how you have produced and chosen both the AS portfolio of evidence and the A2 portfolio of evidence. Who completes the Rationale Document for each syllabus? The Head of Department completes the Rationale Document for each syllabus (or the teacher if there is no Head of Department), to explain to us how you have produced and chosen your candidates’ portfolios of evidence. When you must submit the Rationale Document for each syllabus You must complete a Rationale Document for each syllabus for which you are submitting entries. The Rationale Document must be uploaded for each syllabus when you upload the portfolios of evidence to Submit for Assessment. You should also keep a copy of the Rationale Document for your records. What your completed Rationale Document must include The Rationale Document must provide information about the areas below as relevant to the syllabus and your centre. A Selection of work B Coverage of syllabus content and assessment objectives C Security and authenticity of work D Access arrangements What happens after submitting the Rationale Document? We use the Rationale Document when we mark the evidence that you have submitted for a candidate. If weare concerned that you have not followed the requirements set out in our guidance, then we may need to contact you to explore this further. Private candidates If you have accepted entries for private candidates, please explain how their work has been obtained, selected and authenticated, then go on to answer the rest of the questions in this Rationale Document. We have not accepted entries for private candidates for this syllabus. The following questions apply to all candidates, including private candidates. A Selection of work You must make sure that each candidate is aware of the work you are submitting to Cambridge in their portfolio of evidence. This allows candidates to raise any concerns relating to any particular pieces of evidence, and for you to take these concerns into account before submitting the portfolio to us. If you have told candidates the mark that you have given to a piece of work in the portfolio, you should tell candidates that Cambridge examiners will mark the work again and so the mark you have assigned will not necessarily be the same as the final mark which is assigned by our examiner. 1. Please explain what pieces of work you have used for this syllabus and why you decided to include these in the evidence. If you have used different pieces of evidence for different candidates, explain how and why this has been done. If you are completing this form for an A Level syllabus, explain how you have selected both the AS portfolio of evidence and the A2 portfolio of evidence. For all the candidates except candidates 0032 (Amelia Hodges), 0037 (Emily Jones) and 0065 (Daniel Winters) we used the three pieces of evidence described below. Evidence 1: Cambridge past paper Past paper 0460/11 from November 2024. We used this because it a substantial task (1h45) and the questions in it still align with the requirements of the 2025–2027 syllabus. The pupils sat this exam near the end of their course of study in Year 11. Evidence 2: School test based on Cambridge questions We used our own sch

FAQs

Why must the Rationale Document be completed for each syllabus?

Cambridge examiners use it to check how candidate evidence was produced and selected. If it is not completed and submitted correctly, grade processing can be delayed.

Who is responsible for completing the Rationale Document for each syllabus?

The Head of Department completes it (or the teacher if there is no Head of Department), explaining how candidates’ portfolios of evidence were produced and chosen.

What sections must the completed Rationale Document include?

It must provide information on relevant areas: selection of work, coverage of syllabus content and assessment objectives, security and authenticity of work, and access arrangements.

Oct 23, 2026

Uploaded by Hazel